SPC Peach Hamper Competition Terms & Conditions

Eligibility: This competition is open to Australian residents only.

Entry Period: Participants can enter between 3 PM (AEST) on December 22nd and 3 PM
(AEST) on December 24th. Entries are made by commenting on specified Instagram or
Facebook posts by SPC social media channels.

Judging Criteria: Entries will be evaluated based on creativity, fun, and nostalgia. Each entry
will receive a score from 1 to 5 in these categories. The entry with the highest total score will
be declared the winner. There will be 1 winner.

Prize: The winner will receive an SPC hamper, valued at (RRP) of $50. The contents of
the hamper are at the discretion of SPC. There will be no unclaimed prize draw.

Prize Delivery: The prize will be shipped to the winner by SPC Operations Pty Ltd. Shipping
and postage will be organized by SPC and is limited to addresses within Australia only.
Winner Notification: The winner will be contacted directly via Instagram or Facebook direct
message.

Judging Panel: The competition entries will be judged by members of the SPC Team. The
judgment will take place at SPC Operations in Essendon fields on Sunday 24th December.

Promoter: SPC Operations Pty Ltd (ACN 633 532 162) located at Suite 4, Level 1/3 Bristol St,
Essendon Fields VIC 3041.

Privacy Policy: For information on how personal data is handled, participants can refer to the
SPC privacy policy (https://spc.com.au/privacy-policy/).

Social Media Disclaimer: This competition is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered
by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram. Neither Facebook nor Instagram holds any
liability in relation to this competition.

Interview Hussein Rifai Chairman SPC Global: Activate Industry Report Volume 4

Leaders who understand the importance of their people rise as true exemplars of success. Hussein Rifai, Chairman of SPC Global, stands tall in this league, demonstrating that true leadership lies in the synergy of strategic decision-making, innovation, and a people-centric approach.

Hussein Rifai’s family values and insatiable curiosity define him, both as a person and as a leader. His leadership of SPC highlights the importance of staying agile and embracing innovation. However, if there is one key takeaway from the interview, it is this. Prioritising people is not just a strategic move— it’s the very foundation of enduring success in an ever-changing retail world.

In an age of technology, there are key takeaways I’ve gained from these conversations: it’s strong people who achieve meaningful progress in the retail industry. The common thread among these great leaders is their belief in empowering their teams and fostering a culture of innovation and trial and error.

Another key takeaway I found from these interviews is how we often overlook the “coal face” or the frontline field force in stores. Something I’ve been guilty of as well! It pays to remember that they are the voice to the retailer, bridging the gap between businesses and consumers. You can have the best marketing strategies and innovation in the world, but at the end of the day success relies on effective in-store communication! After all you can’t sell a secret!

How would you describe yourself as a person?

As a person, I’m first and foremost a family guy. I’ve got four kids between myself and my wife. We are empty nesters now, so we find ourselves begging our children to come have dinner with us! As a family, we are big on travel and travel overseas at least three times a year. I’m also an avid reader. I read three or four hours in the morning before I go to work and then again when I go to bed. I like to read a bit of everything. For a while, I was into anthropology, but now I’m into space discovery. I’ve got a scientific background, so I enjoy reading a lot of science-related material.

How would you describe yourself as a leader of a company?

I’m very decisive. I listen to everybody, but at the end of the day, I’m not afraid to make quick decisions. I think procrastinating is the worst thing that you can do. The quicker you decide the higher the chance of getting it right. But if you don’t decide, you will get 100% of decisions wrong. Today, as a leader, I’m much more strategic versus tactical. I spent about 25 years of my life as a CEO, so right now, I’m operating more at an executive level.

What do you enjoy about your job, business, the industry, etc.?

I love to lead a business into growth. We bought SPC for around $65 million, however, the assets we bought were worth around $300 million. So simple math would say sell the assets, pocket the money, and go home. However, that’s not the satisfaction that I get out of a business. I like to watch businesses grow. I like to take business into new markets, new products, etc. That’s my addiction. I get a buzz from watching businesses grow and expand.

What is your why? Why do you do what you do?

One is, of course, to make money. Business is about making money and profit. Anyone that tells you otherwise doesn’t understand the purpose of business. Nevertheless, business is not exclusive to monetary pursuits. You can also help advance and develop the society you live in. So yes, I enjoy making money and bringing businesses to profit, but I also enjoy contributing back to the society that I’m in.

Can you tell us a bit about your business?

SPC is a proud manufacturer of fruit and vegetables, based in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia. The business operates in five categories. Our biggest category by far is fruit. In fact, we are the largest Australian fruit-based company. Our second-largest category is tomatoes, followed by pulse, i.e., baked beans. Other than that, we have expanded the business into frozen meals and are currently in the process of getting into beverages. Across all our categories, we are moving towards healthy living. When we bought the business, we sold IXL Jam. Times are changing. As a kid, I remember my Mum putting butter on bread with a thick layer of jam for breakfast. If I went close to my kids with that much jam, they’d think I’m crazy. No way would they eat that amount of sugar!

Where are your products currently sold?

We sell our products into retail and foodservice. In retail, we have a presence in all major retailers including Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Metcash, Harris Farm, etc. We also sell our product into foodservice. For example, we sell the little bits of fruit that you find inside your yogurt.

How is business performing?

Last year was incredibly tough. Goulburn Valley was hit with bad flooding days before our harvest. Unfortunately, this led to a significant loss of tomatoes. Adding to this, we also experienced a bad hailstorm that caused significant damage to our produce. However, looking back to the year prior, we managed to turn the business around into profit. Building upon this success, we’re now looking to expand the business and grow it both in Australia and overseas.

What are your top three business challenges at the moment?

International growth is one of the top challenges that we have. It’s expensive, so we need to be able to create a platform for how we work overseas and create products that are specific for that climate. Imports are another challenge along with the regulatory framework. The third-largest challenge is how to create and sustain an innovative culture in the business.

How are you tackling these challenges and leveraging opportunities to stay ahead of the curve?

The only way you can tackle them is by having the right people on staff. For example, we just appointed a very capable lady to manage our international business in Singapore. We also recently hired a new CEO who’s looking at different ways to innovate our product. This is important so we can mitigate the risk of reliance on the weather.

Do you have your own field force teams? Or are you outside? Are you outsourcing these services? If you do own a team, can you talk about the pros and cons?

We work with a third-party field force, predominantly for the independent network. In terms of pros, we find they are a dedicated field team for SPC, they are experts in their field, and lastly, they have access to market- leading analytics.

Why did you decide to go with a service provider?

We chose to go with a service provider for several reasons. One, we wanted to unlock a dedicated field force for each state in Australia. The company’s impressive track record of working with FMCG suppliers of similar size gave us confidence in their capabilities. Their commitment to becoming an integral part of SPC’s business as brand custodians was also a significant factor. Lastly, their account management resources further solidified our decision to collaborate with them.

What successes have you had with the company you are using?

Most notably, we’ve witnessed enhanced distribution throughout our core portfolio of products. Additionally, there has been a substantial increase in out-of-aisle activation and displays, leading to greater visibility and engagement. Furthermore, our third-party’s efficient approach has allowed us to bring new products to market swiftly.

SPC Global appoints Robert Iervasi to Board of Directors

SPC Global is thrilled to announce the appointment of Robert Iervasi to its Board of Directors. Robert, who brings a wealth of experience and FMCG expertise to the SPC Global team.

Robert, previously the Group Chief Executive Officer and Board Director of Asahi Beverages has a proven track record of success as an established leader of a diversified consumer products business with an annual revenue exceeding $5 billion and over 5,000 employees across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. Before becoming the Group Chief Executive Officer, he held various positions in Asahi Beverages including Group Chief Operating Officer and Group CFO & General Counsel.

Throughout his career, Robert has demonstrated a passion for leadership and a knack for delivering revenue growth and cost synergies that drive profitability and growth across multiple categories, brands, and channels. Among his notable achievements, Robert played a pivotal role in the integration of Carlton & United Breweries in 2020. He also navigated the company through challenging times with the complex challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hussein Rifai, Chair of SPC Global said of the announcement: “I am delighted to welcome Robert to our Board. His remarkable track record of leadership and his extensive experience in the food and beverage industry will undoubtedly enhance our strategic direction and contribute to the ongoing success of our organisation. We look forward to the fresh insights and innovative thinking that Robert will bring to our team.”

Speaking about his appointment, Robert Iervasi said, “I have been impressed with the portfolio offering, growth ambitions and capability within SPC Global. I am thrilled to be part of an organisation that is not only growth-oriented but also dedicated to meeting the dynamic needs of customers and consumers. I am looking forward to collaborating with the Board and management team to bring SPC Global’s strategy into fruition.”

 

SPC Baked Beans wins Canstar

The iconic SPC Baked Beans range has been awarded the best on the market by Australian consumers, according to Canstar Blue’s first-ever baked beans review.

The ‘most satisfied’ rating, voted on by over 1,500 Australian consumers, has compared five of the leading baked beans brands against key indicators of taste, texture and consistency, variety, packaging design, value for money, and overall satisfaction.

Canstar Blue’s first-ever baked beans review has compared SPC against leading competitors Wattie’s, Heinz, ALDI, Woolworths and Coles, with the Australian owned SPC Baked Beans scoring the brand five stars for taste, packaging appeal, texture & consistency, variety and overall satisfaction.

Canstar Blue is a customer satisfaction research and ratings business with the core purpose of helping consumers make better purchase decisions.

SPC Chief Executive Officer, Robert Giles, said: “We are proud to have received this recognition from Canstar Blue, the leading voice for consumer satisfaction in Australia. Our baked beans have been owned and made in Australia since 1918. This rating reflects SPC’s ongoing commitment to delivering high quality food and drink products that ensure taste, nutrition and value for money for our Australian customers.

“As SPC continues to work on ways to innovate and diversify our product range, we appreciate and celebrate the love Australians have for our iconic Baked Beans range. We will continue to deliver this much loved product at the quality our customers expect, while also exploring new and exciting ways to offer new, tasty, premium food and flavours to Australians.”

As part of SPCs broad business ethos, Better food for the future, SPC will continue to deliver a diversifying and growing product range that promotes local goods and drives local economic security. SPC will continue to celebrate the manufacturing capabilities in Australia and is working to showcase these on the world stage.

SPC Baked Beans products are available from all major supermarkets.

SPC launches in New Zealand

Introducing SPC, your soon to be ‘second favourite’ canned food brand in NZ with Jordie Barrett.

 

This week we announced one of the most unexpected marketing moves yet. Knowing that we’ll likely be the second most popular choice when it comes to canned food brands, we have launched our range in New Zealand with a campaign to celebrate all things ‘second favourite’.

“You’ll find us next to that more famous guy in the canned food aisle. We’re for anyone who knows what it’s like to be second-pick. Almost the favourite. We’re for Kiwis who don’t need to stand up and beat their chests, but are happy to sit back with something delicious and enjoy,” said Rob Giles, CEO of SPC.

SPC products have been popular across the ditch in Australia for over 100 years with an extensive range of canned foods including baked beans and spaghetti, tinned peaches, pears, fruit salad, apricots, diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes.

Continued Giles, “We realise there’s more important things in the world than always being first. We’re happy with all the benefits of being slightly less popular, but still really tasty.”

Helping kick-off the launch, we have teamed up with NZ’s second favourite Barrett brother, Jordie Barrett, who knows better than anyone what it’s like to be runner up.

“It’s pretty fun to partner with SPC in celebration of all things second favourite. The past few weeks have also seen some serious game time, so it’s been nice working on a project that’s been a laugh. I don’t like to take myself too seriously and SPC products are no fuss, simple and delicious,” said Barrett.

As part of the campaign, Jordie has released a content series via his Instagram account to celebrate all things second. The four-part video series, which kicks off today, can be viewed here.

Our SPC range of sweet and savoury canned products have already started to drop onto supermarket shelves across New Zealand at Foodstuffs and Countdown supermarkets across the North Island, with prices starting at RRP $1.79. Products will be on shelves in the South Island from February 2023.

To find out more about our SPC launch in NZ, visit www.spcnz.co.nz/2ndfavourite. And to catch Jordie’s SPC taste-test content series, visit instagram.com/spc_newzealand.

Introducing Helping humans, Australia’s new living sparkling water

Helping humans is Australia’s new range of living sparkling water with active botanicals – this range launches with a cause driven platform so consumers can drink good & do good.

Naturally sugar-free*, every can of Helping humans living sparkling water is made with delicious natural ingredients where over 42 days we slowly infuse and ferment botanicals with sparkling water to create a refreshing drink that is alive with benefits!

The range launches with three delicious flavours;

  • Lemon Lime Immunity (with echinacea and turmeric)
  • Berry Pomegranate Vitality (with ginseng and turmeric)
  • Ginger Focus (with ginkgo and guarana)
  • Passionfruit Uplift (with guarana and ginseng)

But that’s not all, every can of Helping humans gives back to the community with 10% of profits going to charity.

Every can includes a QR code for consumers to #ScantheCan to do good by selecting where they want the funds to support, putting the decision making in every drinker’s hand.

Consumers can choose one of eight Helping humans partner charities to support including; Headspace, The McGrath Foundation, Australian Gynaecological Cancer Foundation, Streetsmart, One Heart, Black Dog, Planet Ark and Ceres.

“Helping humans demonstrates the importance of delivering a refreshing better for you drink, made with the beneficial properties of nature’s ingredients whilst giving back to causes that our consumers care about” 

Helping humans will join SPC’s growing family of brands. For more information about Helping humans, visit our website at https://helpinghumans.com.au.

Goulburn Valley unveils “Taste the Good Life” rebrand

Goulburn Valley, part of the SPC family, has unveiled a new look as the brand encapsulates  how in the Goulburn Valley, the life of fruit is so good, you can taste it. The new “Taste the Good Life” campaign delivers a complete rebrand, including new logo, across the entire Goulburn Valley range. This is the first major consumer based campaign delivered by the SPC house of brands in 3 years.

Available now for purchase, the all new look for Goulburn Valley products features a new premium design and Goulburn Valley logo emphasising the high quality and convenience of the popular fruit based products. An Australian icon, Goulburn Valley has been preserving the region’s fruit since 1979.

Rebecca Tilly, SPC Marketing Manager Fruit said “Goulburn Valley has a long and proud heritage, and we want to reinvigorate the brand by demonstrating how versatile the range is across all areas of cooking. In ‘Taste the good life’, the campaign distils the true essence of the brand and brings it to life in a way that will surely attract attention and drive purchase consideration.”

“With rich soil, flowing water and an abundance of sunshine, the Goulburn Valley is the beautiful home of our produce. Not only does our produce taste delicious, achieving an appetising look is something we are as equally passionate about” says Tilly.

Launching from today, the Taste the Good Life campaign features a world that is rich, decadent and full of charm, with local fruit looking premium & deliciously appealing, living the good life. As part of SPC’s core value work for better food for the future, Goulburn Valley’s new look demonstrates the brand’s ongoing commitment to delivering high quality goods to consumers in Australia and on the world stage.

SPC CEO Robert Giles says “Within the SPC family of brands, we are committed to always enhancing the great food experience for our customers. We are excited to announce the “Taste the Good Life” campaign, dedicated to the richness of the Goulburn Valley and the careful packaging that delivers our produce to people around Australia and globally.”

Product Range & RRP:

  • Multi-Serve Fruit 700g RRP: $4.60
  • Snack Packs 2 x 170g RRP: $4.50
  • Orchard Splash Sub-brand Snack Packs 2 x 160g RRP: $4.50

Aussie supermarkets prepare for a baked beans revival as SPC announces new mitey key ingredient

SPC has announced the launch of the ultimate Aussie-first: VEGEMITE Baked Beans.

The partnership comes as SPC looks to inject some fun back into the baked beans aisle!

SPC Marketing Manager George Dimkin says: “Teaming up with VEGEMITE to create the most Australian canned product out there is an exciting milestone in SPC’s long and proud Aussie heritage. We’re expanding the variety of baked beans available which is sure to give Aussies a reason to fall in love with baked beans all over again.

“Whilst we’re drawing upon the iconic taste of VEGEMITE, that classic rich SPC flavour stays true blue, all the way through, creating the ideal Aussie combination which can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch or tea.”

Each can of Australian-made SPC Baked Beans & VEGEMITE comprises rich cheesy tomato sauce that oozes the bold, fair dinkum flavour of Australia. As a product with a 4-star health rating, each tasty can provides a strong source of protein, is an excellent source of fibre, 99% fat free, contains no artificial flavours and is made from 4.3 servings of veggies.

Jacqui Roth, VEGEMITE Marketing Manager says: “We know that Aussies love eating VEGEMITE with baked beans on toast, so it was a no brainer to partner with SPC on this exciting new product. Now Aussies can get their much-loved VEGEMITE baked beans hit in a convenient can. Just heat them up and eat for the perfect wholesome snack. We can’t wait to see how Aussies respond to this flavour match made in heaven.”

The ultimate Aussie mashup has started to drop on supermarket shelves across the nation with availability and RRP as follows:

Chris Malone: A Chef On An Amazing Culinary Journey

 

At the tender age of 25 Chris Malone has already enjoyed the kind of career many young chefs only dream of. This Perth-born and raised chef has only been working in the industry for 10 years and already he’s worked at top-notch venues in London, at the very apex of fine dining in Eleven Madison Park New York, and two months ago secured his latest position as Chef de Cuisine of Ossiano restaurant, a stunning underwater fine dining restaurant at Atlantis, The Palm Dubai. We caught up with Chris to find out some of the secrets of his success.

“I was lucky enough to start my apprenticeship at a restaurant called Fraser’s in King Park in Perth and that gave me some amazing foundations – I was surrounded by some incredible, humble and genuine chefs who really cared about the food they produced and they taught me everything they knew,” Chris recalls.

“I think how you start as a young chef can be such a strong influence on your career, and a lot of young chefs aren’t as lucky as I was. The level of care that was instilled into me was remarkable. I think I was pushed in the right direction, but at the same time I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t had the drive and been willing to take risks. You need to have drive and determination to achieve in any career, and a lot of people don’t want to uproot themselves and leave their everyday lives. Dubai is the fourth country I’ve lived in now and I was ready to take that step and go on that adventure.”

Chris describes his current position as Chef de Cuisine of Ossiano as “one of those once in a lifetime opportunities that comes up and you just have to jump at it. I’m sure my experience at Eleven Madison Park played a role … I think the cuisine style there was a good complement to the direction the management here want to take Ossiano in the future.”

How Chris got the job was unusual in itself: “I’d never had a LinkedIn bio before and my housemate in London persuaded me to put one up – I had only two LinkedIn connections when I received a message from the VP of Culinary Atlantis which I honestly thought might be some kind of scam. The previous chef here who I took over from is renowned as one of the world’s best so it’s a very serious position.

“I sent a screenshot of the message to my girlfriend and asked if she thought it was for real, and she googled and said, this really is from the VP of Culinary! It was just an expression of interest, I still had to jump through all the hoops to apply, but I thought if you don’t try, you’ll never know – so I went ahead and sent over my CV and portfolio. That was followed by some video calls and psychometric evaluations and now here I am!”

Living and working in Dubai requires considerable adaptation and flexibility, as Chris explains. “Our team is made up of so many different cultures, nationalities and religions – I can’t even count how many different countries Atlantis has drawn its employees from, it would be well over 100. So I’m trying my best to learn about the cultures and the individual idiosyncracies so we can have an efficient workplace.

“It’s an amazing place to work because they look after their staff so well; they’re wanting to achieve the extraordinary so they’re constantly pushing for attention to detail of all the little things. There are 1700 hotel rooms and 22 food outlets within the one complex – Ossiano is just one of many, it’s a massive operation.”

Chris credits the 12 months he spent at Eleven Madison Park, renowned as one of the world’s best restaurants, as imparting invaluable training which stood him in good stead for his current role. “It’s such an inspirational restaurant, they do cuisine that inspires the world – they’re original, creative and and every single thing is so well executed and stunning,” he enthuses. “I had sent them an email and they invited me over to do a stage, so I flew to New York for the world’s most expensive job interview! I did two days and then they offered me a position on a 12 month working visa. I remember I landed in the middle of a snowstorm wearing Perth winter clothes which consisted of a hoodie and some jeans, no thermals!”

Chris says to call working at EMP high pressure would be an understatement, adding: “It wasn’t the hours, which are some of the best I’ve ever done – you did a 10 hour day generally, because they had an am team and a pm team due to the size of the operation. But the amount of mise en place we had to do in a limited time period was insane – everything was made fresh every single day and thrown out at the end, so each day you had to start from scratch.

“We needed to achieve what seemed like an unachievable timeframe – you’d start at one or two in the afternoon and tasting was at 5pm, and take a half hour forced break which virtually gave you three hours to get everything done. So it was extremely challenging, but very rewarding.

“My days of chefs’ competitions really helped prepare me for that, because it’s a similar environment – you’re in an unknown kitchen, you’re completely timed, you have someone watching you and you need to achieve the mise en place in that timeframe. So I was used to high pressure multitasking and I actually enjoyed the pressure of it – you make it a challenge for yourself, see if you can beat your best time by an extra minute or two each day, and if you can it’s a personal achievement. But as soon as you figured out one section they’d move you to another!”

Having secured a sought-after position at Ossiano, Chris is certainly being kept on his toes, but he seems to thrive in these kinds of environments. “I strongly believe success comes down to the individual,” he says. “You need to be extremely driven to achieve in life – you need to want it and dedicate yourself, you need to take a chance. If you dream of doing something, don’t sit on the fence and dwell on it, just do it. It might not work out, but it’s about adapting and doing, and surrounding yourself with the right people. I was lucky enough to find what I love from an early age, which is cooking, and wanting more for myself kept pushing me in the right direction.”

Ensuring Your Home Delivery Offering Meets Your Customers’ Expectations

Home delivery is a growing channel and is easier than ever to take advantage of – but it’s imperative to make sure your deliveries reach customers in the right condition and temperature and that they’re happy with the overall experience.

While the growing reliance on third party online order platforms and their delivery fleet can make it difficult to control all parts of the process, there are some simple steps you can take to give your food the best chance of meeting your customers’ expectations

  1. Ensure all food on your home delivery menu is ‘fit for purpose’

Don’t make the mistake of offering food on the home delivery menu which won’t travel well or is too difficult to maintain at the right temperature. Instead, cut back your full menu and focus on those meals which can be efficiently prepared and packaged, which will withstand the rigorous of transport and which work well as take home choices.

  1. Give the customer enough information to make an informed choice

Make sure your menu descriptors provide a clear overview of exactly what the customer’s ordering with particular regard to any food allergens or ingredients which can provoke food intolerance, such as gluten, lactose, nuts and so on. At the same time, be wary of making claims which cannot be substantiated – for example, you can’t label a meal as gluten free unless it contains no detectable gluten, which is virtually impossible to achieve if it’s prepared in a kitchen where gluten is readily present in other ingredients (wheat and its derivatives, rye, barley and oats) due to the likelihood of cross-contamination.

  1. Use appropriate packaging and choose it carefully

The packaging you choose not only has to insulate properly – keeping hot food hot and cold food cold – it also needs to keep the food safe and hygienic. Tamper-proof safety seals were virtually unheard of on home delivery food packaging prior to Covid but in these days of lockdowns have quickly become the norm. They feature security seals which are difficult to remove without damaging the packaging – so when customers see their packaging is undamaged, it reassures them that their order hasn’t been tampered with. Tamper-proof packaging costs a little more but it’s worth the extra to protect your business brand.

  1. Give customers the option of contactless payment

With people seeking to minimise unnecessary close contact, it’s helpful to provide customers contactless payment options. Mobile payment options such as Apple Pay or PayPal are a good choice, and a payment checkout that’s directly integrated within your mobile order app so customers can complete their order seamlessly is even better. The aim should always be to minimise the steps necessary for the customer to make the order while maximising convenience.

  1. Ensure your delivery staff keep their distance

Following on from the last point, you should also instruct staff to avoid contact with customers, such as by ringing their doorbell but leaving the food on the doorstep for the customer first. If your order system allows for it, it’s best to advise customers of what your procedure is in this regard, so they know what to expect and what role they need to play in the process – which will help to keep everybody safe.