Category: I.T.S. news

Newbury Rugby Club x I.T.S.

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I.T.S. proud sponsors of local rugby team.

We couldn’t be more excited to be supporting Newbury Rugby Club in helping them provide a fun and active space to our local area.

You might recognise the smiley chap in the short shorts at the bottom left of the picture. Yep, that’s Mike, Owner of I.T.S. and also coach of the under 14’s on weekends. Mike is also a passionate ex player of the team and can often be seen around the club.

Robin Varley, Sponsorship Manager from NRFC said “We are thrilled that I.T.S. has joined Newbury Rugby Football Club as a Sponsor for the 2022/23 season as both parties share the same community values and the desire to make a positive difference in Newbury and beyond”.

Mike Bagshaw, Owner of I.T.S. says “Outside my world of flavours, rugby has always been one of my biggest passions. Now I get to share that passion with my son who plays for the under 14’s, who I also coach on weekends. I’m so proud that I.T.S is able to help sponsor the club to help push it forward onto bigger and better things.”

6 Brand New Natural Flavours You Can’t Afford To Miss

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Here’s 6 of our newest and tastiest natural flavours.

We get it, you’re busy and sometimes there just isn’t enough hours in the day. That’s why we’re here to help you stay updated with all the newest and most exciting goings on in the flavour world.

If you’re looking for something new, or maybe that brief that’s been in your inbox for far too long needs that extra bit of inspiration. Have no fear, take a look below at some of newest and tastiest flavours that could just kick start your next big project.

1) Blueberry Ice Cream Flavour

We think this one speaks for itself. Blueberry never fails to impress and is a constant hit with just about everyone.

So, we thought, how do we give it something extra special? We give you Blueberry Ice Cream – a delicious fresh blueberry taste with a creamy ice cream twist.

Request a sample


2) Lychee and Dragonfruit Flavour

If you’re after a new flavour that is brave enough to turn heads, but also just about safe enough to not keep you up at night, this is for you.

We’ve taken two of the trendiest and refreshing fruits and blended into the ultimate summer flavour. Don’t sleep on this one.

Request a sample


3) Peely Orange Flavour

Orange is another stone cold classic flavour that we decided to give an extra tasty twist.

We’ve got countless orange profiles in our flavour library, but we think this new Peely Orange really does stand up with the best. A truly peely and natural flavour gives it that real punch of fresh orange.

Request a sample


4) Nutty Choc Brownie Flavour

Rich chocolate? Check. Gooey brownie? Check. Delicious nuttiness? Check. Allergen free? Check.

If you’re after a next level chocolate brownie flavour, you’ve got to give this cheeky little flavour a try. A true taste sensation – you’ll be surprised at the balance of all the flavours going on.

Request a sample.


5) Raspberry Curd Flavour

If you’ve got this far, we’ll let you into a little secret – this might just be our favourite flavour.

Creamy and fruity – this intense raspberry flavour really packs a punch. Curd style profiles are increasing in popularity, so don’t miss out on this growing trend.

Request a sample.


6) Forest Fruits Flavouring FTNF Flavour

Forest Fruits has really come back in a big way. A classic of desserts dating back to the 80’s, it’s now seen a new lease of life.

Thanks to the growing trend in flavours that can be foraged in the wild, forest fruits and wild berries are very much in vogue at the moment. What’s even better is this clever little flavour is made up of 95% of the actual named fruits.

Request a sample.


Looking for something different? Make sure you check out our full range of natural flavours, or get in touch and we’d be more than happy to help. 

I.T.S. Flavours At Bread & Jam Fest

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A Braver Flavour & Bread and Jam 2022.

We can’t wait for this one. Bread and Jam Festival is THE event for new food and drink brands. Taking place 19th – 20th July at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. The who’s who of the food and drink industry gather to check out the next big thing. 

If there was ever an event to showcase A Braver Flavour, it’s Bread and Jam. The newest and bravest brands come to meet the current biggest and most exciting brands under one roof. Not just that, all the big boy retailers and investors mingle to try and get a glance of what new trends they should be jumping on. 

What’s happening at Bread & Jam

From a huge speaker schedule filled with talks from exciting brands like Pip & Nut, Minor Figures and Lucky Saint, to the opportunity to pitch to big retailers like Tesco and Sainsburys. 

If you’re a challenger brand looking to take the next step, or a big brand that’s looking for some inspiration, you’re sure to find it somewhere lurking about at Bread and Jam. 

Where do I.T.S. flavours come in?

So, now let’s talk about the best bit. Bread and Jam also hosts a huge Marketplace area where all types of relevant brands showcase to the guests of the event. 

And, you guessed it, I.T.S. are pitching up their banners and unloading their leaflets. Oh, and it wouldn’t be an I.T.S. pitch without some tasty things for people to enjoy.

What are you waiting for? Sign up now!

If you’re not sold on the event by now, then here is an exclusive I.T.S. discount to get cheaper tickets:

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/243627625787/?discount=ITS30

No excuses now – see you there!


I.T.S. Become Carbon Neutral Flavouring Manufacturer

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Flavours that help save our planet.

We are now making flavourings that help save the planet. We have offset all our carbon emissions to make sure we operate at net-zero.

Put simply, we take out more carbon from the atmosphere than we put in. We’ve chosen to offset an extra 10% of our total emissions to make sure we are making a positive impact rather than just cancelling our emissions out.

Sustainably sourced flavours for food and beverage.

What does this mean for our customers? Well, not only do they have confidence they are getting sustainably sourced flavour ingredients, but they are also taking carbon out of the atmosphere with every order. How good is that?

Mike Bagshaw, Owner and Founder of I.T.S. explains “This is something I’m incredibly passionate about. I.T.S. is here to have a positive impact. I want to run a company that our customers and staff can be proud of.”

Mike continues “This is not a hygiene factor for us. I see lots of the big corporate flavouring companies making pledges to achieve climate goals years down the line. That’s not how I.T.S. work. We are all about getting things done now. There isn’t time to waste”.

Helping carbon projects both in the UK and abroad.

We are investing and supporting many carbon-friendly initiatives across the globe. From planting biodiverse forests in Panama, to Burgos Wind Farms in the Philippines.

We are also passionate about working closer to home helping projects in the UK. That’s why we are supporting planting new forests in Yorkshire. This project helps with woodland management in the area to make sure new forests are able to grow and develop.

And yes, we are aware that offsetting our emissions isn’t the final solution. That is why this is only stage 1 of our journey to become a more sustainable flavouring manufacturer.
We first measured and offset our carbon emissions, we will now take steps to reduce and improve.
Keep your eyes peeled for more news on our sustainability plans.

Make sure your food and drink products are good for the planet.

Drop us a message to request carbon neutral flavours and make sure your products are helping the planet.

I.T.S. Launching Hop Flavours at Beer X

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Showcasing natural flavours at Beer X 2022

We’ll be pitching up at SIBA, The Society of Independent Brewers Beer X event in Liverpool, 16th – 17th of March at the Liverpool Exhibition Centre
The team will be on stand 120 showing off our latest beer brewed on our very own microbrewery that has been infused with our natural flavours.
We’ll also be giving out samples of beer with our new hop flavour range. We’ve teamed up with Hepworth Brewery to collaborate on two adaptations of their beer that includes our new hop flavours.
BeerX UK 2022 will feature a packed schedule of expert seminars, panel debates with the industry’s leading voices, and plenty of tasting sessions – including Advanced flavour training with the Beer & Cider Academy, a run down of the freshest American craft beers with the Brewers Association, a session with Gabe Cooke on mixed-ferm beers and the crossover with cider, with many more still to be revealed.
Beer X is run by SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers. SIBA was established in 1980 to represent the interests of the growing number of independent breweries in Britain.

Natural Hop Flavours For Beer – How to Cut Your Hop Costs.

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Natural hop flavours made by craft brewers

If you’re like us and like your beers to pack a punch of hoppy flavour, you’ll need to be trying our new natural hop flavours.

How do Natural Flavours work In Beer?

Hops come in all shapes and sizes these days, with the increasing new varieties and flavour styles from all over the world influencing the final flavour of the beer. There has simply never been a more exciting time to be experimenting with the flavour of beer.
Inspired by our love of beer, we crafted a range of flavours to help boost the tastiness and aroma of beer using our favourite hops. The benefits are huge with flavours, not only do they help with flavour and aroma, but can also massively help with costs.

Struggling With the Cost of Hops?

As anyone in the beer world will know, hops aren’t cheap. With the increasing demand for new hops in beers, sometimes the costs can be tough. Natural Hop Flavours are added downstream in the brewing process to help standardise the beer bitterness, boost the hoppiness, and all in a much more cost-efficient way. Using fewer hops in the brew kettle for bitterness and in the cask for aroma, means that beer losses can be hugely reduced.
Brewers in the craft sector especially are focusing on dry hopping to help infuse more hoppy flavour and aroma into the beer. This technique of adding the hops late into the brewing process often encourages a more aromatic flavour to the hops to help increase the flavour and bitterness. Natural Hop Flavours could then be added after this process to help boost the hop taste.

Brewery Tested Hop Flavours

Our natural hop flavours have been crafted through the love of great tasting beer. We have our very own microbrewery at I.T.S. and our flavours have been tested through our brews to ensure the best possible flavour. Our team has over 20 years of brewing experience, paired with our countless years in flavours, you’d be hard pushed to find hop flavours better fitted.

Don’t Believe The Hype? Give Them a Try

Get in touch today and request some samples of our hop flavour range to try out in your brewery.
Citra Style Hop – NATLQ13971
Cascade Style Hop – NATLQ13972
Chinook Style Hop – NATLQ13973
Our team are also happy to guide you through the best methods and techniques of applying the hop flavours to your brewing process. So whatever you’re after, just drop us a line.

Judging at World Dairy Innovation Awards

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A trusted voice in the dairy industry

We are proud to announce that our very own Briony Rideout has been selected as a judge for the World Dairy Innovation Awards 2022. 

The World Dairy Innovation Awards, in association with Zenith Global World Dairy Congress, are a celebration of innovation and excellence across every category of the international dairy industry.

Now in their 16th year, these awards are a fantastic way for brands to enhance the promotion of their dairy brand and to ensure it gains global recognition.

Briony will be joining a panel that includes recognised and reputable names from across the global dairy industry and between them, they will be responsible for deciding the winners of the World Dairy Innovation Awards, taking place in June 2022.

There are 21 trophies to be won in total, and being shortlisted provides a hallmark of success that will prevail long after the awards draw to a close. To find out more information, including how to enter, click here.

A little bit about Briony

With a background in food science and product development, Briony started her journey at Leeds University where she graduated with a BSC in Food Science and Nutrition (industrial) in 2017. She now works at I.T.S. an independent UK flavour house. Briony looks after the growing portfolio of dairy customers, working closely with both large national dairies and exciting start-up brands.

She works across a wide range of applications helping to improve the taste in both dairy and dairy alternative products. Briony also manages I.T.S.’ UHT pilot facility to stress test flavourings and run customer trials.

When she’s not busy in the lab, she’s out exploring the dairy market for all the latest trends and new product releases. Outside of work Briony enjoys spending time in the kitchen baking celebratory cakes, catching up with family and friends, exploring new places and getting lost in a good book.

Looking to perfect your flavours in a dairy or dairy alternative product? Get in touch to see how Briony can help. 

I.T.S. Brewing Tasty Beer With New Microbrewery

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The world’s tastiest microbrewery?

We have just installed a new microbrewery on-site at our Newbury facility. We love playing around with flavours and beer, so it was a no-brainer to get a brewery up and running.
This new equipment allows us to stress test our flavours on all types of beer that we brew up. Not to mention, it’s great for a Friday afternoon and staff parties.

Using flavours in the brewing process

Flavours have so many advantages to making life easier and cheaper in the brewing process. From adding juicy and citrus flavours to enhance beers, to deep chocolate and coffee notes for depth in dark beers. You can also totally transform the flavour of a beer with a brave flavour not tried in beer before.
Flavourings allow brewers to lower costs and enhance flavour with a simple drop of natural flavouring.

A flavour house owned and run by brewers

Mike Bagshaw explains “I’ve been brewing at home for over 20 years, and have always played around with flavourings. I make a mean bitter orange wheat beer, which always goes down well with my friends.”
“It got to a point where we saw so many breweries starting to use flavours that we had to take it to the next level. We wanted a straightforward flavour offering for brewers to use. We now have a brilliant range of flavours that work perfectly in many styles of beer.”

Request flavour samples to give it a go

Interested in flavours for your brewery, or fancy coming in to try out some flavours? Get in touch for a chat.

Indulgent Plant-Based Bakery Flavours

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I can’t believe there’s no butter: New vegan flavour solutions from I.T.S
deliver indulgence in plant-based bakery applications.

We have developed Vegan Boost – a new range of natural flavour enhancers that replicate the indulgent characteristics of traditional bakery products in dairy and egg-free alternatives. The launch, which taps into the growing consumer interest in plant-based diets, is timed to coincide with Veganuary.

How does Vegan Boost improve plant-based bakery?

Available in liquid and powder formats, Vegan Boost offers an all-in-one solution to improve the sensory quality of a range of plant-based cake and patisserie products by accentuating buttery and creamy flavours. A higher strength range, Vegan Boost Extra, is also available if more intense flavours are required.

There are several ingredients bakers can use to rebuild the structural properties of a product when dairy and egg ingredients have been removed, some of which may create off-notes. Vegan Boost masks these and delivers an authentic flavour experience to ensure those who follow a plant-based diet can enjoy the same delicious bakery products as other consumers.


Request a VEGAN BOOST sample

Making plant-based bakery easy

Carl Smith, our Head of Innovations, says: “Consumer demand for plant-based products is rising, but until now the bakery sector has been a little behind the curve. Our bakery customers know we are easy to work with and they asked us for help in enhancing the flavour of their vegan cakes and bakery ranges. We set about creating a straightforward alternative to the options currently available from the larger flavour houses. Vegan Boost offers no-nonsense flavours, and it provides an easy-to-use solution that is proven to work.
“At I.T.S we’re passionate about helping our customers stay a step ahead of their competitors. That’s why we developed our message “A Braver Flavour”, which describes both who we are and the benefits we offer. We stand with anyone who wants to do something new, something different or something braver. And we believe Vegan Boost thrusts the plant-based bakery sector into a new era of innovation.”

How Vegan Boost works its flavour magic in plant-based bakery

To assess Vegan Boost across different bakery products, we produced a cupcake and a brioche in-house and presented these to a team of panellists. The group compared the organoleptic characteristics ¬– such as ‘buttery’, ‘richness’, ‘indulgent’ and ‘creamy’ – of a vegan versus a non-vegan version of the recipes.
The vegan cupcake fell short on many of the sensory elements, but when our flavour experts added Vegan Boost to the plant-based recipe, it enhanced the buttery qualities and delivered more fatty notes to amplify the cupcake’s perceived indulgence.
To create the vegan brioche, we replaced the milk, butter and eggs with almond milk, olive oil, vegan butter and a small amount of lemon juice. The vegan brioche performed poorly, but when Vegan Boost Extra was added, the panellists said that the enhanced dairy and egg-free brioche was richer, with significantly improved creaminess and buttery characteristics.
Click here to get in touch to find out how Vegan Boost could be used in your bakery products and request a flavour sample.

Request a VEGAN BOOST sample

BRC AA Certified – A Safer Flavour

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Once again we’ve proven our dedication to the highest class in food safety by being awarded BRC AA.

Safer flavours from I.T.S.

We’ve done it again! Another year, another BRC AA  awarded. Following a successful audit in July we were officially given this year’s BRC AA certificate in early September.

Full credit goes to our Technical and Production Teams that were heavily involved with the audit and ensured all our high standards were continually met.

Why is BRCGS so important?

The BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard has set the benchmark for over 20 years. Adopted by over 20,000 sites in 130 countries, the standard is accepted by 70% of the top 10 global retailers, 60% of the top 10 quick-service restaurants, and 50% of the top 25 manufacturers.

Mike Bagshaw Owner and Founder of I.T.S. said “I’m so proud of the team and that we can continually provide our customers with the utmost confidence in our food safety and hygiene. For me, the grade was never in doubt. I know how focused the team is in keeping standards at the highest level”.