Hew Goes?
Phillip Purkiss stands down as MD at Hewigo with Jason Bate taking over
By Austen Dack
I
recently visited Hewigo at their Oldbury factory to talk to Phillip Purkiss about his remarkable career, and Jason Bate on taking over the reigns of this fantastic range manufacturing and service company. Phillip, you have been involved with making and marketing frying ranges for over 49 years, please can you describe (briefly) your journey from the start to now? I began my career in 1977 as an apprentice at G. Mallinson & Son Ltd, qualifying with a Higher Technician’s Certificate in Mechanical & Production Engineering. In 1983, along with several former Mallinson colleagues, I co-founded Consort Ranges, a cooperative. After selling my share, I joined W. H. Bateman & Son in 1989, which became Hewigo in 1991. In 1995, we acquired land in Oldbury and constructed a purpose-built factory, modelled on the specialist facility in the Netherlands. Hewigo has been on the same site in Oldbury for 30 years. Tell us about the changes that have happened over the years (technology, staff, investment etc? Hewigo has now been based on the same site for 30 years, with continuous investment in machinery and manufacturing techniques. Key upgrades include a SafanDarley servohydraulic press brake and guillotine in 2018,
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Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • February 2026
and a ManTech fibre laser flatbed-cutting machine in 2019. These developments allow us to build complete frying ranges using minimal manual measurement, blending traditional craft with modern efficiency. While proud of our heritage, embracing advanced manufacturing is essential to offer our customers more choice at competitive prices. Hewigo have Dutch owners. Tell us what makes you different from other Dutch made ranges (including what you do in the factory, eg finishing or building from scratch)? As part of a wider group, Hewigo (UK) Ltd benefits from Dutch ownership, with frying ranges supplied across Europe at a similar facility in Winterswijk, the Netherlands. This partnership gives our customers access to shared technology and innovation - British manufacturing expertise combined with Dutch technology. Operating two factories also allows us to balance workload efficiently: Most ranges are 100% built in the UK, while others are part-manufactured in the Netherlands and always finished and qualitychecked in the UK before installation. After all, nobody understands the marriage of fish & chips better than the British do. Hewigo is proud to be the only remaining family-run business in its sector in the Netherlands, with a trading history approaching 100 years.
Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • December 2026
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