Help to grow a labour of love
As the first national lockdown took hold, the people of the nation threw themselves into learning new skills and taking up hobbies. As a result, many businesses providing specialist and artisan products began to soar. However, as they grew, they needed to outsource packing and mailing.
The challenge
Our client was the owner of a new gourmet 'at home' style meal kit and with demand on the rise, keeping up with the increase in orders was proving to be challenging. They wanted to outsource the packing and concentrate on growing the business. It wasn’t just a case of packing the products quickly – it was vital the quality of the final product continued to shine through the brand.
Whether fresh or dry, each ingredient needed to be weighed and measured accurately by hand and packed into individual packaging. Variations in the weights could cause problems with the quality of the final product, which would be damaging to the business’ reputation.
When customers ordered kits, they were offered different customised services. Some required gift wrapping and handwritten personalised messages with their orders which meant predicting the uptake of these services would be difficult.
Completed orders would be sent direct to a customer’s chosen address, but as this could be a one-off order or part of a longer-term subscription, the monthly numbers would be constantly changing.
With so many changing variables, this was a complex project. Our client needed flexibility to add services as and when they were needed, and at very short notice.
The blp solution
Not only could blp be flexible with our client’s evolving needs, we could also become an extension of their business.
We completed the kits in our BRC food safety certified clean room, providing reassurance that the strictest industry standards are maintained throughout the project.
When handling customer data, there is no room for error – we are both GDPR compliant and ISO 27001 certified – this is vital when sending products direct to customers. Furthermore, our knowledge of mailing services meant we could deal with Royal Mail requirements with ease.
We complete all services in one location, which allows us to adapt quickly to any changes in the project requirements. Not only did this help to reduce costs and lead times, which is vital for smaller businesses, it allowed the client to add extra services when needed.
The results
Our client has seen huge growth in the sale of the home meal kits and continues to add new recipes to their range. Initially available online, their products are now available in some of the most prestigious retailers in the country. This is a huge achievement for them, and we look forward to supporting their future growth with our diverse range of capabilities.
Our people are our biggest asset
With a can-do attitude, our team is completely proactive and responsive. Our wealth of knowledge is unrivalled and passion for our craft is core to everything we do.
Paul Stephenson
Key Account Manager
Cameron Butler
Key Account Manager
Leighton Hopper
Client Manager
Jill McCartney
Senior Client Manager
Sharon Sloanes
Client Manager
Sophie McNeal
Client Manager
Gavin Quinn
New Business Sales Manager
Katie Laidlaw
Senior Client Manager
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Waking up to our impact on the planet
From ‘plastic’ oceans to deforestation, we see the impact pollution and unsustainable processes have on the environment every day. As a business, we’re committed to showing responsible behaviour and increasingly focussing our attention on minimising the impact our processes have on the planet. We are continually looking for ways to become more sustainable in the management of our business but also amongst our staff, from recording and monitoring our energy use and introducing LED lighting to reduce GHG emissions, to installing recycling points throughout our factory and offices for paper and card. It’s all going in the right direction and even small changes can make a difference.
What we’re doing
An effective environmental management system
We are proud holders of the ISO 14001 certification. This international standard makes sure we have a robust environmental management system in place and helps improve performance and compliance. It includes things like our environmental policy, reducing waste and evaluating our operational procedures.
We’re FSC® certified
FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) is dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management and carefully manages forests to make sure they increase in size each year. No tropical rain forests are destroyed in order to make paper and board. FSC certification brings social benefits to workers and local people, and environmental benefits for biodiversity and ecosystems.
Products made with wood and paper from FSC certified forests carry the ‘tick tree’ logo. FSC inspects and tracks timber and pulp right through the chain, from an FSC-certified forest, to a paper manufacturer and then to a printer that has FSC Chain-of-Custody certification.
Monitoring our equipment
We continually monitor the use of our machinery to identify any areas for improvement, already reducing our carbon impact by 35 tonnes.
Our printing presses are alcohol-free. As well as reducing waste, it’s kinder to the environment, plus, we use environmentally friendly inks, which is particularly important for the food industry.
Supporting the community around us
As a local North East business, giving back to our community is at the heart of blp. We sponsor a variety of worthy causes through fundraising activities and are proud to be a corporate sponsor of ‘Street Zero’. This brilliant charity is on a mission to end rough sleeping in Newcastle by 2022. ‘Street Zero’ has already helped reduce rough sleeping in our city by 74% which is a truly remarkable achievement (Jan 2020-21).
Find out more about this brilliant organisation and their worthwhile cause at:
