Confectioner Flower & White enhances its plastic-free packaging lines

In time for Clean Up The World weekend later this month the company is relaunching its successful Meringue Bars’ range in paper sleeves to improve sustainability and reduce energy at its 13,000 sq ft premises in Shropshire.

Flower & White sells its gourmet treats in outlets from Selfridges to QVC, as well as overseas to America, Canada, Germany and Australia.

Leanne said customers were looking to make better choices in the wake of more awareness about the lasting effects of plastic.

“This isn’t about riding on the bandwagon, this is about trying to move our sector forward so it can win the war on plastic​,” she said. “We know consumers are rightly concerned and it’s up to manufacturers like us to do something about it​.

“We are proud to be the first company in the sector to adopt this new paper packaging but this is just the start, not the end, of our efforts​.”

Supply chain

Other measures include the purchase of low-energy equipment, LED lighting, improvements in the supply chain to reduce frequency of orders and a partnership with Aston University to streamline processes and enhance productivity.

Co-founder Brian said bigger premises, a strong order book and a commitment to new product development meant the future looked bright.

The new bite-sized Swiss-baked meringues are covered in Barry Callebaut Belgian chocolate as well as an array of gourmet toppings. Handcrafted using natural flavor and colors, they are gluten-free, low-fat and suitable for vegetarians. Each portion is under 100 calories.

“I remember the days when we had four people in a garden shed separating eggs by hand​,” he said. “Now we’re using around 200,000 eggs a week and have the capacity to produce one million meringues each day​.”