Premium boom is a big opportunity for posh SMEs

Upmarket retailer Waitrose came second in a list of the UK’s fastest growing retailers​ earlier this month (March), behind discounter Aldi.

Waitrose’s average revenue growth of £360M made it a prime target for the emerging premium savoury bakery specialist Delisanté, which already supplies the supermarket.

A boom in premium product sales was down to consumers’ demand for more added value products, claimed Delisanté co-founder Charles Coleman.

‘Pay more for quality’​

“Rather than going out so much I think they’re looking to pay a little more for quality and we’ve seen that with Waitrose with the handmade and handcrafted products we make.” ​

It was difficult to put a figure on the potential growth offered by a rise in demand for premium food and drink, said co-founder John Pearson.

However, the demand we’ve seen has outgrown our estimates and also our customers’ estimates,” ​Pearson added.

“If you take the soundbites of other people who have just issued their results quite recently, they’re seeing growth, particularly in premium savoury food products.” ​

Listen to the rest of this podcast to hear how Delisanté will work to boost its presence in the category.

Subscribe to the next issue of Food Manufacture ​​to read an exclusive interview with Delisanté's factory manager Lillian Kiely and to find out how the firm will fill its 60% spare capacity.