Pickstock sees business boost following move into foodservice
The processor said it had adapted its strategy to supply high quality meat cuts into the out-of-home sector last year.
Pickford Telford added it was important to adapt, as the marketplace for beef supply had “changed radically” in recent years.
The success follows a “substantial investment” in a new state-of-the art processing facility in 2014.
Last year, it also opened a new £5m processing facility, increasing its size by 24,000ft2, which allowed it to introduce a new range of meat cuts to the market, including diced beef, mince, burgers, joints and cut steaks.
“During the past 12 months, we’ve seen a significant increase in demand from the foodservice sector which has been an incredible achievement for the business and also illustrates the demand in the marketplace for high-quality beef products,” said Dave Drew, foodservice sales director at Pickstock Telford.
“As a company we are extremely optimistic for the future of the beef market, and feel that showing our customers and consumers that our beef products are fully traceable and sustainably produced under strict farm assurance schemes will give them confidence and insight into a fully integrated supply chain and the benefits this includes.”
All of the company’s beef is processed at its Shropshire-based processing plant, but it also has its own research development farm in Mid Wales, which it said was a key component of its long-term sustainability programme.
This centre of excellence focuses on four core areas; animal welfare, environmental footprint, financial sustainability and genetics.
In September 2019, Pickford Telford said that closer collaboration with farmers had enabled it to show a 15 percentage point uplift in prime carcases hitting their specifications over three months until the end of July.
