Meet the team at Burts Snacks

In this exclusive video, Food Manufacture takes a trip around the snack makers' Plymouth, Devon site to discover what makes the team tick.

Head of technical Maxine Stringer told multimedia reporter Gwen Ridler how her role has evolved since she joined the business 10 years ago and how she has used her experience to get the best out of her team.

For her, the biggest challenge of any business is how to keep up staff morale and retention – what motivates one person could switch another person off.

Knowing people’s needs

“Personally, I keep morale high by knowing people’s needs,”​ said Stringer. “Listening to their requirements and not promising the earth – being honest. ​

“I want to harness that the talent that we have and develop those skills.​ So, it's not a case​

of putting somebody into a role because they're a jolly nice person and they've been here for quite a while – it’s also ensuring we train appropriately as well.”​

We also spoke to Ryan Smith on his journey from school leaver to becoming a technical leader, learned more about the manufacturer’s expansion into new markets from quality assurance technician Hilary Barret and how the business has changed over the past 11 years from quality assurance manager Valdir Vitalino.

Made in Devon

Burts has been based in Devon since 1999 using Red Tractor approved potatoes from the local growers, the crisps are made with authentic flavours, often featuring ingredients locally sourced in Devon.

In October, the snack manufacturer invested £6m in its Leicester factory,​ ​doubling capacity and creating new jobs in the process.

Speaking at the time, managing director Dave McNulty said: “It’s an exciting time for the business, and the investment means we’re able to double our capacity at our Leicester site to keep up with the demand of our products. ​

“The improvement this will have on our manufacturing capabilities will allow us to continue to grow and innovate at a time where we want to continue building the momentum in the snacking category.”​

Meanwhile, in September 2023, Food Manufacture spent the day with flavour specialists I.T.S​​ in order to learn more about how the business operates.