The Return Of Holland Pies
Back to Basics
The new boss of Hollands Pies has pledged to revive the flagging brand by going back to basics.
Stockport-born Neil Court-Johnston says the Baxenden-based company, which is owned by Northern Foods, must play to its strengths as a long-standing north west brand.
Mr Court-Johnston, 37, said his first task is to address the decline in sales, which he said was `around 10 to 15 %' in the last five years.Over the last five years the business has not been managed as well as could have been - I think there was definitely a lack of understanding of the way people in the north west think and behave. My goal is to bring Hollands back to life - it is a massively popular north west name.
"People have previously come up with ideas about making Hollands a national brand, but Hollands' heartland is Manchester and the north west. More than 90% of people in the north west have heard of Hollands, so we've great brand awareness."
Holland's was first established in 1851 and produces more than 80m chilled and frozen pies, pasties and puddings ever year, with annual sales of £40m. It employs more than 400 people at its base in Baxenden near Accrington.
Central to Mr Court- Johnston's plan is to get Hollands back into more chip shops and also to do more deals in the sporting arena.
"Three years ago our products were in 2,500 chip shops: it's now 1,500, so we need to look at that.
"We want to reawaken the passion for our products and we do that by making them more widely available."
He said another key area of growth was sales through sports stadia. "Our sportsman pie - which is 50% bigger than our normal pie, is already sold at Manchester United, Liverpool, Blackburn, Burnley, Blackpool, Preston - and as far afield as Norwich City, where they are stocked at the request of Delia Smith - which says we're doing something right."
He said the UK pies and pasties market is worth £1.2bn a year, amid growing popularity for traditional British food.
Despite having to increase prices in line with the cost of meat and other ingredients, Hollands remains good value, Mr Court-Johnston said - with products starting at just 62p.
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