Bernard Matthews Foods facts for kids
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| Private limited company | |
| Industry | Farming Food products |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Founder | Bernard Matthews |
| Headquarters | Great Witchingham, Norfolk, England |
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Key people
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Robert Burnett (Chief Executive Officer) |
| Products | Turkey products |
| Revenue | £341.4 million (12 months ended 1 July 2012) |
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Operating income
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£5.3 million (12 months ended 1 July 2012) |
| £2.0 million (12 months ended 1 July 2012) | |
| Owner | Ranjit Singh Boparan |
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Number of employees
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2,575 |
Bernard Matthews Foods Limited is a British company that specializes in turkey products. Its main office is in Great Witchingham, Norfolk, England.
The company was started by Bernard Matthews in 1950. It has 56 farms in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire. These farms raise almost 7 million turkeys each year. Bernard Matthews also has places where they prepare poultry in Derby and Sunderland. They raise both indoor and free-range turkeys on their farms.
Contents
History of Bernard Matthews
How the Company Started
Bernard Matthews started his company in 1950. He began at his home with his wife, 20 turkey eggs, and an incubator.
In 1955, the company moved its main office to Great Witchingham Hall near Norwich. This is still where their headquarters are today.
Growing Bigger and 'Bootiful' Ads
In 1960, Bernard Matthews was listed in the Guinness Book of Records. He was the biggest turkey farmer in Europe. In 1971, the company became a public company, meaning people could buy shares in it.
In 1980, Bernard Matthews launched their first TV commercial. It featured their Turkey Breast Roast. Bernard Matthews himself appeared in the ad. He used the famous 'Bootiful' catchphrase. He said it in his strong Norfolk accent.
In 2000, Bernard Matthews successfully stopped a big US food company called Sara Lee from taking over his business. The next year, the Matthews family bought the company back. It became a private company again.
Changes and Challenges
In 2007, the company faced some problems. Their farm in Holton had an outbreak of a bird illness called H5N1 avian influenza.
By July 2008, the company changed its name. It went from Bernard Matthews Foods to Bernard Matthews Farms. They announced that all their turkey products would be made with British turkey. This turkey would come from their own farms. The company also planned to focus on British turkey farming. They wanted to make products that better met what customers wanted. They also aimed to support British agriculture.
In January 2010, Bernard Matthews stepped down as Chairman. This was around his 80th birthday. In April that year, the company brought back its 'Bootiful' advertising campaign. This catchphrase had been used from 1980 to 2007. Bernard Matthews, the founder, passed away on November 25, 2010.
In September 2013, a company called Rutland Partners bought the business. Then, in September 2016, the company was sold again. It was bought by an investment company owned by Ranjit Singh Boparan for £87.5 million.
Where Bernard Matthews Operates
Bernard Matthews has four main locations in the UK. These are Great Witchingham (Norfolk), Holton (Suffolk), Derby (Derbyshire), and Sunderland (Tyne & Wear).
The company makes many fresh, cooked, and frozen turkey products. They sell these products all over the UK. About 2,200 people work for Bernard Matthews. They raise around 7 million turkeys each year. They have 56 turkey farms and two production sites. These are in Norfolk and Suffolk. Bernard Matthews Limited follows strict food standards. Their production sites also have ISO 14001 approval. This means they meet environmental management standards.
The Derby and Sunderland sites became part of Bernard Matthews in October 2021.
Past International Operations
Bernard Matthews used to have a business in Germany. It was called Bernard Matthews Oldenburg. It made fresh, cooked, and frozen poultry products. It sold them across Germany and northern Europe. This part of the business was sold in July 2016. It still uses the Bernard Matthews brand name.
SáGa Foods was another part of the group. It was based in Hungary. It made poultry products for Central Europe. It was part of Bernard Matthews from 2003 until January 2020. Then it was sold to a Hungarian poultry company.
Products You Can Find
The company makes many cooked, fresh, and frozen British turkey products. These include whole turkeys ready for the oven. They also make turkey joints, cooked meats, and side dishes. These turkey products make up over 90% of their business. Bernard Matthews also sells chicken products. The chicken meat for these comes from partners in South America. In the 1990s and 2000s, they even sold Fish products like Golden Fishies, but they stopped making them.
Bernard Matthews Farms also provides turkey for big UK supermarkets. These supermarkets sell the turkey under their own store brands. They also supply turkey to businesses that provide food for restaurants and other places.
Under the "Golden Norfolk Turkey" brand, Bernard Matthews Farms sells frozen turkeys. This includes whole birds in different sizes. They also offer turkey crowns and joints. These often come basted or with stuffing. In 2009, new products were added. These included new seasonings and an apricot and date stuffing.
Turkey Twizzlers and Jamie Oliver
One of Bernard Matthews' well-known products was Turkey Twizzlers. These were a formed-meat product. They contained 34% turkey. They became very famous in 2005. This was when celebrity chef Jamie Oliver criticized them. He did this in his TV show Jamie's School Dinners.
Jamie Oliver wanted to remove processed foods from school meals. Turkey Twizzlers became a symbol of this type of food. After the show, many school food providers stopped serving Turkey Twizzlers. Bernard Matthews stopped making the product in 2005. They wanted to avoid more criticism. Even though the publicity had actually made more people buy them, the company decided to stop.
In 2020, Bernard Matthews brought back Turkey Twizzlers. They are now sold in Iceland Stores and other big shops in the UK.
Animal Care at Bernard Matthews
Bernard Matthews says it is committed to high standards of animal welfare. In 2006, two workers were found to have mistreated turkeys. The company said these men were outside contractors. They also stated that none of their own employees abused animals. The company published newspaper ads condemning the actions. They said they were dedicated to the "highest standards" of animal welfare.
Bird Flu Outbreak in 2007
In 2007, there was an outbreak of bird flu at a Bernard Matthews farm. This happened in Holton, Suffolk. The illness was caused by the H5N1 type of the Influenza A virus.
To stop the spread, many turkeys were culled. Special zones were set up around the farm. The plant also went through a thorough cleaning process.
A report from the government department Defra looked into the outbreak. It noted some issues with how the farm kept things clean and safe. The report said some of these issues had been pointed out before.
The exact cause of the outbreak was not fully known. However, Bernard Matthews regularly moved turkeys and products between the UK and its plant in Hungary. The bird flu strains found in Hungary and Britain were very similar.
The outbreak had several effects. Some countries stopped importing poultry from Britain. Sales of Bernard Matthews products dropped sharply. This led to some workers losing their jobs. Public trust in the brand also went down.
Food Safety at Bernard Matthews
Bernard Matthews is committed to ensuring food safety. In December 2023, a TV show called Channel 4 Dispatches investigated a Bernard Matthews factory in Suffolk. The investigation raised questions about how some safety records were handled. It also showed an employee kicking a piece of turkey that had fallen. The company stated it is dedicated to maintaining high food safety standards. They work to ensure all products are safe for consumers.
