Please find below the summary of NFFF^s Executive Council meeting, which was held on Monday 22nd July 2013:

The EC meeting followed the usual format where we reviewed the minutes of the previous meeting and checked through all matters arising and that all actions noted had been followed through.  As it was the first meeting since the 2013 AGM, we also reviewed the minutes of the AGM.

Following this we looked at the Accounts this year to date and reviewed the financial position of the NFFF. This included agreeing to renew the policy with ARAG Lighthouse Business Protection policy which provides members with Legal Protection Insurance and access to a range of services including Health & Safety advice, Employment Law and Tax advice.

Next we turned to The Fish Friers Review, discussing future content, cost, circulation numbers and frequency, and how the magazine fitted in with our general communication with members and non-members alike. This lead on to a discussion about how we could improve communication of what we do. The new NFFF website includes the facility for a ‘Members Area’ and we discussed content for this as well as cost and timescale for its development. We also discussed the ‘ifish4chips’ mobile phone app and how to ensure it continues to be downloaded by the public and adding to its functionality.

Next we discussed the NFFF Fish & Chip Quality Award, reviewing uptake of the award, ways to promote it and possible sponsorship to help with the running costs. We planned the next issue of the ‘Consumer Guide’ for Quality Award holding shops, including costs, content and dates/deadlines for publication in Spring 2014.

We then discussed Fish & chip industry promotions in general and the role of the ‘Promotions Meetings’, an NFFF meeting held with Seafish, the Potato Council and representatives of trade suppliers.  As it is the 100th birthday of the NFFF this year, we discussed plans for a major event to be held on the 11th November (the actual date the NFFF was formed) that would involve members and raise money for the Fishermen’s Mission. 

We discussed a report by Mark Drummond on our involvement with the governments BRDO (Better Regulation Deliver Office) and the development of a new scheme to be launched later this year that will potentially benefit all members in the area of the Food Hygiene Ratings Scheme. Plans for next years National Chip Week were discussed and also our involvement with the Sustainable Seafood Coalition, and the development of the NFFF Responsible Sourcing Code that will be shortly made available for members. We discussed the role of nutritional testing and following the NFFF meeting with government on the subject how we can take forward ‘Healthy Eating Initiatives’ and work with government and local authorities to make such schemes suitable for fish & chip shops to take part.

We then looked at issues relating to the Training School, and how we could maximise income from this for the benefit of members, and also how we could develop further training courses to benefit those already in the trade, rather than just those thinking of entering the industry. We also looked at the work we have been doing with Seafish (and the Seafood Training Academy on developing ‘Professional Qualifications for Fish Friers’, including Apprenticeships that will carry government funding.

Finally we discussed what other benefits we could source for NFFF members.