An exclusive selection of award-winning specialities for fine food stores

PETTY WOOD AND THE GREAT TASTE AWARDS

 

Petty Wood has been serving the independent retail trade for nearly two centuries, having been established in Threadneedle Street in London in 1816. This is a distribution business covering the whole of the UK and Ireland and also exports products around the world. As well as owning the resurgent Epicure brand, Petty Wood represents over forty other brands of distinction including Walkers shortbread, Baxters and Bundaberg Brewed Drinks.

 

Chief executive Mike Hogg is very proud of his company’s sponsorship of the Ambient Product of the Year in the 2010 Great Taste Awards. Following a discussion with Bob Farrand, director of The Guild of Fine Food, Hogg developed an idea to help small producers grow their businesses through a more effective route to a wider market. Hogg and his team selected over 40 GTA gold-winning ambient products for inclusion in the new Petty Wood sales brochure (available October) that is distributed to 4,000 customers.

 

Hogg said: “With a career that spans retailing, buying, marketing and manufacturing I am in the fortunate position where I can give something back to an industry that has sustained me for over 35 years. As any small producer will confirm, one of the biggest challenges they face is route to market. Post and packing can be up to 30% of product cost and there are always issues with breakages. But it’s not just the cost. So many small producers tell me taking orders, dealing with customers and then packing products for distribution takes a disproportionate amount of their time. Time better spent doing what they do best – making product.”

 

Now, these selected gold award-winning producers can supply just one point – Petty Wood – to achieve international distribution. Hogg continues: “My thought is that in streamlining distribution, both producers and retailers will save time selecting a range of outstanding gold award-winning products to increase sales and for their customers to enjoy.”