Fine Foods Holdings ranked Top Supplier in the Australian Grocery Deli Category

This year has begun well for Fine Foods Holdings (FFH) in the knowledge that the Melbourne-based manufacturer of OB finest premium crackers is at the top of its game.

As winner of Top Ranked Supplier 2018 in the Australian Grocery Deli Category, FFH sets the performance benchmark among suppliers, as recognised by the executive and buying teams across the retail sector at Woolworths, Coles, Metcash and Convenience groups.

The 360-degree survey, managed by Advantage Australia, required retail decision-makers to measure suppliers against such KPIs as business alignment, communications, innovation, responsiveness, strategy, growth and service.

Both rankings and comments on performance were taken into consideration with competitors for this prestigious Award including many significant and well-regarded Deli brands. Fine Foods Holdings and OB finest have much to celebrate.

The premium OB finest range has certainly become a hero at FFH and an Australian favourite. OB finest speciality cracker varieties offer distinctive innovation in their delicious flavour profiles that include Cranberry & Pumpkin Seed, Fig & Almond and Apricot & Macadamia.

Perfect with favourite cheeses or even dips, OB finest also offers the convenience of Quince, Pear or Fig Paste in its range, adding yet other taste sensation to the entertainment platter.

Upon receiving the Award, CEO Todd Wilson said: “As an Australian food manufacturer, Fine Foods Holdings is very proud of this achievement. There is nothing more powerful and valued than the recognition that comes directly from our customers and acknowledges our dedication to building our brands and the consistency and breadth of our retail relationships.

“We are particular delighted that this recognition comes just four years after the establishment of our manufacturing division. My thanks go to all at FFH who have worked so hard to create our success,” Todd continued.

Demand for OB finest products continues to shape the ambitions of FFH. Exceptional sales growth, both in Australia and overseas, has resulted in the need to invest in a substantially larger manufacturing facility. The move to a bespoke greenfield site will occur in May 2019.

Such expansion has been made strategically possible with the formation of the Gourmet Foods Group (GFG) in July 2018. The Group is the merger of FHH and MaxFoods (packaged seafood and sugar-free biscuits), with their commonality of shareholders, and incorporates investment from leading Australian private equity firm, CHAMP Private Equity.

CHAMP Private Equity brings additional expertise to support the growing ambitions of the Gourmet Goods Group. However, quality excellence and innovation, the common core focus that made both food entities individually successful in domestic and offshore markets, remain paramount.

As Todd Wilson explains: “This core focus is very much part of our culture at the Gourmet Foods Group and is strengthened by the entrepreneurial way we work to meet our business objectives.

“In CHAMP, we have a strategic partnership aligned to our culture and capabilities. Together, we are excited about our future as it enables us to invest further in our people, brands, product development and manufacturing infrastructure,” Todd Wilson said.

With the new greenfield plant for FFH on the horizon, together with other product innovations, there is much more to Fine Foods Holdings than just one or two winning cracker formulas!

Fine Foods Holdings commence operations from custom-designed facilities

This month, Fine Food Holdings (FFH), a division of the Gourmet Food Group, commences operation from its new custom-designed manufacturing facilities in Dandenong South, Melbourne.

Representing an investment in excess of $10 million, the new premises more than doubles the company’s previous Keysborough capacity, enabling FFH to manufacture the largest diverse range of premium crackers products under one roof globally.

Gourmet Food: The ‘entertaining’ specialists
Following the exceptional success of MaxFoods and its Ocean Blue seafood brand, an importing food business launched in 2009, the business owners identified an opportunity to diversify from seafood entertaining to the ‘entertaining’ deli cracker market. From the outset, FFH sought to manufacture not only premium quality deli crackers but ones that led through innovation, creativity and flavour. Production began in Keysborough in early 2015 with its brand, OB finest soon becoming popular among consumers.

Today, the products of FFH, like that of MaxFoods, are acknowledged as market leaders across several product categories and geographical markets.

Furthermore, FFH recently gained recognition as Top Ranked Supplier 2018 in the Australian Grocery Deli Category of the Advantage Report, a 360-degree survey that sets the supplier performance benchmark across the retail sector.

Set for success:
CEO Todd Wilson attributes the company’s success to its strong focus on building retail partnerships and understanding the demands of consumers.

The premium OB finest range is now firmly established as an Australian favourite in the entertaining deli cracker category. The brand embraces numerous quality products from a selection of Wafer Crackers to various varieties of Specialty Crackers such as Cranberry & Pumpkin Seed and Fig & Almond.

Perfect with favourite cheeses or dips, OB finest recently added Parmesan Crisps and 3 Seed Crisps to its delicious taste sensations. Other new OB finest products, ideal for the entertainment platters, will be released in October.

Further creative cracker innovations will be easily facilitated at the bespoke Dandenong South manufacturing plant. The move from nearby Keysborough has been a seamless one as it meant easy relocation of FFH’s current 250-strong workforce, as CEO, Todd Wilson explained.

“As an Australian food manufacturer, we at FFH are proud of our current achievements and excited about our future. The larger capacity and flexibility of our new premises are the cornerstones of our vision to create a scalable Gourmet Food Group.

“This we will actualise through the development of additional products while pursuing entry into new entertaining categories via acquisition and tapping into new markets,” Todd said.

The Australian and New Zealand markets are well-established and continue to grow. Already, the company is trading in USA, United Kingdom, Chile and South Korea, with commitments in Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland and Singapore.

Just as the opening of Dandenong South manufacturing facilities brings assured optimism around future growth and success, the Gourmet Food Group mantle enables a more expansive strategic focus.