The UK Food and Drink Federation (FDF), the self-styled voice of the UK food and drink manufacturing industry, has launched a new website dedicated to providing information for food manufacturers about the out-of-home and foodservice markets.
The new site, called www.outofhome.org claims to be the first Internet-based source to be run for and by food manufacturers operating in the £24.1 billion (€34.8bn) UK foodservice industry.
Accessible to both the general public and Federation members, the site provides a wealth of resources, including key industry statistics, the latest market trends, a links section, articles assessing future trends in the foodservice industry, key industry perspectives on processes and services and general information on the sector and its key players.
Martin Paterson, FDF deputy director general, said: "The Out of Home Group website is an exciting new addition to the Federation's suite of services. We are constantly looking at ways to improve the information available on our industry to members and the public. This site provides a one-stop-shop on a significant sector."
Paterson's views were echoed by Ian Stone, communications chairman of the FDF's Out of Home Group which specialises in the foodservice sector: "The group recently completed a full evaluation of its role within the foodservice market. As a result we identified the need for an authoritative and definitive source of information on the growing out of home sector and the importance of a concerted manufacturer's voice within it.
"The website is the first stage of the Group's ambitious plans to provide this source and voice."
The Out of Home Group (OHG) is run by the Food and Drink Federation and consists of senior foodservice company representatives with direct responsibility for dealing with distributors and end-operators in the catering, foodservice, leisure, entertainment, agency, local authority and state sector.
The sector covers a wide range of services and products used from restaurants and hotels to hospitals and prisons.