Patchwork Pâté have announced plans to expand their range of pâtés and vegan dishes, as well as installing a new product development kitchen.
The announcement comes after they were able to secure a £400,000 finance package from HSBC UK.
Family-owned business
Patchwork Pâté is a family-run venture based in Denbighshire. They had previously already been making a range of pâtés which included a number of different options, but the expansion will be huge. They have been able to use the funding from HSBC UK to purchase much-needed equipment to introduce a total of eight new lines. These will include five bespoke Welsh meat pâtés, a reduced calorie pâté, a vegetarian pâté, and a vegan pâté. Not only does this mean that they have new sources of revenue, but it also shows a canny head for business, as they have clearly identified early the need for food businesses to cater to the growing trend for meat-free lifestyles.
The business currently supplies to local pubs and restaurants only, but with the expansion they are now able to enter the retail market for the first time. The business was founded in 1982 and, up to now, was able to employ a total of 32 employees in jobs.
Martin Lyons is the Area Director for North Wales with HSBC UK. He says, “We’re always keen to support family-run businesses with a creative outlook. It’s fantastic that Patchwork Pâté has been able to expand its business and produce new ranges. We’re delighted to have supported Rufus and the team in this new venture.”
New product development kitchen
Of the funding package, £100,000 was used to upgrade the existing premises with a new state of the art product development kitchen, taking up 1,000 square feet. This innovation also means that clients will now be able to visit the kitchen in order to see the products being developed. This will allow the business to create closer relationships with their customers.
Along with the kitchen came the need for more hands on deck. The company has created two new full-time chef jobs to work in the area. If the new product ranges are successful, it seems very likely that more new positions will become available along with the need to expand their production facilities further.
Rufus Carter is the Managing Director at Patchwork Pâté. He said, “Our new product lines have enabled us to diversify as a business, open up new revenue streams and enter the retail market for the first time. With the support of our relationship manager at HSBC UK, William Jones, we’ve built an exciting element to the business, which meets growing demand for innovative pâté products.”
This will be the beginning of a new era for the business, which many in the local area are surely hoping to see succeed. Not only will it bring more jobs and money to the local area, but it will also mean that a wider field of customers get to enjoy the products that have clearly been popular amongst residents. The opportunity to add more range and diversity also means that those customers get more of what they love.
With both high street retailers and restaurants currently seeing an uncertain time, however, changing markets can often have a huge impact on suppliers and manufacturers. This means that the company will need to keep a close eye on their finances, and an even closer one on the trends that consumers are looking for, if they are going to enter the fierce battlegrounds of food retail with any success – or indeed a lack of total failure.
