Branston celebrates ten years in Somerset

01 May 2007

It really doesn’t seem like ten years ago that Branston Ltd acquired the site from Stemwest Produce and to mark the occasion the Senior Management Team in Somerset are treating the South West team to a slice of birthday cake. It will take three massive sponge cakes to cater for everyone!

The way Branston in the South West has developed since we bought it on 21st April 1997 is simply amazing. Its success is testimony to the hard work and dedication of everyone who works there, so we’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to them all for their efforts. With it being the tenth anniversary, we thought you’d like to hear the ten top factory facts about Branston in the South West:

• Site turnover has increased by a staggering 128%.
• Around 1250 tonnes of potatoes are packed each week, compared to 700 tonnes in 1997.
• The Seavington St Michael site was the first Branston Ltd factory to receive Investors In People and has since been reaccredited in 2003 and 2006.
• There was no formal Producer Group when we bought Stemwest back in 1997. There are now 36 members in the Producer Group supplying potatoes to the site.
• In August 2002 the site achieved British Retail Consortium at Higher Level, which has been maintained ever since.
• The punnet factory opened on site in June 2000 to handle salad potatoes in thermoformed trays.
• Branston in the South West was a key driver in the development of the Tesco Cornish brand.
• £6 million has been invested in capital expenditure projects over the decade.
• The site has changed considerably since 1997. We’ve built a new office block, new staff and canteen facilities, a cold store complex and rapid warming and cooling areas.
• 173 people work at the site today, compared to 129 ten years ago.

Happy Birthday and here’s to the next 10 years!