Only available exclusively from Frylite, Cremonini’s range encompasses a cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, which has a fruity, clean, well balanced flavour and a delicious pomace olive oil which offers a smooth taste, aroma and colour.

Both oils are produced in a traditional manner using techniques that have been perfected over generations and are made using the finest olives which grow in the luscious valleys and hillsides that surround the oil press which is located in the town of Forli, near Bologna.

Jonathan McLaughlin, Frylite’s Group Marketing Manager, said: “We celebrate twenty one years in business this year and are perhaps best known for our unique vegetable oil supply and waste oil collection service that we provide to thousands of restaurants up and down the country.

“We’ve grown rapidly over recent years and wanted to use our expert knowledge of the oil market and harness our reputation for product quality to supply an olive oil to chefs that not only tastes great but was good to cook with as well.

“There is no doubt that the restaurant scene in Ireland has changed dramatically in recent years and we’re responding to these changes, and the changing needs of chefs by bringing forward new products and a range of olive oils which are authentic, flavoursome and healthy.

“Furthermore, as Ireland’s only edible oil specialist, we will continue to provide all of our customers with superior levels of service, product and market knowledge and expert advice on oil usage, storage and handling.”

Frylite, which services customers throughout Ireland from its base in Strabane, County Tyrone, unveiled its new range of olive oils in early May.

Frylite, which already supplies thousands of hotels and restaurants across the country with a range of healthy vegetable oils invited chefs to taste and cook with an Italian and Spanish olive oil before asking for their overall verdict. The results of which were unanimous with an extra virgin and pomace olive oil, from Italian producer Cremonini oils, topping the popularity league.

Talking about the survey, Jonathan Mclaughlin, Frylite’s Group Marketing Manager went on to explain. “We organised perhaps the largest ever olive oil tasting survey to be held in Ireland, the purpose of which was to put chefs taste buds to the test and help us to track down an oil which they loved, tasted great and was also fantastic to cook with. After the trials, the verdict was clear with Cremonini oils emerging as the chef’s ultimate favourite. In fact, such has been the response from some chefs, to the oils, that we’ve been asked by many if we could start to supply them well in advance of the planned launch which takes place at the IFEX food show later this month in Belfast.

At IFEX, Frylite will unveil their new range of authentic, Italian olive oils which includes a cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, characterised by its fruity taste and a pomace olive oil which offers a smooth taste, aroma and colour. Now sold in 150 countries world wide, both oils are produced in a traditional manner, using techniques perfected over generations and the finest olives which grow in the luscious valleys and hillsides that surround the town of Forli, near Bologna.

Talking about these exciting new developments for the company Jonathan went on to explain “We celebrate twenty years in business this year and are perhaps best known for our unique vegetable oil supply and waste oil collection service that we provide to thousands of restaurants up and down the country. We’ve grown rapidly over recent years and wanted to use our expert knowledge of the oil market and harness our reputation for product quality to supply an olive oil to chefs that not only tastes great but was good to cook with as well.”

He went on to add “There is no doubt that the restaurant scene in Ireland has changed dramatically in recent years and we’re responding to these changes, and the changing needs of chefs by bringing forward new products and a range of olive oils which are authentic, flavoursome and healthy. Cremonini also produce a wide range of speciality DOP regional oils, flavoured oils and vinegars and we plan to add these new products to our range on an evolving basis. Furthermore, as Ireland’s only edible oil specialist, we will continue to provide all of our customers with superior levels of service, product and market knowledge and expert advice on oil usage, storage and handling.

In fact, Frylite are so excited about their new range of olive oils that they will be holding a series of master classes on olive oil during the show and will be flying in an olive oil expert from Italy who will be on hand to answer questions. If you are a chef and would like to sample Frylite’s delicious new range of olive oils, head on down to stand B10 at IFEX or contact Jonathan McLaughlin, Frylite’s Group Marketing Manager on
00 44 (0) 78 94 19 4457 to arrange a taste test.

Founded in 1988 by local businessman, Eamon McCay, Frylite is a fine example of a local business success story that has been quietly unfolding. Over the last twenty years Eamon McCay has turned his simple business idea of vegetable oil supply and waste oil collection in to a multi million pound business which employs over a hundred people and services the needs of thousands of customers on a daily basis from its five bases across Ireland.

They say all good business ideas are simple and Frylite’s business model is no different. Speaking about the business, Eamon went on to explain “ We deliver a range of fresh vegetable oils to our customers, the majority of which include hotels, restaurants and fast food outlets. We buy oil by the tanker load, so this is done by supplying them with oil in our own twenty litre plastic buckets or by supplying larger users with oil in a bulk format whereby we pump fresh oil into large tanks in much the same way that the man who delivers your home heating oil does. Supply is just one side of our business, the other is collection and once we’ve delivered their fresh oil, we collect their used oils, which are then cleaned and reprocessed before being sent for use in the biofuels industry.

Now operating on a nationwide basis the staff and team at Frylite have much to be proud of and over the last twenty years through their hardwork, Frylite has grown to become Ireland’s number one supplier and collector of cooking oils, commanding a sixty per cent share of the market with over 7,000 satisfied customers island-wide.

Paying testimony to the loyalty and commitment of his staff over the years, Eamon went on to explain Frylite’s approach to business and how they have prospered in a competitive business environment “We have differentiated ourselves in the market by the level of service our staff provide to our customers and whilst we could have continued to offer a simple supply and collection service we have always sought to add further value to and improve our overall customer offering. In fact what has been integral to Frylite’s continued success has been its commitment towards bringing forward many new innovations to the market, in particular its unique “complete oil management system” which at its heart removes all responsibility for oil supply and collection from the customer to Frylite. “ Put simply” Eamon said “this means that our customers never have to worry about oil again – we supply the equipment (free of charge), we call every week to ensure that they never run out, collect their waste at the same time and keep everything clean, which helps, especially when many chefs are busy enough doing what they’re good at cooking good food and running busy kitchens”

Over recent years Frylite has enjoyed tremendous growth to such an extent that it is now able to offer its service to every corner of Ireland, servicing customers of all sizes from local pubs to international chains with hundreds of outlets nationwide. Operating out of its state of the art head office and factory in Strabane, which was built in 2005, the group has also opened up depots in Coleraine, Dublin, Galway and most recently Cork.

Speaking about these developments Eamon went on to add “As our company has grown we’ve also expanded in to new markets servicing customers from new sectors. People are always aware that we supply the catering and food service sector but we’re also very active in the food processing and bakery sector and service some of Irelands best known household names. We deal with many national and international companies and put their interest in dealing with our company down to three key reasons – firstly our quality product and service, secondly the fact that we do not supply hydrogenated oils or fats selling only a healthier range of vegetable oils. Finally our customers get reassurance and peace of mind from knowing that they are with Ireland’s leading edible oil specialist.”

He went on to add “We take quality very seriously and are constantly striving to be the best in our field. To do this we operate to the highest quality control systems possible and have achieved and implemented Grade A accreditation in the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global standard – Food Issue 4, the Excellence Ireland Mark and HACCP. These accreditations are very important as there is a legal requirement on hotels and restaurants or anyone producing food for that matter for them to be able to show that they have the relevant documentation to prove that their supplier is HACCP compliant and is registered and legally authorised to collect and dispose of their waste. We provide all of this documentation to our customers as part of our overall service package and many of them find this particularly useful, especially when the environmental health officer turns up and is interested in seeing that the kitchen is being well run and that everything is in order”

From the The Observer  - Sunday July 1, 2007

Do you want to slash your fuel bill? For some diesel car owners, it’s now possible. In a quiet shift in policy, the government has relaxed the rules on using vegetable oil, which many diesel cars - including some modern models - can run on.

Previously, anyone who ran a diesel car on vegetable oil was liable to pay duty, but from today - 1 July - this tax has been slashed, provided you don’t use more than 2,500 litres annually.

A car owner who averages 40 miles a gallon on diesel can now drive nearly 22,000 miles a year on vegetable oil before having to stump up any tax. If the driver’s average is closer to 50mpg, this allowance goes up to more than 27,000 miles a year.

Tempted? Some will be, especially if they run older models of diesel, which are easier to convert, though modern cars, such as the Ford Focus TDCi and VW Golf TDI, can also be adapted.

Mike Lawton runs Regenatec, an Oxfordshire-based company that converts a wide range of commercial and ordinary diesel vehicles. ‘Typically a fully fitted veg oil conversion will cost a bit over £1,000, including VAT,’ Lawton says. ‘That’s for an older diesel car. For a modern version you’ll need to pay around £100 extra.’

And if you’re handy at DIY, Regenatec is ready to sell you a ’smartveg’ kit for £600, though you’ll need to spend a solid weekend doing the conversion, he warns.

But is a kit necessary? ‘It can be very difficult to start a car from cold using veg oil, especially in winter,’ he warns. ‘It’s too thick and gloopy; it needs to warm up. Our kit uses diesel to power the car for the first few minutes, then it automatically switches over to veg oil. You need to flush the engine through with diesel at the end of the day after using the car, but only for about 60-90 seconds.’

Lawton reckons that for someone with a modern diesel averaging 45mpg and covering 15,000 miles a year, the £1,100 or so spent on a fitted conversion will pay for itself in less than 18 months. From then on - provided the government doesn’t mess with the tax threshold - you’ve running on dirt-cheap, though planet-friendly, biofuel.

Potentially, you can kiss goodbye to fuel station forecourts for ever, powering your car for free, if you’re intrepid enough to use second-hand vegetable oil and are on good terms with your local pub or chippy.

Chip fat, however, does need to be filtered, otherwise you could find you’ve got rancid pieces of old kebab or fried egg clogging up the fuel pump - fatal for your car and pocket. To do this you must register as a waste carrier with the Environment Agency - go to www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/sectors/287956/628713/ then scroll down to Waste Carriers and Brokers Application Form.

One motorist who saved himself the expense of a conversion is Kenny Tucker, who recently bought a 1989 Mercedes-Benz 190 diesel 2.5 for just £200 off eBay. Currently using a mix of Costco soya oil and Morrison’s rapeseed oil to power his Benz, Tucker is planning a 3,000-mile drive across Europe this summer to publicise vegetable oil’s economy and ‘greenness’ - provided he can persuade restaurants en route to offload their old cooking fat.

‘The car is very strong. I’m averaging 40mpg. We’ve actually turned it into a company car; whenever we do a big trip we take the veggie Merc. It’s comfy, rugged, green - and cheap,’ he says.

Medicinal research chemist James Jenkins, however, took something of a risk when converting his 1998 Peugeot 206 1.9 diesel in October 2004. It was a leap of faith initially as the fuel pump in his Peugeot - a Lucas unit - is not considered as robust as the Bosch units many older German cars such as VWs and Mercedes use.

Nevertheless, Jenkins spent £600 on a DIY kit from Regenatec, which, with some help from the garage, took a day to fit. Since then he has covered 40,000 trouble-free miles, doing about 300 miles a week.

And the best bit? The fuel cost has been almost zero, since his Pug is powered by vegetable oil from a local pub, the Fox, in Steventon, Oxfordshire. ‘Getting rid of their old fat is often a problem for pubs. So as long as I’m regular and prompt, I have it free. Pubs often have to pay for it to be removed anyway.’

He drains the oil into a 55-gallon drum at home, equipped with two filters. He could buy an electric pump but funnelling it in is straightforward enough. ‘It’s not like filling up at Tesco,’ Jenkins says, ‘but I’m confident of my methodology. I did a lot of research before going for it.’

www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/forum/

http://www.regenatec.com/

http://www.carbon-neutral-car.com/

www.hmrc.gov.uk/briefs/excise-duty/brief4307.htm

Yes, it’s true, our busy modern lifestyles are having an effect on all of these environmental changes that are taking place but what can we do on an individual level? Well the answer could be literally staring you in the face, yes, the vegetable oils used to cook the fish and chips that you might have enjoyed in the hotel bar today will be used to power vehicles up and down the country.

This is thanks to a new green initiative from Frylite, who in association with Queens University in Belfast will use the waste oil they collect from thousands of catering establishments across Ireland (including the Carlton Group of Hotels) and convert it in to bio diesel, a clean, green renewable fuel.

Speaking about the bio diesel project Eamon McCay, Managing Director for Frylite went on to explain, “bio diesel has many key advantages over traditional fossil fuels as it help reduce carbon emissions which are leading to global warming as well as reducing  dangerous tailpipe emissions which are clogging up our streets in towns and cities across Ireland. Before we decided to develop the bio diesel plant we were shipping these waste oils overseas and they were being used to produce bio diesel which is in common use throughout Europe. Having examined various alternatives the logical progression was to use the million of litres of waste oil that we collect throughout Ireland every year and put it to better use to clean up our own towns and cities.”

What started as a simple business idea has now become a reality and before building a full scale plant next to the company’s headquarters in Strabane, Frylite will initially run a pilot project producing around 160,000 litres a month. Speaking about further developments Eamon went on to conclude “we’re currently in discussions with a variety of local authorities and expect to sell volume quantities of bio diesel to a number of councils throughout Northern Ireland who will use it to power their fleets of vehicles. After the pilot project, the sky’s the limit and we plan to upscale production and roll out the bio diesel business throughout Ireland so that all towns from Mizen head to Malin Head can enjoy the benefits of this new fuel of the future”

For further information about Frylite’s biodiesel plans please contact Jonathan McLaughlin, Frylite’s Group Marketing Manager on 048 71 383133.

Operating from its Strabane base, Frylite, who supply a range of fresh vegetable oils and collects and disposes of their customers used cooking oils for free, have continued to expand at a phenomenal rate opening no less than four new facilities in Coleraine, Galway, Dublin and now Cork over the past two years.

The opening of this new facility clearly marks a significant development in the company’s history in that they are now able to offer their unique service package on a nationwide basis to a new range of customers in various regions throughout the country.

Customers currently using Frylite’s free delivery and collection service vary in size from independent operators to national chains and include pubs, restaurants, hotels, fast food operators, major food processors and food service companies.

Explaining the new developments the company’s Managing Director, Eamon McCay, went on to explain we’ve come a long way over the past twenty years and have invested heavily in our infrastructure to allow us to meet customer demand which has been growing year on year. The announcement of the new facility in Cork enables us to better capitalise on an increased confidence and buoyancy within the Irish economy which has resulted in the creation of numerous new restaurants and eateries across the country. In addition to this, it is also a response to existing customers (operating on a national basis) who wanted to know when we’d be able to roll out our business model and service offering to their sites in other parts of the country.

Having successfully established ourselves in both the Galway and Dublin markets it was only a matter of time before we decided to move the business even further south” What sets Frylite apart from more traditional operators in the markets is that in addition to the supply, collection and disposal service which is the core offering of the company they are also able to offer their customers a range of added benefits which other suppliers find difficult to match. These include free supply and associated with more traditional operators and the peace of mind that a customer gets from knowing that Frylite are fully licensed by relevant authorities throughout the island of Ireland to collect and dispose of their customers waste in an environmentally friendly manner. Given that so much has happened in the company in such a short space of time one would wonder what plans Frylite has for the future.
The future looks bright for Frylite and not content with resting on their laurels Frylite clearly have their eyes fixed on the future and Managing Director Eamon McCay finally went on to add we’ve ambitious plans for the future which include consolidating upon the growth we’ve achieved and continuing to look after our customers in a highly professional and responsive manner. To ensure we continue to exceed expectations, we’re planning to add new a new range of specialty and olive oils to product portfolio and we’re also evaluating opportunities to make biodiesel in a new purpose built processing plant next to our new state of the art head office in Strabane”.

Original Article published in the Sunday Tribune - Business Section
Author: Conor Brophy

OUT of the frying pan, into the petrol pump is the business model behind a new biofuel venture planned by (Tyrone-based cooking oil supplier Frylite. Frylite, which supplies vegetable-based cooking oils to over 7,000 Irish customers and collects waste oil which has been used in food preparation, is to build a waste oil processing plant at its headquarters in Strabane.

Frylite marketing manager Jonathan McLaughlin said the facility would be used to process some 26,000 liters of waste oil that the company collects every week and convert it into biofuel.

The waste oil is currently being sent to processing plants in Europe, chiefly in the Netherlands. McLaughlin said Frylite had decided to invest over £1m (€1.5m) to build its own facility because it was conscious of the environmental impact of transporting the oil to be processed. The company also believes the demand for biofuels is growing to the point where a processing plant makes economic sense both because of the volume of oil Frylite is collecting and what McLaughlin said was a “growing market in Ireland for these fuels”

Founded in 1988 by local businessman Eamon McCay McLaughlin said Frylite is now the largest supplier of vegetable oils such as rape- seed and soyabean oil to the catering industry in Ireland. Hotels, restaurants and fast- food chains including Abrakababra use its oils for cooking. The company is well placed to benefit from demand for healthier oils and cooking products that do not produce harmful trans fats, according to McLaughlin.

Trans fats, harmful fats found in food cooked with hydrogenated oil, have become something of a cause celebre in the food Industry of late. New York City Health Board’s decision, due to be voted on next month, to introduce regulations banning the city’s restaurants from serving food containing trans fats has sparked an all-out trans fat war.

Other US and European cities such as Chicago and Paris are set to follow the NY example and Disney recently announced a ban on trans fats at its theme packs across the globe.

“For those hydrogenated oils, particularly with the health concerns, there is not much of a future,” said McLaughlin. Frylite stands to benefit from the fall-out as caterers look to healthier, natural oils to replace the processed, hydrogenated alternatives. “Certainly at the moment it’s in vogue,” McLaughlin said.

Tyrone-based Frylite is to build a processing plant to convert waste oil to biofuel

Frylite recently opened its eighth Irish depot, in Cork, providing it with its first distribution site in Munster. The Cork site joins a network including Strabane, Coleraine, Dublin and Galway. McLaughlin reckons the company’s nationwide delivery fleet is now no more than an hour and a half’s drive away from any business in the country.

Growth in Frylite’s business has been fuelled during the 1990s and early part of this decade by the explosion in the number of hotels and restaurants in the country. “We’ve been lucky enough to benefit from the growth in the catering industry,” McLaughlin said.

The next wave of growth, however is likely to come from Britain which he described as “a natural expansion” for Frylite. It will open its first distribution centre in Britain within the next year McLaughlin said.

A biofuel processing plant makes sense both because of the volume of oil Frylite is collecting and what McLaughlin said was a ‘growing market in Ireland farthest fuels’

The company not only supplies a range of fresh vegetable oils but they collect and dispose of their customers used cooking oils for free.

The opening of this new facility clearly marks a significant development in Frylite’s history, they are now able to offer their unique service package on a nation wide basis to a new rage of customers in various regions throughout the country.

Customers currently using Frylite’s free delivery and collection service vary in size from independent operators to national chains and include pubs, restaurants, hotels, fast food operators, major food processors and food service companies.

Frylite’s managing director, Eamon McCay said: “We’ve come along way over the past 20 years and have invested heavily in our infrastructure to allow us to meet customer demand which has been growing year on year.

“The announcement of the new facility in Cork enables us to better capitalise on an increased confidence and buoyancy within the Irish economy which has resulted in the creation of numerous new restaurants and eateries across the country.

“In addition to this it is also a response to existing customers (operating on a national basis) who wanted to know when we’d be able to roll out our business model and service offering to their sites in other parts of the country.

“Having successfully established ourselves in both the Galway and Dublin markets it was only a matter of time before we decided to move the business even further south.”

In addition to the supply, collection and disposal service which, is the core offering of the company they are also able to offer their customers a range of added benefits which other suppliers find difficult to match.

“These include free supply and maintenance of equipment, the elimination of expensive disposal and packaging costs associated with more traditional operators and the peace of mind that a customer gets from knowing that Frylite are fully licensed by relevant authorities throughout the island of Ireland to collect and dispose of their customers waste in an environmentally friendly manner. And there are big plans for the Frylite’s future.