Pieminister confident of 40% turnover increase

This compares with a £5m turnover in the year to March 2010, and reflects increased consumer demand for premium pies - a sector growing at around 3% per year.

The Bristol-based company employs around 130 summer staff and produces approximately 60,000 pies a week at its 15,000 sq ft facility, with increased output and staffing during the busier autumn-winter period.

Founded in 2002, Pieminister sells pies through 15 of its own market stalls and five company-owned shops, as well as to wholesalers and online customers. With 20% of sales now made to major multiples, it also has national listings in Sainsbury’s and Waitrose and regional listings in Tesco and Asda.

Handmade quality​

Pieminister co-director and founder Jonathan Simon told FoodManufacture.co.uk that high quality products are hard to mass produce: “Big manufacturers are struggling to break into premium pies because the manufacturing processes are not easily replicated on a mass scale.” ​

“For instance, they tend to use ‘relaxants’ – where the mixture is added to a machine at one end – and the whole process is automated.”​

This is the antithesis of Pieminister’s approach, he explained: “Although the food science behind our pies is complex, it’s fair to say that the technology is fairly low-tech: in regard to making pastry and fillings everything we do is done by hand.”​

He added that the firm would not cut costs to benefit margins, but would instead pursue efficiency gains and improved sourcing arrangements to better its market position.

Local sourcing​

“We try wherever possible to use locally-sourced meat and seasonally available ingredients. So, for instance, when asparagus is in season locally then we’ll use it in our pies.​

“Improvements in sourcing also make it possible for us to visit our suppliers and ensure the quality and provenance of ingredients.”​

Simon also said that despite growing shelf space in major multiples the firm would not neglect its roots:

“We’re pursuing a mixed approach to growth really, but we’re not ignoring the independent sector and it’s fair to say that our more exotic pies​ still go to delicatessens.”​

Pieminister’s pie range includes handmade Thai green curry with chicken and potato and British beef steak with red wine and stilton.