Samworth Brothers facts for kids
| Limited company | |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1896 |
| Headquarters | Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire and Callington, Cornwall, United Kingdom |
|
Key people
|
Life President
Group Holdings Board
Group Executive Board
|
| Products | Meat products, Melton Mowbray pork pies, Sandwiches, Meals |
| Owner | Private, various |
|
Number of employees
|
2,000+ |
| Subsidiaries | Ginsters, Walker & Son, Dickinson & Morris, Soreen and SCI-MX Nutrition |
Samworth Brothers is a British food company that makes many different types of chilled and ready-to-eat foods. You might know some of their famous brands, like Ginsters, which makes Cornish pasties, and Soreen, which makes malt loaf. The company is also famous for making official Melton Mowbray pork pies.
Contents
The Story of Samworth Brothers
How It All Began
The company's story starts with a man named George Samworth, who was born in 1868. In 1896, he started his own business buying and selling pigs in Birmingham. When he retired in 1930, his sons, Frank and George, took over.
In 1950, Frank bought a butcher shop that also made pies. Later, in 1969, the company bought a rival business called Pork Farms, which made the company twice as big. After this, Frank retired and his sons took charge. David became the chairman, while his brothers Frank Jr. and John were directors.
Becoming a Public Company
In 1971, the company, then called Pork Farms plc, was listed on the London Stock Exchange. This meant that people could buy shares and own a small part of the company. A year later, they bought another pie company, Holland's Pies. However, in 1978, a larger company called Northern Foods bought Pork Farms.
A New Start with Ginsters
Meanwhile, John Samworth had bought a Cornish pasty business called Ginsters in 1977. He ran it under his own company. In 1985, his brother David joined him, and they renamed the company Samworth Brothers.
In 1986, Samworth Brothers bought another company, Walker & Son Ltd. This company was famous for making Melton Mowbray pork pies. In 1992, they also bought Dickinson & Morris, another pie maker in Melton Mowbray, and rebuilt its shop in a traditional style.
Recent Growth
The company has continued to grow. In 2014, Samworth Brothers bought the popular malt loaf brand, Soreen. A year later, they added a sports nutrition brand called SCI-MX. In 2017, they also bought the West Cornwall Pasty Company, a chain of food shops often found in towns and at motorway service stations.
Samworth Brothers Today
Today, the company is led by a chairman who is not part of the Samworth family. They continue to make a wide variety of food products enjoyed by people across the United Kingdom.
What Does Samworth Brothers Make?
Samworth Brothers creates many different kinds of food.
- Food to Go: This includes sandwiches, wraps, salads, and pasties that are ready to eat. They also make mini Soreen malt loaves for a quick snack.
- Savoury Pastry: This is where their famous brands like Ginsters and the West Cornwall Pasty Company fit in. They also make pork pies under the Dickinson & Morris and Walker & Son names.
- Ready Meals: The company produces a range of meals that you can simply heat up and serve. These are sold in major UK supermarkets.
- Sausages and Cooked Meats: They make high-quality sausages, hams, and pâtés.
- Sports Nutrition: The SCI-MX brand offers protein powders, snack bars, and shakes for athletes and active people.
Food Safety Recall in 2024
In June 2024, there was an outbreak of E. coli bacteria in the United Kingdom. As a safety measure, Samworth Brothers decided to recall some of its sandwich and wrap products. This was done to be extra careful, even though tests had not found any E. coli in their products.
Helping the Community and Planet
Samworth Brothers is also involved in helping communities and protecting the environment.
- Charity Work: Every two years, the company holds a "Charity Challenge," which is like a triathlon, to raise money for good causes.
- Supporting Sports: The Samworth Brothers Sports Opportunity Fund gives money to local sports clubs and projects near its factories. From 2013 to 2019, it gave £1.9 million to help 160 different sports projects.
- Sustainability: The company tries to be environmentally friendly. Since 2017, all the electricity it buys comes from renewable sources like wind or solar power. To reduce food waste, Samworth Brothers has promised to follow plans to cut down on the amount of food that gets thrown away.
Pay and Politics
The National Living Wage
In 2016, the UK government introduced the National Living Wage, which set a new, higher minimum pay for workers over a certain age. At the time, Samworth Brothers was criticized for changing its pay structure. The company stopped paying extra for working on Sundays and at night. This meant that while the basic hourly pay went up for some workers, their total earnings could go down if they worked these shifts.
Political Donations
Members of the Samworth family have given money to the Conservative Party. Reports showed that between 2002 and 2015, the family and others connected to the company donated nearly £650,000. In 2016, Mark Samworth was invited to a special dinner with Conservative Party leaders. These events were for people who had donated at least £50,000 to the party.
