MBL Food & Packaging : At the Customers’ Convenience

With the 75th anniversary of MBL Food & Packaging on the horizon, we talk to CEO, Derek Smith and find out how the company is continuing its impressive trajectory of growth.

AT THE CUSTOMERS’ CONVENIENCE

The packaging sector is the unsung hero of the food and beverage industry; as the first thing the customers see, it is of great importance. This is most ardently understood by MBL Food & Packaging (MBL) in Western Australia (WA). The company was first established as a co-operative to serve the meat industry in 1949, which it continues to do to this day, presently positioned as the leading supplier of food and packaging products across the region.  

The company’s product range covers 9,000 lines, and services 2,000 customers statewide from metropolitan Perth and throughout WA. Moreover, MBL supplies the meat, bakery, food service and commercial sectors. 

“We are essentially a one-stop shop for food and packaging, focused on customer service excellence,” introduces Derek Smith, CEO of the company. 

The meat processing sector remains MBL’s main port of call, and the company provides functional and value-added ingredients to proteins. The respective ingredients can be customised to meet specific taste and texture requirements which reflect current food and nutritional trends. On the packaging side, MBL is also a lead supplier of butchery/processing equipment to select independent and larger processors. 

CUSTOMER DRIVEN PACKAGING

A noteworthy characteristic of MBL is its projection of significant growth and transformation over the last five years, covering new markets, product categories and customers in all sectors. 

“The one-stop shop philosophy also pertains to the bakery, food service and packaging sectors, with our customers kept up to date on new products, market and consumer trends,” Smith tells us.  

“As such, customer service is the core of what we provide. Our ‘can do’ service mentality is key. We aim to make it easy and enjoyable to do business with MBL and ‘make life easier’ for our customers.”  

Thus, the customers stand out as a key priority, whereby the company seeks to create a product range that meets customer demands and differentiates it from the competition.   

Additionally, the consumer’s requirements are always met, thanks to the structuring of six business units under one roof. This results in ample accessibility to dry goods, chilled and frozen products, packaging solutions, specialised product formulations, cleaning supplies, industrial/commercial packaging and food equipment, emphasising MBL’s status as a turnkey operation.  

MBL has expertly navigated the fine balance between sufficient  quantity and bespoke quality, having exclusivity on a number of products within the meat, bakery and food service sectors. This, coupled with knowledgeable category managers for meat, bakery, food service and packaging, allows MBL to partner with its customers, provide solutions and offer information on market and product trends.   

“We are increasingly used by our customers as a source of advice to support their business,” Smith says.

THOUGHTFUL ACQUISITION

Opportunities for MBL’s expansion are divided into six pillars of growth: meat, bakery, foodservice, cleaning supplies, low-tech manufacturing, packaging and industrial/commercial packaging.  Evidently, the work of MBL is expansive, however, it is the company’s role as a packaging service operation that is at the heart of its acquisitive activity.   

This is demonstrated through the two most recent acquisitions, namely Vital Packaging, a one-stop shop for commercial packaging, and South Coast Food Service, the leading food services supplier on the south coast of WA.  

“Both acquisitions complement our existing business, leverage our position in the packaging and foodservice sectors, and provide a platform to expand our product and market knowledge of both sectors, whilst facilitating the building blocks to expand into new sectors both within Perth and other regions.”  

The packaging sector of the company has been further driven by MBL’s membership in the iKONpack Group (iKON), which has fast-tracked the penetration of the packaging sector. 

“Our ‘partnership approach’ and ‘solution provider approach’ continues to differentiate our business within the packaging sector,” details Smith.  

Through this beneficial partnership, MBL can work collectively with other members of iKON to pool resources and knowledge that ensure early adopters of new products and create an improvement-based agenda.  

An environmental focus is also a key part of MBL’s business expansion. As legislation regarding the use of plastics and the move to a circular economy takes effect, MBL’s ability and commitment to sourcing new environmentally friendly packaging has a correlative progression.  

“Innovation in food, commercial and industrial packaging will continue to shape our product range in the years to come and we are excited about the opportunity to expand our business in this complex and fast evolving packaging arena,” expresses Smith.

CHAMPIONING CONVENIENCE

MBL has witnessed additional significant growth in the flexible packaging sector to support the protein and food manufacturing processing field. The company has partnered with overseas suppliers to provide a range of high-quality products to guarantee production efficiency, food safety and cost reduction.  

More specifically, MBL has focused on developing its product range to cover shrink bags, lidding film, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) trays, ready meal packaging, and new monoPet skin packaging solutions. This is a timely expansion as more of the population seeks convenience food over more traditional forms of cooking.  

“Our product range covers our good, better, and best platforms, where all products must provide the assurance and functionality required by the processing sector,” Smith comments.  

Furthermore, MBL also provides diligent services (the process of combining only dry ingredients). The company’s in-house blending facility provides blending services to the food industry with the ability to conduct small- and large-batch blending. This is in response to consumer demand for flavours and tastes from all areas of the globe. Thus, MBL is committed to providing a bespoke solution to flavour profiles demanded by today’s consumers.

“MBL is committed to providing a bespoke solution to flavour profiles demanded by today’s consumers”

Derek Smith- CEO, MBL Food & Packaging

FACILIATATING EASE

Alongside the acceleration of its flexible packaging range, the company wishes to continue its journey on investment expansion and support the front and back-end operations with the focus of customer service excellence, as well as increasing investment in operational transformation across the total supply chain.  

“The goal of future investment is centred on ‘making life easier’ for our partners. We achieve this goal if we make it ‘easy to do business with MBL’ and when our customers/partners enjoy doing business with us,” highlights Smith.  

Looking ahead, the key priorities for the rest of the year are to strengthen MBL’s strategy of one-stop shop supply solutions, which continues to be supported by an efficient and professional front-end customer service platform.  

This objective will underpin the company’s growth aspirations and support all its suppliers to meet the demands of the customers. As a wholesale distributor, the company welcomes suppliers looking for representation in the food and packaging industry, who can represent exclusivity and expand its footprint in the industry.  

“We aim to continue to generate double digit growth across all sectors we participate in and formulate strategies to win in each sector,” surmises Smith. 

“This will involve organic growth and expansion through targeted acquisitions, which will bring with it more opportunities for our people to develop and contribute to the future success of the business.”

All about Knives

When you are grilling, smoking, or cooking over an open pit, you need the right accessories and tools to get the job done.

 

You don’t have to be a butcher or professional chef to appreciate a high-quality knife that allows you to glide through the meat you’re cutting, bringing a new level of ease and efficiency to your meal.

Whether you’re looking to impress or just improve your carving technique, having the right tools is a game-changer, and in the food industry that means choosing a knife that is sharp, easy to wield, and cuts through tougher foods like meat with ease.

The right knife saves you time, money, and effort, and reduces the amount of food wasted by letting you make the most of your meat cuts.

Some of our bestsellers

Triple Cooked Hand Cut Chips with Creamy Chipotle Chilli Dip

Preparation time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

  • FOR THE CHIPOTLE CHILLI DIP
  • 250 ml sour cream
  • 250 ml mayonnaise
  • FOR THE POTATOES
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped/micro planed
  • 2 kg large potatoes
  • 2-3 Tbsp Cape Herb & Spice CHIPOTLE CHILLI
  • enough oil for deep frying
  • 2 Tbsp chopped chives
  • salt
  • Cape Herb & Spice SPICY CHIP
  • a digital thermometer

Method:

FOR THE CHIPOTLE CHILLI DIP:

Mix all the ingredients for the dip together and then cover and pop in the fridge.

FOR THE POTATOES: 

Peel the potatoes then halve them lengthwise. Square off the 2 halves then cut them into thick, even size chips, about 1 cm x 1 cm. Place the potatoes into a colander and rinse them until the water is clear.

Then, place the chips into a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Boil until the chips are just cooked through but be careful not to overcook them, otherwise, they will start to fall apart. Drain the water and lay the chips out on a baking tray and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Place the tray into the fridge to cool and further dry out the exterior of the chips.

Fill a deep fryer or a large pot with oil for frying and preheat to 140 ºC. Working in batches, blanch the chips in the oil for 8 minutes, then drain and return to a dry baking tray. Place the chips in the fridge again to cool for at least 30 minutes.

Reheat the oil to 190 ºC and fry the chips in batches until golden brown and crispy. Remove the chips from the oil and season immediately with Cape Herb & Spice Chip Seasoning. Serve immediately with creamy chipotle dipping sauce.

Recipe & Image by: CRUSH MAGAZINE

BBQ Rib Eye Steak

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins overall
Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • 1 rib eye, approximately 600g
  • 4 medium white potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 portobello mushrooms
  • ½ bottle Beerenberg Barbecue Sauce

Method:

Remove the rib eye from the fridge for 1 hour prior to cooking. Preheat the barbecue to low-medium. Place the 4 potatoes on separate pieces of aluminium foil and randomly poke with a fork. Divide the butter, rosemary and parsley between the potatoes and top with a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap each potato and place on the barbecue, covered, for 40 minutes.

Sprinkle a big pinch of salt and pepper to all sides of the rib eye. Place on the grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Baste the top of the rib eye with Beerenberg Barbecue Sauce.  Flip and cook for 2 minutes. Baste and flip the steak four times, or until cooked to your liking. Remove the steak from the grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Whilst the steak is resting, add the mushrooms to the grill and cook for 10 minutes. To serve, slice the steak into large pieces and place on a serving board with the mushrooms and herb potatoes.

Jalapeño Popper Muffins

Preparation time:10 mins
Cooking time:20 mins
Serves:Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 2 large jalapeños
  • 190g finely ground polenta (yellow cornmeal) If you cannot find finely ground – place the coarsely ground polenta in a blender or coffee grinder and blitz until fine
  • 150g flour
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 250ml milk
  • 1 XL egg, lightly beaten
  • 60g butter, melted
  • 150g cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 – 3 tsp Cape Herb & Spice CHIPOTLE CHILLI

Method:

Preheat oven to 200˚C and lightly grease a 12 cup cupcake tin. Then slice 12 thin rounds from ½ a jalapeño for topping the muffins.

With the remaining one and a half – finely dice them (Remove the seeds if you prefer a milder chilli flavour).

Next, place the polenta, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Generously sprinkle in 2-3 teaspoons of Cape Herb & Spice Chipotle Chilli Seasoning and mix.

Whisk the milk, egg and melted butter together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Add the cheese and jalapeños and fold to combine.

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups (An ice cream scoop works very well for this!)

Sprinkle the tops with a little Cape Herb & Spice Chipotle Chilli Seasoning.

Top each muffin with a slice of jalapeño.

Bake the muffins until golden-brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.

Let cool briefly before removing from the tin and serving warm with a good swish of butter.

Lamb & Red Onion Skewers with Smokey Bourbon Sauce & Marinade

Preparation time:15 – 20 mins + 1hr marinating
Cooking time:10 – 12 mins
Serves:4 – 6

Ingredients

  • 1kg lamb rump, cut into 4cm cubes (ask your butcher nicely!)
  • 1 red onion, sliced into wedges
  • 1/2 cup natural yogurt
  • 1 handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup Beerenberg Smokey Bourbon Sauce and Marinade
  • lemon wedges and flat bread to serve

Method:

Absolutely everyone loves these skewers. Jam-packed with flavor, they are fantastic for an easy barbecue dinner when entertaining friends and can be prepared well in advance, which helps!

Place the lamb pieces in a large bowl and add the yogurt, mint and half of the Smokey Bourbon Sauce and Marinade. Toss to combine then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour (overnight is good!). Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 30 seconds so they don’t catch and burn during cooking. To assemble the kebabs; thread alternating pieces of onion and meat then season to taste.

Heat the barbecue to high and cook kebabs for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking. Serve with a cucumber and cherry tomato salad, lemon wedges, flat bread and remaining Smokey Bourbon Sauce and Marinade.