Prima Bakeries Ltd acquired Cornish Premier Pasties Ltd in 2020. Both companies have a longstanding reputation for producing premium and authentic Cornish Pasties. Mark Norton, Managing Director of both companies, sat down with Inside Food & Drink to explain how the two businesses work in unison to provide the nation with delicious Cornish treats. Report by Imogen Ward.
P rima Bakeries Ltd and sister company Cornish Premier Pasties Ltd are both incredibly successful producers of Cornish delicacies. With such prominent presence in the industry, an acquisition came naturally for both.
“The day that Prima Bakeries acquired Cornish Premier Pasties was an incredible achievement,” Managing Director Mark Norton commented. “Prima Bakeries was always the smaller of the two – even now, Cornish Premier Pasties is double the size – yet we were in a position of stability that enabled us to take on another business that we could grow and protect.”
The origins
First established in 1978, Prima Bakeries (located in Redruth, Cornwall) was originally a pizza base manufacturer, but quickly turned its hand to craft baking delicious and authentic Cornish products. Mr Norton
acquired the company in 2010 – armed with a background in food, Mr Norton was new to the bakery industry and was looking for the perfect business to call his own.
“When I came across Prima Bakeries, it was a craft bakery that had enormous expansion potential,” Mr Norton said. “Over the last 13 years, we have successfully grown the business tenfold.”
The family-run company has been incredibly successful, providing bakery goods for resale in shops, other family businesses and visitor attractions across Cornwall. As the business grew, it soon became clear that capacity was becoming a problem.
Joining forces
Mr Norton was well acquainted with fellow pasty producer, Cornish Premier Pasties, having known owners Frank and Fiona for
many years. After setting up the business in 2007, the two owners ran Cornish Premier Pasties successfully until it came time for them to retire in 2020. It was then that the opportunity arose to make the younger company a part of the Prima Bakeries family.
“Frank and Fiona were very keen to sell to someone who would develop their brand and their business whilst looking after their staff,” Mr Norton explained. “That’s why they entrusted the business to me.
“It was a very exciting but scary time for us, as the sale went through just before the Covid Lockdown in January 2021, but we had faith in its products and its people to see us through. The company specialises in Cornish and flavoured pasties, as well as sausage rolls and slices. It also produces a lot of private label products for other businesses, and, unlike Prima Bakeries –
which, historically, has always operated solely in Cornwall – Cornish Premier Pasties sold typically outside of the county and was less well known to those residing within.”
It was because of this distinction that a decision was made to retain both brands as separate entities that could also wor k cohesively together.
In October 2022, Cornish Premier Pasties was awarded the Western Morning News’ Business of the Year award. Earlier in the year, the company had won gold and silver in the prestigious World Pasty Championships.
Today, the two companies remain incredibly successful and, as a combined force, are the fourth-largest manufacturer of Cornish Pasties in the world, with a forecast turnover of £14 million in 2024.
“Cornish Premier Pasties has the same footprint and equipment that it had
when its turnover was half the size of now, which really highlights the organic nature of our growth – we haven’t gone out and bought new customers,” Mr Norton continued. “We have simply implemented careful production planning based on stock levels and sales demand: and we also operate with sophisticated computer models that pre-empt what we are going to need.”
Producing perfection
Despite being two separate brands, Prima Bakeries and Cornish Premier Pasties are always keen to work together to guarantee the most efficient operation.
“All of the beef skirt that is used in Prima Bakeries’ pasties is actually processed at the butchery department in Cornish Premier Pasties,” said Mr Norton. “Prior to the acquisition, we would have to purchase our skirt from a third party. We can now buy it all in bulk, which gives us greater control over the quality and price.
“We also bulk buy our flour as we use around 20 tonnes per week, which is a lot. Alongside raw materials, the two companies also share services from IT to insurance and electricity contracts.”
The dedication to improved efficiency is reflected in other areas of the businesses. When it comes to thinking sustainably, both companies are committed to the cause. All ingredients are sourced locally (where possible), which not only helps to reduce Scope 3 emissions, but also guarantees the quality and authenticity of the products.
“Being sustainable is a win-win situation for the industry, because it is good for th e planet and it saves money,” Mr Norton explained. “With the recent spike in energy prices, going in a different direction made sense. We did everything we could to minimise our energy usage and then began looking into ways of generating our own electricity. 300 solar panels were successfully installed onto the roof of our factory building, which will generate 20
Cornish pasties fact file:
It probably comes as no surprise that the two companies’ bestselling product by far is the Cornish Pasty
This accounts for around 70% of the Group’s overall production rate of 35,000 pasties each day.
per cent of the factory’s requirements and reduce our carbon output by 50 tonnes a year. During the peak of summer last year, the panels were providing 98 per cent of our daytime energy needs, which is incredible.”
As the two companies head into 2024, Mr Norton expects the future to be fruitful: “Our main goal is to grow profitability on a sustainable basis, as that allows us to continue to provide an excellent service to our customers and, as a living wage employer, look after our valued employees.
“I have spent the last 13 years growing Prima Bakeries and the last three expanding Cornish Premier Pasties: that gives me a huge amount of self-satisfaction. People look forward to our new product releases, and that includes our employees as well. They like working with us, learning new things and earning a living in such a beautiful part of the country.” n
