Real Crisps
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Real Crisps was founded in 1997 by John Mudd and Jeff Meredith, with the objective of introducing hand-cooked crisps to a wider consumer audience, particularly through pubs and independent retailers.
The company's base in the South Wales valleys offered good centres of population with Newport, Cardiff, Swansea and surrounding valleys easily accessible to the company's van sales operation. After a few months the company began serving wholesalers around the UK and achieving wider distribution for its products.
In early 1999, Bar and Restaurant Foods - a local company supplying pubs and restaurants with meal ingredients, sauces etc - bought a major share in the company and refinanced Real Crisps to allow for growth. It was then that the company became re-named as Sirhowy Valley Foods Ltd.
Shortly afterwards, the first listings were achieved in supermarkets in South Wales. Tesco was the first supermarket chain to recognise the potential of Real Crisps, listing them in 37 branches in South and West Wales. Asda soon followed, as did Sainsbury's - who have since extended the listing to include the West Country. To date, these supermarkets still stock Real Crisps and are delighted with the level of sales.
In 2000, Real Crisps moved to bigger premises (10,000 square feet on the same estate) in the village of Cwmfelinfach due to the capacity restrictions of its original factory. In 2002, Real Crisps began making private label hand cooked crisps for a couple of the best-known supermarket groups in the UK.
