Food fit for Royalty – and now packaging fit for the food!

Another regular customer over the years is one of Bullseye’s own Directors, David.  When, during one of his visits to Aubrey Allen’s shop, David offered Bullseye’s assistance in streamlining their packaging and working with them on more environmentally-friendly options, the Aubrey Allen team jumped at the chance to work with not only a local company, but also some of their own customers who understand the importance of presenting their high-quality food in suitably high-quality packaging.  Furthermore, one of the standards required to hold a Royal Warrant is to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to sustainable practices, so Bullseye’s expertise in this regard was welcomed wholeheartedly.

After meeting with the management teams at both the shop and the wholesale site, Bullseye identified a number of packaging items which could be replaced with more sustainable and higher quality options.

On the wholesale side of the business, one priority was finding an improved solution for the high-capacity trays which are used to package up bulk orders of meat, such as steaks, sausages and chops.  Previously, paperboard trays were being used but, while these offered good environmental credentials, the flexible nature of the paperboard meant that the tray did not present well after being put through the automatic over-wrapping machine in Aubrey Allen’s production facility, as the sides of the tray caved in under the pressure of the wrapping film.  Also, while the trays were recyclable, there was still an element of plastic in the black interior liner.  Bullseye’s paper pulp half-gastro trays presented a more robust, and fully compostable, solution which could withstand the rigours of the over-wrapping machine as well as survive the delivery process by third-party couriers.

Meanwhile, at the shop in Leamington Spa, Bullseye were able to replace the plastic, foil and polystyrene trays used in Aubrey Allen’s retail business with more robust and environmentally-friendly paper-based alternatives; their meat, ready-meals and take-away food are all now offered in fully sustainable packaging.

“Our relationship with Bullseye has gone beyond that of a customer & supplier” says Lisa Rouse of Aubrey Allen.  “They have become our go-to consultants for anything packaging related; even if our requirements fall outside of their usual catalogue items, they will go out of their way to find what we need.  This means that we can concentrate on other aspects of running our business, rather than spending hours on end researching packaging.  We can just leave this to Bullseye, confident that they will find what we need.”

“Working with Bullseye has been a real game-changer for our packaging” says Dillyn Saunders, manager at Aubrey Allen’s shop in Leamington.  “It’s so refreshing to see our chiller filled with paper rather than plastic or foil, and really underlines our commitment to quality and sustainability.  And the Bullseye team are so helpful; orders are delivered quickly, efficiently and, being located just down the road, they are always on hand if we need any advice or guidance.”