Cricketer Farm explores new wickets
Parsons, formerly of Dairy Crest, told FoodManufacture.co.uk that the Nether Stowey firm plans to develop foodservice and ingredients supply alongside its existing retail business.
Cricketer Farm makes branded and own-label low fat and added-value cheeses, and supplies retailers including the Co-operative Group, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s: the firm supplies the latter’s Be Good to Yourself range, for example.
Targeting ready meal producers
Discussing the foodservice and ingredients move Parsons said: “We have never proactively gone after that business, but we have recently recruited a sales development manager who will be exploring opportunities.
“We think ready meal suppliers will be interested in our range of low-fat cheeses as consumers become more health conscious.”
Diversity in supply base
Cricketer is flexible as to what it can produce, said Parsons, where, for instance, it now even produces continental cheeses such as Gruyere for one client.
The company sources milk from 32 local farms, and Parsons said: “We have a closed supply chain and are committed to paying our producers the top echelons of price. We are not greedy over margins, but we need to continue to be a responsible producer and diversifying helps us to do that.”
“People like used to supply bulk product into a sales agency, but that is not the way to do business anymore,” he added.
Parsons’ predecessor Paddy O’Keeffe is now md of Cricketer’s sister company, Yorkshire-based goats’ milk specialist St Helen’s Farm.
