Isle of Wight Biltong pack a punch

Isle of Wight Biltong, a specialist provider of the South African delicacy, believes it is on the brink of huge growth and success thanks to the new vertical form fill and seal equipment it has purchased from KernPack.  The new machine is due for delivery in late March and will be put into production within days of installation.

Sarah Greeff, owner of Isle of Wight Biltong, says, “We are a currently a small company but are anticipating huge growth based on vastly increased capacity that the Kern equipment will enable.  Our capability will skyrocket and we believe there’s a huge market for our unique recipe and natural, additive and nitrate-free ingredients.”

Greeff says that they are anticipating benefits in three key areas.  “Firstly, the air-tight seal is so good that the shelf-life of products can now be extended from three months to one year which will make us hugely more attractive to big distributers, wholesalers and supermarkets.  Secondly, we will be able to produce packs with printed film and date coding which means products look far more professional and trustworthy which is important from a consumer point of view.  Logistically, the speed of the equipment is fantastic, in fact the Kern Vertical Form Fill and Seal can pack bags far faster than we can currently weigh.”

Pete Jolley, Kern’s general manager, says,  “We will be providing two days of training after installation to ensure that everything goes smoothly for Isle of Wight Biltong.  The machine is very simple to operate and has a very small footprint for such a fast piece of kit, making it ideal for the Biltong operation as they have limited space.”

The purchase was made possible thanks to an interest free loan from the Isle of Wight Lottery and a generous grant by DEFRA which meant Isle of Wight Biltong could consider the purchase of arguably the best- engineered equipment on the world market.  Having reviewed three competing companies it was clear that Kern’s equipment was superior and the Greeffs were happy to support another Hampshire-based company.

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Confectionery Production