Local champion

Purchasing manager Laurence Oldman (centre stage in the picture) has been at the forefront of this policy: "I felt we were missing an opportunity to shorten the supply chain by not sourcing more raw materials from the South West.

"As well as making good economic sense, it brings visibility and traceability to our supply chain," he says. "Some of our suppliers are just a five minute drive away and, with such a large quantity of our ingredients being sourced locally, it is much easier to guarantee quality and ensure that correct procedures are being adhered to."

The company works closely with its suppliers from the outset to establish and agree priorities that are workable and efficient for everyone involved. The approach is very hands-on, requiring direct involvement with suppliers at all levels but enabling a far greater understanding of the bigger picture.

"I believe there is recognition within the Cornish farming community that Ginsters delivers on what it says," says Oldman.

Oldman claims the key to success is finding the right people to work with -- people who are willing to invest for the future. For instance, a local abattoir has spent over £2m, a local dairy has increased capacity to 33,000l of double cream a week and a vegetable grower has converted a disused dairy into a vegetable processing area to meet Ginsters' needs.

"This way our supply chain is kept really tight as we have taken many food miles out of the chain," says Oldman.

Wheat is another area Oldman has concentrated on, to the extent that Ginsters, and sister company Tamar Foods, will take delivery of 1,300t of locally-produced wheat over the next 12 months. In fact, the wheat has already been harvested and sent to the mill for use at Ginsters' production facility at Callington. And local farmers are happy with this deal too. Not only has it given them a stable environment, Ginsters' growth has increased the wheat requirement: "Five years ago we took just 200t of wheat from local sources," says Oldman.

Not everything is sourced in Cornwall. The current figure stands at around 35% of Ginsters' requirements. But this is targeted to rise to 50% if Oldman has anything to do with it. For instance, the day Food Manufacture interviewed him, he was off for dinner with a local farmer co-operative to discuss future plans.

You get the feeling he loves his job, and he says "no two days are ever the same". Living in Cornwall is, of course, an added bonus.

Oldman aims to visit suppliers at least twice a year, and with local ones these visits can number up to 10. "I hope they feel that we give them as much respect as we do our own people," he says.

That's not to say that Ginsters, part of the successful Samworth Brothers Group, is a soft touch. "The pressure on pricing remains for all of us and we have seen a lot of manufacturers go out of business this year," he says. "We are constantly trying to find more innovative ways of making things for less."

Oldman's dream supplier would be one that comes to him saying they were prepared to invest in their business to meet Ginsters' needs. And the worst are ones that try to hide things from him, whether financial difficulties or supply problems. "We can help suppliers if they tell us about any problems they are having early enough," he says.

This typifies the can-do attitude of the company -- and is just one of the attributes that helped it take top spot as Company of the Year at last year's Food Manufacture Excellence Awards.

Oldman has always been in purchasing and came to Ginsters via Samworth Bros' sandwich business seven years ago. Before that, he had spent time purchasing in support services for the National Health Service and police forces in the Midlands. His frustration with the public sector led him to food manufacturing and he has never looked back. And now he has the benefit of eating at least four-to-five pasties a week too.FM

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