North-east food firm to launch new range at taste of Grampian

by Joe Watson - 14/06/2010

"Posh puddings and Macphie of Glenbervie’s other DevilShh products will mark its first move into direct retailing"

A NORTH-EAST food ingredients business is to unveil its first foray into direct retailing at tomorrow’s Taste of Grampian festival with the launch of a range of posh puddings, fruit coulis and sweet sauces.

Macphie of Glenbervie’s DevilShh products – creme brulee, panna cotta, creme caramel and a raft of accompaniments – have taken a year to develop and are part of its strategy to double turnover to more than £80million in the next decade.

Commercial director Ronnie Leggett said DevilShh, to be sold through the multiples, would be the first of many new retail products from a firm that has until now been better known for supplying the ingredients used by bakers, caterers, food manufacturers and supermarkets themselves to make a range of products.

The development of the ready-to-make and ready-to-use desserts stems from the increasing number of consumers eating at home and being encouraged to make more innovative meals by celebrity chefs and TV shows such as Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me.

Mr Leggett said DevilShh would give consumers the shortcut to creating show-stopping desserts.

He added: “Our research showed the desserts category needed a bit of a shake-up. We have the core range of three at the moment, but we have another batch in development.

“There will be an ongoing development of the brand. It is focused on desserts so it opens up the possibility of limited editions and seasonal products, accompanied by different sauces and fruit coulis.”

The UK market is the initial target, but Mr Leggett said there was already interest being shown in DevilShh from buyers in Europe and the Middle East who already buy the cake and muffin mixes, culinary sauces, dairy cream alternatives, soups, glazes, butters and icings made by Macphie’s 275 staff at its rural base at Drumlithie, near Stonehaven, and at Tannochside, Glasgow.

Mr Leggett said Taste of Grampian, being held at Inverurie’s Thainstone Centre from 9.30am to 4.30pm, was the ideal place to launch a new first part of a retail venture that he hopes will achieve growth of 8% within the next three to five years and take the value of the sector within Macphie to 20% of total turnover.

Visitors to last year’s Taste of Grampian helped in the early market research for the range as Macphie taste tested several products to gauge consumer opinion.

Mr Leggett added: “Taste of Grampian is such a vibrant event. Consumers do not just go there to wander around. They are there to engage with food producers and buy their products.”

The product launch is the biggest in the history of an event that is celebrating its 11th birthday.

Steering group chairman Brian Pack said: “It’s great that such a progressive company as Macphie of Glenbervie has decided to launch its first retail branded product at Taste of Grampian as it recognises the importance of our event to the food and drink industry.”

Taste of Grampian features more than 100 food and drink and craft stalls as well as motor show, entertainment and cookery demonstrations. Celebrity chefs James Tanner and Silvena Rowe will be there all day giving their own shows.

For more information visit www.tasteofgrampian.co.uk



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