Local produce filling stores' shelves

From the archive, first published Monday 4th Dec 2006.

The growth of the supermarket has been seen by many to spell the end of the days of buying locally-produced food from local shops. However, as T&A Reporter MARK CASCI discovered, there is still a wealth of Bradford produce available in our supermarkets.

The supermarket has been a phenomenally successful area of commerce because of the convenience it affords its customers.

And with their success has come improved choice.

On the shelves of Sainsbury's, Tesco's and Bradford's own Morrisons, foodstuffs are available from the four corners of the globe and even individual products contain ingredients which may have been sourced from hundreds of miles apart.

However, despite this increased globalisation of food choice, the supermarkets' shelves are still home to a wide variety of foods which have been grown or produced in the Bradford area.

From frozen foods produced in the inner-city to fresh produce from the Dales, there is a plethora of Bradford goods available.

Be it cakes from Yorkshire Cottage Bakeries, crisps from Seabrooks, frozen meals from Mumtaz or drinks from Princes - one could come very close to stocking one's entire larder pretty much with Bradford goods.

Even the good old-fashioned Hovis is produced on Gain Lane at the British Bakeries factory.

As a Bradford-based supermarket, Morrisons has made a real effort to stock as many products as possible from the region.

A spokesman said: "Morrisons have always been keen supporters of local sourcing and currently sell many products sourced from Bradford and the surrounding area.

"Based in Bradford, Farmers Boy is our purpose-built fresh-food factory which supplies pizzas, sausages, cheese, savoury rolls and cooked meats for our stores.

"Excellent quality food and drink is being produced in the region and, as a company with roots in Yorkshire, we make every effort to support these local producers."

This year Bradford's Asian food specialist Mumtaz launched its range of Halal baby food and has been supplying its frozen meals to the likes of Tesco, Asda and Morrisons stores all over the country.

The baby food has been such a massive hit with both Muslim and non-Muslim families that the company is preparing to launch it globally.

Yorkshire Cottage Bakeries is based on City Road, Bradford and is owned by the giant Inter Link food group.

It has been supplying Morrisons with ready-made cakes for years and enjoys a vast customer base.

Perhaps its most popular product is the famous malt loaf, Soreen.

And Princes Soft Drink Factory, on Tong Road, supplies the big supermarkets with products such as Jucee Fruit Explosion,Virgin Cola, Ocean Spray and Cape Fruit Juices.

Asda supermarkets are also home to many Bradford products. The chain recently began stocking Pie Tom's pies, which are produced at a factory on Wakefield Road.

Pie Tom has been supplying the chain with Cornish bakes, pasty and peas, mushy peas and curry sauce.

It also stocks biscuits made by Grandma Wilds in Skipton.

The district is also producing more obscure products, reflecting the diverse local economy and geography.

In the last week a Bradford company, based at Millersdale Close, on the Euroway Trading Estate, completed the sale of one million croutons to Sainsbury's.

The company, Trilogy Foods, had only just completed its first year of trading when it inked the deal.

David Wainwright, of Sainsbury's, said: "The two varieties launched have proved a remarkable success with our shoppers.

"They are sold in our produce section with salads and consumers are using the croutons to liven up their salads by adding crunch and flavour. "Building on this success, we are already looking to add other crouton varieties into our own-label range."

The croutons come in two varieties - Sea Salt & Black Pepper and Cheese and Garlic - and contain no artificial additives, preservatives, colours, flavours, emulsifiers or dough improvers.

From small-scale companies to giant manufacturers, there are plenty of local companies contributing to the shelves of the nation's supermarkets and beyond.

And thanks to a new £11million landmark food technology park this trend looks set to continue.

The development will get off the ground this year and is anticipated to be fully operational by the end of 2007.

The park, which will be made up of six 150sq metre units, will offer new ventures a space to get started. It will be built on disused land at Ripley Street in the city centre and has just been given the go-ahead by Bradford Council's executive committee.

e-mail: mark.casci@bradford.newsquest.co.uk