The Denby Dale Pie Company is expanding its production facilities following several new business wins with some of the UK’s largest retailers. It has successfully raised £250,000 from Partnership Investment Finance (PIF) and the Yorkshire and Humber Equity Fund (YHEF) to invest in new plant and machinery as the company continues to win new contracts for its range of traditional home-made quality pies.
Harrogate based Davidson Webber LLP acted for the pie company and its management team, and Rollits Solicitors of Hull acted for PIF and YHEF.
Based in Denby Dale, Huddersfield, Yorkshire’s famous pie village which was registered in the Guinness Book of Record’s for making the Biggest Pie in the World, the company was set up by Janet Purcell and John Worsley six years ago. Today it supplies a wide range of clients including Asda, Sainsbury, Co-op, Morrisons, Somerfield, Waitrose and numerous independent retailers.
Commenting on the expansion, Sales and Marketing Director Dennis Simpson said: “The Denby Dale Pie Company has enjoyed terrific growth since it was launched by Janet and John. However, in recent years demand for our top quality pies has meant that we have had to expand our production capacity and the new investment will enable us to grow the business further and faster.”
The company has quickly built up a reputation for great tasting frozen pies made with high-quality, locally sourced ingredients and the Denby Dale Pie Company has worked with leading national retailers to develop products for their own brand luxury ranges.
Andy Wright, Investment Manager at PIF, said: “The Denby Dale Pie Company has, over the past six years, emerged as a business with a fantastic range of home made pies. It has a dedicated and visionary management team which has successfully established an enviable client base and has recently won significant new business. It makes an excellent addition to our portfolio of food company investments"
"The first recorded making of a pie in Denby Dale was in 1788 to celebrate the recovery of King George III from mental illness. Since then nine other commemorative pies have been baked, usually to coincide with a special event or to raise money for a local cause. Indeed the second pie, the Victory Pie, was made in 1815 to celebrate the victory of the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. The pie, by today’s standards was relatively small and was said to contain “two sheep, twenty fowls and a half a peck of flour for the crust”
Neil Large (corporate partner at Davidson Webber LLP) said “The food sector in Yorkshire is thriving at the moment and the Denby Dale Pie Company is an excellent example of a company that has engaged with new markets with a traditional Yorkshire product. It has established a strong reputation for making top-quality, traditional pies and has built an excellent customer base as a result. This latest investment of funds will allow it to consolidate its position in its market place and provide a platform for further growth.”
