William Reed Business Publishing is to close its print magazine title Food Manufacture, and it is understood that the final stand-alone print edition is scheduled for the February / March period.
Reed confirms that the title will still offer a website. In addition Reed also say that special editions of Food Manufacture magazine will be available through its Grocer magazine.
Graham Yandell, the publisher of Food Management Today magazine commented: “Unfortunately this comes as no surprise to us at Food Management Today. The publication had visibly reduced paging over quite a period, even before the Covid problems of last year and this news also follows the closure of Meat Trades Journal back in 2018. At that time Reed said that meat industry content would continue via its Food Manufacture publication. However that print title is now closing too.
“One lesson from this is that you cannot be all things to all people. Food Manufacture covered both the food and drink sectors with one title. To then take on comprehensive and meaningful additional meat industry coverage seemed a big ask to us, and I suspect readers and advertisers took the same view. I would suggest it is highly unlikely, for example, that a drinks business would be particularly interested in say bakery or fish processing. That is why our own Food Management Today magazine does not target the drinks sector. Know your target market is the simple message for us and create excellent content that is applicable to the specific readership.
“William Reed now appear to be doing what it said it would do with Meat Trades Journal by incorporating Food Manufacture within the Grocer. Looks to me like a similar path and a similar story.”
“Of course in addition to Food Management Today its sister title the monthly Meat Management continues to publish specifically for the meat industry and again it offers a full portfolio of media platforms.
“Nevertheless it is still a sad day when a long established, stand-alone magazine is closed. William Reed now appear to be doing what it said it would do with Meat Trades Journal by incorporating Food Manufacture within the Grocer. Looks to me like a similar path and a similar story.”
Sales Manager for Food Management Today, Michelle Ingerfield added: “It’s interesting that over recent weeks I have seen a rise in our incoming advertising enquiries for Food Management Today. As the remaining market leading title in the food manufacturing and processing sector, we are able to help advertisers with a targeted and highly relevant and popular magazine, with cost effective coverage. FMT itself also has an online news website and of course we organise the unique FMT Food Industry Awards, that continues to go from strength to strength.”
To contact Michelle email michelle.i@yandellmediagroup.com. For general media information go to www.foodmanagement.today.
