Expanding crisp firm takes more space

Welsh premium crisp manufacturer Sirhowy Valley Foods is moving its Real Crisp Company from Newport, Wales, to a plant six times the size at nearby Blackwood at a cost of around £2.5m.

The move follows an increase in the company's annual turnover of around 400% over the past three years, from £1.3m to £5.2m, as the market for crisps expands.

The company's crisps are available branded as Real Crisps in Starbucks and Moto service stations and distributed nationwide by Brakes. They are also sold as own-label crisps to major multiples.

The new 5,400m2plant will open in March 2005 and give the company the capacity to take on more contracts with the multiples, said John Mudd, the Real Crisp founder. He expected turnover to increase by a further 50% in 2004/05 as a result of the additional capacity.

Mudd said the expansion was part of the company's attempt to become the number one brand of "hand-cooked" crisps within five years. It is already in talks with a number of major pub groups about expanding the range and will be launching a raft of new products, the first planned for March next year.

The Real Crisp Company employs 65 staff, but is looking to take on another 12, mainly in roles such as research and development and for technical and engineering jobs.