Samworth Brothers

Samworth Brothersis a Britishfood manufacturerwhich produces a range of chilled and ambient foods, both own-label and branded. It is the owner ofCornish pastymakerGinstersandmalt loafmanufacturerSoreen, and is also known as a maker of certifiedMelton Mowbray pork pies.
George Samworth was born in 1868, and after joining a group ofBirmingham-based pig buyers started his own pig-dealing business in 1896. After his retirement in 1930, his sons Frank and George took over the business. In 1950, Frank boughtNottinghambasedbutcheryand pie makers TN Parr, followed in 1969 by the acquisition of local Nottinghamshire rivalPork Farmswhich doubled the size of the business overnight. Frank decided to retire, leaving the business to his sons, with David as chairman, while Frank Jr. and John Samworth were senior Directors. In 1971, the group was floated on theLondon Stock Exchangeas Pork Farms plc, and in 1972 bought rivalHolland's Pies. In 1978, Pork Farms was acquired byNorthern Foods.
Separately, in 1977, John Samworth had left the business after his purchase of theGinstersCornish pasties business from the Ginsters family, under his holding company Goran Foods Ltd. In 1985 the name of Goran Foods was changed to Samworth Brothers,to reflect the involvement of John and David Samworth.
In 1986, Samworth Brothers purchased Leicester-based Walker & Son Ltd. Having sold theirWalkerscrispsbusiness in 1971 to US-basedStandard Brands, their pie-making business was now the largest distributor ofMelton Mowbray pork pies. This business was added to in 1992 after the purchase of the fire-destroyed Melton Mowbray based pie maker Dickinson & Morris, which was refurbished in a traditional style.
In 2014, the Group bought the malt loaf brand, Soreen, and in 2015, the sports nutrition brand, SCI-MX.
In 2017, Samworth Brothers bought theWest Cornwall Pasty Company, a chain of fast food outlets which at that time had 33 shops and 19 outlets at motorway service stations.
In June 2024, Samworth Brothers Manton Wood voluntarily recalled 15 sandwich and wrap products containing vegetable leaf following anoutbreak of Shigatoxigenic E. coliin the United Kingdom in major supermarket chains. The recalls were done as a precautionary step, as no testing has yet indicated traces ofE. coliin tested products.
The business is chaired by non-family member Nick Linney.
Samworth Brothers manufactures the following product lines:
Food to go: including sandwiches, wraps, salads, pasties and mini malt loaves.
Savoury pastry: includingGinstersand theWest Cornwall Pasty Company, as well as pork pie brands Dickinson & Morris and Walker & Son. The Group is a member of the Cornish Pasty Association and the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association.
Meals: a range of 'heat and serve' meals for major UK retailers and branded suppliers.
Sausages and cooked meats: Walker Sausage Company and Walkers Deli make a range of premium sausages, hams and pates.
Sports nutrition: SCI-MX makes a range of high protein powders, capsules, snack bars and shakes.
Samworth Brothers Supply Chain provides temperature controlled distribution services to companies within the Samworth Brothers Group, as well as to external food manufacturers, retailers and other distributors.
Westward Laboratories is a food testing lab in Cornwall which provides microbiological and chemical testing for the food industry.
Since 2007, the company has run the Charity Challenge, a fundraising triathlon-style event that takes place every two years.
In 2013, the Group launched the Samworth Brothers Sports Opportunity Fund which supports community sports projects close to Samworth Brothers locations. Between 2013 and 2019, it gave £1.9 million to 160 sports projects.
Since 2017, Samworth Brothers has bought all its grid-supplied electricity from certified renewable sources. In an effort to tacklefood waste, the Group is a signatory to the IGD/WRAP Food Waste Reduction Roadmap and to the Champions 12.3 pledge – an international food-waste-reduction initiative.
Samworth Brothers also has group-wide initiatives in place aimed at reducing impact, reusing resources, recycling materials and adopting recovery principles.
At the time of introduction of aNational Living Wagein April 2016, Samworth Brothers came under widespread criticism for removing premium pay rates in order to pay the new minimum wage.Joan Ryan, Labour Party MP for Enfield North, stated in Parliament:
Mark and David Samworth, who died in 2022,were regular donors to theConservative Party. It was reported in 2015 that donations since 2002 by the Samworths, and others connected with the company, totalled nearly £650,000.
Mark Samworth was invited to one of the Conservative Party's "leaders' group meals" in 2016, according to documents released by the party and analysed by theMorning Star. These "cash-for-access" meals require a minimum payment of £50,000 to the Conservative Party.