Background:
East Lincolnshire Seafoods is a third-generation family business located on the quayside on London Road with a strong local fishing heritage and current sourcing connections. Their range of chilled and frozen, freshly caught, cooked, and read to cook seafood is extensive. Seasonally, they are known for lobster, crabs, and mussels.
The Opportunities:
Some of the cooking equipment was aged with more efficient heat transfer and fuel injection systems as well as material handling equipment available. Oven utilisation and batch preparation were constrained by tray sizes. There was an opportunity to improve merchandising with equipment that Will had identified in the USA. Together, these opportunities were estimated to offer:
- The continuation of cooking local and seasonal products such as shellfish, safeguarding that activity in Boston and the income for the business.
- Reducing fuel consumption in both dry and wet cooking processes through higher thermal efficiency and capacity utilisation.
- Improved point-of-sale marketing with expected sales impact.
- Improved labour utilisation through increased batch size.
The Solution:
With the support and Capital Grant funding from the Centre for Food and Fresh Produce Logistics, the business:
- Sourced and purchased an updated two-stage burner, improving the efficiency of fuel-to-heat conversion.
- A new baffle system was designed and fabricated, increasing the area and heat transfer and, hence, the rate and efficiency of heating of cooking vessels.
- Sourced and purchased an air powered hoist to ease the charging and discharging of cooking vessels.
- Sourced and purchased larger over-trays to allow greater capacity utilisation.
- Sourced and purchased point-of-sale signage.
The Outcome:
East Lincolnshire Seafoods continue to offer locally sourced and prepared shellfish. The cooking processes used have seen a 10-15% improvement in energy efficiency through improved fuel conversion, heat transfer and capacity utilisation. Labour utilisation and welfare have also been improved using the new winch and larger preparation/cooking trays.
I have recommend the Centre for Foods and Fresh Produce Logistics to other businesses. They are quick to understand, say if they can help and were very supportive. Their help has made a real difference to our business and we will continue to work with them.
Will Fletcher
Other areas of interaction include:
General discussions and advice (both to and from the University of Lincoln) relating to the local sea fishing businesses and topics as diverse as Mussel sourcing and floor repairs.
The sharing of information confirming the safety of locally sourced shellfish following misinformation concerning an incident in the Tees.
Offering fully funded training from Boston College.
For more information about the Centre for Food and Fresh Produce Logistics and to check eligibility for your business please contact dthorpe@lincoln.ac.uk