Cornish Pasties are set to go international after a leading local bakery was acquired by a French-owned group.
Proper Cornish, which operates from a newly-refurbished 58,000 sq ft bakery in Bodmin, has been supplying Cornish Pasties and other savoury pastries to a wide range of markets since 1988, either under the Proper Cornish brand or as own label.
With a current turnover of £26 million, it now has exciting growth plans following the acquisition by Groupe Boncolac. New markets are set to open up, including across Europe. The existing senior management team at Proper Cornish will remain in place to help deliver the growth plans.
The Groupe Boncolac has been supplying quality desserts and cocktail bites since the 1950’s from four factories in France. Its products are sold in France and in over 30 countries to all channels, including retail, freezer centres, and foodservice. The UK has always been a strong focus for its development, and it established Boncolac Ltd in 2015 to grow operations in the UK, serving both retailers and foodservice distributors.
Proper Cornish MD Chris Pauling said: “Since in 1988 we’ve worked hard to build Proper Cornish to where it is today, and we just know there is so much more potential.
“As a founding member of Proper Cornish, I was extremely keen to ensure we found the right partner to take the company to the next level, and I’m confident that Groupe Boncolac is that partner; their brand and people ethics, and their product quality reflect those of Proper Cornish, so I’m really excited for the future of Proper Cornish.”
Alexandre Vigneron, CEO of Groupe Boncolac, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Proper Cornish Ltd within the Groupe Boncolac. I have been impressed by the quality of the Proper Cornish management team, as well as the great product positioning with respect to the traditional manufacturing techniques. We are looking forward to starting a fruitful collaboration between our companies in the UK and abroad.”
