Westie Food Group manufacture, market and distribute affordable savouries, pies, family meal solutions and ready-to-eat snacks for NZ families. Formerly known as The Natural Food Company, under the ownership and guidance of managing director Stefan Crooks the business has expanded significantly.
“We have achieved a 37 percent growth year-on-year, and we are still having fun,” Crooks said.
The company identified an opportunity in the pie market to position the category in a new and fresh way. The result was the highly successful Westie Pies range, which is promoted using a 'Community Connect' marketing programme involving sports clubs and school sports.
Building upon its ability to create new products and deliver them extremely quickly to market, Westie Food Group continues its growth plan with the acquisition of the existing manufacturing plant and a $3.5 million building and equipment upgrade.
Now riding on the success of its Westie products and La Baguette range of fresh, chilled savouries and quiches, the company has created a new range of heat-and-eat snack meals for supermarkets. The Café Style product range delivers pure convenience, customer flexibility, longevity of shelf life and no waste. Each snack meal is individually wrapped in breathable film suitable for reheat and is contained in a dish foil tray to ensure even reheat and maximum taste.
Having been at the helm of the business for the past three years, Crooks is satisfied with the company’s performance and growth, which has been reinvested into the business and its staff. “I personally couldn’t be prouder of our people, our brands and what we stand for. All-in-all, we are excited about the challenges ahead,” he said.
