5 April 2022Telford-based Northwood Hygiene Products Ltd – a leading manufacturer and supplier of away-from-home (AfH) professional paper hygiene and wiping products – has won the coveted ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ title at the annual Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA) Awards.

Celebrating the best manufacturers and distributors of the UK’s hospitality industry, the FPA Awards honour the excellence, best practice, innovation, sustainability and creativity of the sector.

Picking up the award, Brian Tarry, sales and marketing director at Northwood, said: “The FPA Awards set the benchmark for excellence in the catering industry and for us to be named as Manufacturer of the Year is a huge accolade, particularly as we were voted for by peers in our industry.

“We are incredibly proud of this prestigious award, which recognises the hard work and dedication of the whole team at Northwood to consistently achieve the best manufacturing standards throughout our operation. It is truly amazing to receive this level of recognition from the industry after such a challenging two years across the sector.”

The FPA Manufacturer of the Year title is awarded to the manufacturer who stands out from other manufacturers throughout the sector. It recognises the responsiveness to environmental and legislative developments of the winner, as well as the introduction of new solutions to meet customer needs.

Established more than 45 years ago by owners the Fecher family, Northwood is one of the few vertically integrated companies in the industry. Its activities include recycling, production, conversion and logistics – a structure that allows it to ensure excellence throughout its entire operation.

Northwood employs 250 people and its brands – including Raphael, North Shore and Whisper –

can be spotted across the UK, in all sectors, ranging from healthcare and education to hospitality, leisure, manufacturing and catering.

The FPA is the voice of the foodservice packaging industry, working towards a secure future for the sector. It promotes the responsible manufacture, sourcing, distribution, usage and disposal of food and foodservice packaging.

This years’ awards were hosted by stand-up comedian Lucy Porter at the Grand Hotel in Brighton.