“While keeping production running
smoothly is our primary concern,
knowing that we’re getting a good rate
of return for our co-products – and
that they’re helping the food chain by
being sent to farms – is a bonus,” states
Seamus.
DEALING WITH DISASTER
However, ForFarmers really proved their Above, Manor Vinegar’s spent grain is
worth as a partner early in 2019, when collected by ForFarmers and sold for animal
a major incident occurred at Manor feed. Left, When Manor Vinegar’s spent
Vinegar’s site. “A high-sided vehicle grain silo was damaged, halting production,
collided with the silo storing the spent ForFarmers proposed a solution that had
grain and destroyed the discharge them up and running again in just 30 hours
mechanism. It caused the grain to spill
onto the floor and left us with a mash
tun of fresh co-product,” begins Seamus.
“We had a full order book but with
nowhere to store the grain from each
brew, we were forced to halt production.
Initial enquiries into repairing or replacing
the silo saw us looking at a downtime of
at least three weeks – disastrous for our
business.”
Hoping to find a speedier solution,
Seamus called ForFarmers for advice.
The situation was quickly taken in hand
by Paula, who arrived on site within
hours. “Spent grain is extremely hot
so to avoid any health & safety issues,
I made its safe removal from the site
my first priority. However, it was now
contaminated and in breach of FEMAS
regulations, meaning it could not be
sent to farms as animal feed. I therefore
arranged for it to be removed within
24 hours and disposed of via land
spreading.”
FORFARMERS’ FAST THINKING
With one problem solved, Paula then
turned her attention to finding a
temporary silo replacement to enable
production to restart. “Having visited
many food and drink production
sites, I was aware that another of our
customers pipes their co-products
directly into a trailer from the mash tun,
without the need for a silo. I worked
with Seamus and his team to measure
the site and determine whether there
would be enough room to accommodate
an articulated lorry and associated
Manor Vinegar’s distillation plant
pipework to do the same thing in this “At a really difficult time for our business,
case, and we agreed there would be – ForFarmers’ staff were full of ideas
just.” and knowledge, demonstrating their
considerable experience within the food
Following ForFarmers’ specifications, and drink industry,” says Seamus. “Not
Paula’s team hired a trailer while Seamus only did they help us to safely dispose
arranged for the necessary engineering of the spilt product, they also ensured
work to take place overnight, so that the we stayed compliant with the relevant
first direct-piping test could be carried regulations, and enabled us to restart
out the following morning. Taking care production within just 30 hours. They
that the pipe delivered into the middle really came to our rescue.”
of the trailer for balance, to ensure it
didn’t tip, the cautious team began with Along with Manor Vinegar, ForFarmers
just 15 tonnes, gradually ramping up the works with a wide range of food and
tonnage over the course of a few hours. drink producers across the length and
RESTARTING PRODUCTION
breadth of the UK, collecting, trading and
blending their co-products into premium
The solution proved such a success animal feed for British farmers, providing
that Manor Vinegar was able to resume the optimal closed-loop sustainable food
production just 30 hours after the silo chain solution.
was first damaged.
www.forfarmers.co.uk
FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 35