Success isn't pie in the sky for Sussex firm (From The Argus)

Success isn't pie in the sky for Sussex firm

5:10pm Monday 1st February 2010

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NAME: Higgidy

BUSINESS NATURE: Making pies, tarts and quiches

DATE ESTABLISHED: 2003

LOCATION: Shoreham

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 110

ANNUAL TURNOVER: £7 million

You would think that now would not be a good time to be a luxury brand.

With consumers across the country counting their pennies, among the fewwinners in the recession have been no-frills food labels and bargain stores selling everything for a quid.

But the couple behind the unashamedly indulgent Higgidy range of pies and quiches have continued to enjoy strong sales, despite the economic climate.

According to James Foottit, who founded the Shoreham-based company with his wife Camilla Stephens, people are still prepared to pay a few more pounds for quality.

He said: “We were concerned that the supermarkets might try to prejudge the recession by increasing their lower-end ranges and reducing our listings.

“But that hasn’t happened and I think the impact of the recession has been talked up, certainly in terms of food. I’m sure holidays and other big tickets items have been hit but we are what you might call affordable luxury.”

Higgidy has grown 86% annually for the past four years.

It was placed in 46th place in the most recent publication of The Sunday Times Fast Track 100, the list of fastest growing companies in the UK.

The idea for the brand came about when the couple noticed that, unlike sweets and crisps, where niche players such as Gü chocolate puddings and Kettle have successfullymuscled into the market, the pie and quiche aisle remained dominated by cheaper, multinational brands.

Mr Foottit, a former architect, puts their success down to the skills of his wife, a trained chef.

He added: “Everything we have done has been literally dreamt up in her kitchen. Camilla loves cooking and reads cook books in bed in the same way that other people read novels.”

Higgidy is more at the Delia Smith end of the spectrum than Raymond Blanc, concentrating on hearty, homemade fare rather than going for a Michelin star.

Mr Foottit said: “Our favourite thing to do is to take a classic recipe such as a steak and ale pie or quiche Lorraine and give it a twist by spicing up the pastry or adding Parmesan cheese.

“It is amazing how many people write to us after they have tasted one of our pies. We get about two emails a day and have 10,000 members of the Higgidy ‘family’ who we send out a newsletter to.

Higgidy sells to a number of independent stores as well as Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.

In the future, Mr Foottit aims to grow the business by supplying another supermarket chain as well as develop new products including a sweet range and sundries such as sausage rolls and Scotch eggs.

Higgidy currently employs about 110 people at its base in Dolphin Street and hopes to increase in size over the next two years.

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