Auntie enters new territory

Tryton Foods is planning a major product launch next year that will take its Aunt Bessie’s brand into what it claims is a “completely new area for us and for the frozen food market”

The launch, which will help the Hull-based frozen food company in its mission to double sales in the next three years, may be followed by a move into the ambient category, revealed md Neil Sanderson.

Details of the launch are a closely guarded secret, but the new range would start hitting freezer cabinets in the spring, he said.

“We are always looking at ways to expand Aunt Bessie’s. Long term, we are also considering moving beyond frozen into ambient, which is pretty blue sky stuff.”

Sanderson said he was confident that he could grow Aunt Bessie’s, which is worth £130m in retail sales, into a £250m brand by the end of the decade. “We have a business model that means we like to hold profit margins level within the range of 8-10%. We reinvest for growth over and above that.”

Over the last 12 months, significant investment has been pumped into the business, which operates three plants in Hull, he added.

“We’ve spent just under £7m extending our batters facility at Freightliner Road and we’re in the process of spending £2m upgrading our traditional desserts factory at Trinity Street.”

A key priority was developing shelf-ready packaging (SRP) for the multitude of freezers used by retailers, he said. “We’ve trialled several SRP propositions but some retailers have 11 different types of freezer, which makes it extremely difficult to come up with something that works for everyone.

“We’re also working very closely with Tesco on getting promotional planning right on Yorkshire puds to ensure maximum availability.”

Tryton, which won the frozen foods category and the overall best company prize in last month’s Food Manufacture​ Excellence Awards, also romped home with Food Manufacture’​ new best employer award, which is based purely on anonymous feedback from staff.

See pp37-45 for more on the winners of the Food Manufacture​ Excellence Awards.