The factory stands on the site of the old Second World War airbase RAF Merston and provides 7500m² of manufacturing space, dedicated to producing prepared fruit products and salad meals.  The factory will enable NWF to satisfy the ever growing demand for fresh, high quality prepared fruit and salad in a new state of the art facility and also gives NWF the capacity to manufacture ‘high risk’ protein based products.

Providing approximately a 200% increase in capacity for the business, the factory design maximises process innovation, with manufacturing efficiency and control.   For example, the specialised temperature storage areas allow for precise handling of a wide variety of produce; new chilling and processing techniques, alongside precise control of the factory environment, all help to deliver a step change in the quality and freshness that NWF is able to deliver to the consumer.

Gary Kilhams, Factory Manager explains, “The new site has transformed our fruit and salad meals processing abilities. The opportunities now available to innovate, with both products and process is extremely exciting.”

Designed with the environment in mind, the roof has a special curve to blend into the skyline and surrounding landscape, and is silver in colour to reflect heat and reduce energy costs.  A special roof drainage system has been created to capture rain water and channel it into neighbouring wildlife ponds, and as with the factory, the office air-conditioning system also reclaims heat.  The building also incorporates full height windows, which maximise natural light into the high care areas.

At the front of the building, the two storey office section provides management and administration space, including a bespoke Innovation kitchen and a 100 seat canteen for employees, with panoramic views of the South Downs.

Richard Parr, Operations Director explains, “We are very proud of our new Merston facility and believe we have created a unique facility that is both innovative, green, a great place for our people to work and puts NWF at the forefront of fresh produce manufacturing.”

Robert Langmead, Chairman of Natures Way Foods, explains “We are very excited about supporting the UK Youth cycling team.  As a keen cyclist myself, I know how important it is to exercise regularly and the huge benefits cycling can bring both physically and mentally.UK Youth is a highly positive charity that helps young people throughout the country  to get a step-up in life, through a range of new experiences including cycling.

“We believe this sponsorship perfectly matches our company ethos of producing healthy fresh foods and our energetic and positive business culture and corporate-giving goals.  We hope the UK Youth cycling team do really well over the coming months and look forward to promoting the benefits of cycling in an Olympic year.”

Natures Way Foods is not the only British company to be backing the team. The bikes are being custom-made for each rider by WyndyMilla. The bikes are designed in custom white with Union Jack decals to represent the Olympic year and display the green and yellow Natures Way Foods logo. The company logo is also featured on the arms of the team’s jerseys.

Henry Furniss from WyndyMilla comments, “We are delighted that Natures Way Foods is backing WyndyMilla to produce cutting edge bikes and kit for Team UK Youth. It’s great to see a leading British company like Natures Way Foods driving innovation in a new British custom bike brand and supporting a century old British charity.  This is a seriously potent mix and we’re all very excited”.

Children at Sidlesham have been given free High Visibility florescent jackets to wear on their journeys to and from school.  The jackets are sponsored by NWF as part of the company's on-going Safer Roads campaign in the local area. This is the second year NWF is running the scheme and Sidlesham Primary is one of four local schools to participate in the scheme. 

Head Teacher Mr Rackstraw comments, "We are delighted to be working with NWF.  This is a great initiative and will help to keep our children safer on our roads.  Many of our children are very local and walk to school but have to cross or walk alongside very busy roads.  We are very aware of how dangerous the roads can be during this time of year and want to support families travelling in the dark.  These High Visibility jackets are a great idea and will help to better alert drivers to the children, their parents and carers."

Sarah Baldock, Head of Sales and Marketing at NWF, adds “This is the second Winter we have been running our Safer Roads campaign and it has proved very popular with local schools.  Keeping children safe during the Autumn and Winter months can be problematic and by working with local schools we can help to ensure the children and their parents are given maximum visibility on our roads.”

Schools interested in participating in the NWF Safer Roads campaign and obtaining High Visibility waistcoats should contact Nicky Upton on 01243 603111.  Waistcoats are available on a First Come First Served basis.

On this occasion a team of five ladies spent the day putting their decorating skills to the test; cleaning down and re-painting a room for the Crossroads Charity, Bognor Regis.  The main office, kitchenette and restroom needed a new lick of paint and in some places wallpaper, which fell down to two highly skilled individuals, who proved their papering skills to be invaluable.  It was a full day’s work, with a couple of breaks to give their arms a rest; but the end was result was worth it and just in time for the start of the charity's new marketing manager.

“The decision of Natures Way to provide time for their employees to have paid  time to volunteer to help local charities is invaluable to charities like Crossroads.  Working with Nicky Upton we were able to put a decorating project together that, from initial contact to completion, was done very quickly.  We thought the project would take at least 3 days but the team proved to be so efficient that they completed it successfully in one day. The standard of work has been of a very high calibre. Without the teams efforts we would not be in a position to use the room effectively for at least a further year.”  Eric Geddes, Chief Executive Crossroads Charity

The Triathlon, which is sponsored by Natures Way Foods, has attracted competitors from all over the world since we introduced it in 2007. This year, we have decided to split the event over two days, due to its popularity.

The Junior Aquathon, also sponsored by Natures Way Foods, is for competitors between eight and 16 and will take place on Saturday 17 July.  The first wave of competitors will set off at 1pm. This will start with a swimming race at Chichester Westgate Leisure, followed by a race around Chichester College’s campus. There is room for around 250 entries.

The distance set for junior competitors will be dependent upon their age. Distances for the swim start from 66m (two lengths) for eight year olds, up to 400m (12 lengths) for 16 year olds. This is followed by a run of between 600m and 3km, depending on age.

The main Triathlon event will be held the following day. This will be joined by a new event, ‘Try a Tri’, which is designed for competitors who were prefer a sprint distance. This is a shorter version of the Triathlon, removing the hilly part of the course, and will consist of:

• a 400m pool swim at Westgate Leisure Chichester;
• a 30km bike ride through Lavant, Compton, Funtington and back into Chichester Westgate Leisure;
• finishing with a 5km (3 mile) out-and-back flat run along Centurions Way.

The main Triathlon event is the same as in previous years and there is room for up to 300 entries. The first wave of Triathlon competitors will start at 7am. The race consists of:

• a 600m pool swim at Westgate Leisure Chichester;
• a 42km (26 mile) bike ride through Lavant, up South Harting Hill, round through Compton, Funtington and back into Chichester Westgate Leisure;
• finishing with a 10km (6 mile) out-and-back flat run along Centurions Way.

For those who don’t want to take part in all three events, there is the opportunity for teams to compete. This option allows each member of the team to take part in a different event within the Triathlon.
Chip timing will again be used this year. Competitors will be able to see their results and split times, as soon as they cross the finish line. They will also be able to book their race spot online, by completing a form on our website www.chichester.gov.uk. The website will also provide further competition details and a map of the courses. Forms will also be available from Westgate Leisure Chichester.
Once you have booked your place, we will send you a race number, transitions bands and bike/hat stickers near to race day.

Marshals and race referees will be located at a transition area on Chichester College’s front field, where bike racks will also be provided. All competitors will receive a t-shirt and goodie bag.
Councillor Nick Thomas, Portfolio Holder for Sport and Culture at Chichester District Council, says: “Each year the Triathlon attracts more and more competitors, with people coming from all over the world to take part. We are expecting record numbers this year for both the Triathlon and the increasingly popular Aquathon. With the ‘Try A Tri’ event now added to the weekend, we can promise that all three events will offer great all round entertainment for both competitors and spectators alike.”

Natures Way Foods said: “We are strongly committed to supporting community initiatives, particularly those that promote healthy eating and sport in the local area. We are a leading supplier of prepared salads and fruit and this is the fourth year that we are sponsoring this event.”

The cost to enter is:

• £32 for British Triathlon Federation (BTF) Members;
• £39 for Non BTF Members; and
• £55 for a team entry.

The entry fee for the ‘Try a Tri’ is £21 for BTF Members and £25 for Non BTF Members.
Entry forms for the Aquathon are also available from our website and Chichester Westgate Leisure. The cost to enter the Junior Aquathon is £10 for BTF Members and £12 for Non BTF Members.

The school runs a Gardening Club, which has an area in the school grounds dedicated to growing vegetables, linking as part of the schools drive for Eco-Schools status and for pupils to understand the value of growing vegetables.  However last year a new dining hall facility was built where the patch was located and so it was disassembled.

Once the team had warmed up, with a cup of tea; always a must when embarking on some manual labour, the 10 tonnes of top soil, which had been kindly donated from the Woodhorn Group was delivered.  The team then spent the next few hours transporting the soil from, what seemed like a never ending mound, to the timber raised beds.  Despite a few aching muscles the team successfully filled the beds, giving the school the facility it needs to educate their students about where food comes from, how it is grown and more importantly the importance of healthy eating.

"I wanted to participate in the Volunteer scheme at work and the vegetable patch rebuild was the perfect opportunity for me, as I enjoy gardening and being outside in the fresh air.  It was also rewarding to contribute towards an educational project, which teaches children about food and eating healthily."  Tabitha Goodall, Ledger Manager

With winter drawing in, many children now find themselves walking to and from school in the dark.

According to Highway Agency statistics,* this is one of the most dangerous times of year, with accidents at their peak during the hours children travel to and from school.  In fact, road deaths account for about two thirds of all accidental deaths amongst children aged 5-14 - with boys at greater risk than girls – and 42% of all road deaths happen in darkness.

To raise awareness and help keep children safe when travelling to school, especially during the Autumn and Winter months, Natures Way Foods (NWF) is launching a new Safer Roads campaign. The campaign considers all modes of transport under one umbrella and through education and action aims to highlight the importance of driving safely on our roads.  For local schools NWF will offer real practical support by providing free high visibility florescent jackets, which can be worn by children who walk or cycle to school.  Adult jackets will also be available for parents who make the journey with their children.

Sarah Baldock, Head of Marketing at NWF explains the scheme, “Increasingly, children and their parents are being encouraged to walk, scooter or cycle to and from school.  However, keeping children safe – particularly in the autumn and winter months – can be problematic and so we are working with local schools, and supporting West Sussex County Council’s range of existing road safety education initiatives, to ensure children and their parents are kept as safe as possible on our roads.”

“As well as providing a number of local primary schools with free high visibility florescent jackets for the children to wear as they travel to and from school, we are also promoting good driving practices within our company and our distribution partners.  We hope this campaign will create more awareness of the issues around travelling safely and driving with care within the local area.”

To communicate the campaign, NWF has produced car stickers for all NWF personnel, alongside a Safer Roads information leaflet for staff, schools and visitors. It has also produced a separate leaflet aimed specifically at large vehicle drivers – whether they are delivery drivers or the company’s haulage partners**.  This special leaflet features a map of the area directing the vehicles to the NWF factories at Selsey and Runcton, and highlights areas of caution along the main routes, along with residential speed limits. Both leaflets stress the importance of driving safely and aim to encourage careful driving at all times.

Seal Primary school has been activity involved with NWF from the outset of the campaign and has already requested 420 florescent jackets to be distributed within the school community.   Eileen Ockwell, at Seal says, “We are delighted to be part of this initiative and very grateful to NWF for their support.  Many of our children come to school by ‘walking bus’ and visibility is a big issue on local roads.  We know that the florescent jackets make a huge difference and hope that this campaign will raise awareness amongst drivers in the area.”

Selsey-based salads company, Natures Way Foods (NWF), has been named the UK’s best manufacturer of fresh produce in the food industry’s equivalent of the Oscars - the Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards.

NWF, which supplies bagged salads and prepared fruits to Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons and other major retailers and food service companies, scooped the prestigious award in recognition of its strong credentials as a modern, innovative and highly successful business. NWF is a big employer in West Sussex, employing 450 permanent staff, and has grown by 41% in the last two years - achieving a turnover of £95 million in 2009.

Sarah Baldock, Head of Marketing, and Clare Roberts HR and Health and Safety Director, received the award on behalf of the company at a gala ceremony held at the Savoy Hotel, London.  The Award was presented by BBC Breakfast’s Chris Hollins and by Andy Hodgkins, Business Director of the Award sponsor Gist.  In making their decision, the judges found that NWF rapid growth was largely down to its innovation and new product development.  This includes this year’s launch of the unique Lasting Leaf brand of bagged salads.  Currently available exclusively at Waitrose, this new salad range offers an extra 48 hour shelf life, once the bag has been opened, in comparison to traditional bags.

Sarah Baldock comments, “We are absolutely delighted to have won such a prestigious award and to have been recognized by our peers.  The annual Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards are organized by Food Manufacture magazine and prizes are awarded across nine manufacturing categories.  This recognizes that NWF is truly a world-class business which will continue to innovate and grow for many years to come."

Rick Pendrous, Editor of Food Manufacture, says, “The Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards distinguish and reward the UK’s very best food and drink manufacturing companies. We congratulate Natures Way Foods on achieving the very highest standards in this competitive and fast moving industry.”

A group of Year 11 students from Chichester High School for Girls has been invited by Natures Way Foods (NWF) to learn about Health & Safety in food production as part of their GCSE Applied Science course work.  The visit on 14th October represents a new departure for NWF as until now the company’s hugely popular Field to Fork Tour initiative has been aimed mainly at primary school children. 

NWF has devised the tour in consultation with teachers from the West Sussex area to ensure it has direct relevance to the National Curriculum and Unit 1 Applied Science (local work-place study).  The visit includes a presentation from the Business Compliance Manager as well as a factory tour showing them how fresh produce is processed and packed.  Throughout the tour they will learn about the importance of Health & Safety in all aspects of food production, through hands on involvement in NWF systems and processes.   As part of their course, they will need to compare the Health & Safety in the factory with the Health & Safety in their school.

"We look forward to welcoming Chichester High School for Girls to Selsey and giving them first-hand experience of food manufacturing"", says Sarah Baldock, Head of Marketing.  "NWF is a world class business with Health & Safety at its heart.  We have made significant investments to ensure our systems and processes are state-of-the-art, and as a result this year we have been awarded the internationally recognised BS OHSAS 18001 standard.  We hope this tour will interest the students and perhaps inspire them to consider a career in food production."

The company’s Field to Fork educational initiative helps local students to learn about salad growing and harvesting and has been running for primary school children for over three years.  This summer, NWF welcomed another 150 children from four local primary schools who wanted to learn how fresh produce is grown, harvested, washed and packed. Demand for primary school visits is high and there is already a waiting list for Summer 2011.  However, NWF hopes that by broadening the scope of the Field to Fork tour the company will be supporting the National Curriculum more widely and extending the tour’s appeal to secondary schools.