Linda McCartney factory targets 50% growth

David Matwij, operations director at Hain Frozen Foods UK, told FoodManufacture.co.uk that sales were already growing at 50% year-on-year, but that he was confident he could sustain this level of growth in the coming year.

Much of the growth would come from the site’s new desserts plant, which produces own-label frozen hot puddings such as lemon sponge and bread and butter puddings for all of the major multiples.

Matwij, who snapped up the kit to make the desserts from Greencore in a job lot last summer, claimed that through adapting the kit and production processes, Hain had been able to produce the puddings with 27 people as opposed to 60+.

He added: “We also moved very fast. We had products on shelf by October, within 16 weeks of having our first conversations about desserts.”​

Here comes the sun: Linda McCartney brand up 40% y-o-y​

The Linda McCartney brand, meanwhile, was growing at more than 40% year-on-year, claimed Matwij, who is also planning to roll out new recyclable shelf-ready packaging that can significantly reduce shelf-fill times for supermarket staff this year.

There was still plenty of capacity at the site to grow, added Matwij, who also entertained Paul McCartney at the site last Thursday.

“He stayed most of the afternoon and he was over the moon with the progress we’ve made at site level.” ​

Matwij, who brought in a new manufacturing manager to Fakenham last year, has significantly boosted operational efficiency at the site over the last two and a half years, reducing stock levels and increasing customer service levels.

The factory, which has taken on more than 30 new staff over the last year, now employs 225 people.