New name plan for Palethorpes in group's rebranding
One of Shropshire's major employer's has been rebranded. Addo Food Group is the new name for Pork Farms Group as the UK food company, which is one of Market Drayton's biggest employers, undergoes a restructure.
Meaning 'to inspire' in Latin, Addo will be the group's new identity as it pursues further growth following the acquisition of the chilled savoury pastry business of Kerry Foods.
As part of the rebranding programme, the group's Market Drayton-based Palethorpes site will become Palethorpes Bakery, part of the Addo Food Group.
The Palethorpes business produces chilled savoury rolls, savoury hot pies, pasties, slices and party food.
With a history that can be traced back to 1851, Palethorpes Bakery opened in Market Drayton in 1967 and is one of the biggest employers in the local area, with 490 people employed at the site, and a further 200 at peak manufacturing times.
Palethorpes Bakery produces 115 million products every year, including 55 million sausage rolls and 35 million hot eating pies.
Bosses say Addo will use the strength in its brands to continue to drive category growth and introduce new consumers to its products.
With current sales revenues of £270 million and a market share of 34 per cent, Addo sells 256 million products every year under both its own brands and the brands of its major retail partners.
Chris Peters, group managing director of Addo Food Group, said: "Addo is the new name for the former Pork Farms Group and means 'to inspire', representing how we think and the relationship we have with our people and our customers.
"At Addo we have a true passion for food and this is evident in the quality, taste and range of our products.
"With the recent addition of new sites and brands following our acquisition of Kerry's chilled savoury pastry business, we wanted a new group name to represent our identity as a forward thinking and innovative food company, and to allow us to demonstrate our new breadth of products and brands.
"With roots that stretch back more than 160 years, Addo has established a long-trusted tradition of providing delicious, high quality food, produced to the highest standards, using the best quality ingredients. And as a forward thinking company, we are always looking to the future and using consumer insight, exciting new techniques, and pioneering research and development to change the boundaries of our category.
"As the established market leader in the chilled savoury pastry market, and a major employer in Market Drayton, Addo Food Group is excited about the opportunities for the future growth of the business."
