Bernard Matthews
Encyclopedia
Bernard Matthews Farms Ltd is a British
farming and food products business, which specialises in the farming of turkey
s. Founded by Bernard Matthews
in 1950, as Bernard Matthews Foods Ltd, the company is headquartered in Norwich
, Norfolk
, England
, and has 56 farms throughout Norfolk, Suffolk
and Lincolnshire
farming nearly 7 million turkeys each year. The company breeds and rears both indoor and free range turkeys on its farms, making Bernard Matthews an integrated agricultural business.
, with 56 turkey farms and two production sites located in Norfolk and Suffolk. BM Holdings is split into three independent companies; Bernard Matthews Farms in the UK, Bernard Matthews Oldenburg in Germany and SaGa Foods in Hungary. Noel Bartram is Group Chief Executive for Bernard Matthews Holdings. In June 2009 Bernard Matthews Farms appointed Jeff Halliwell Managing Director of its UK business.
The company is Assured Food Standards (Red Tractor) accredited. The production sites in Norfolk and Suffolk have ISO 14001
accreditation, meeting the British Standard for the management of environmental risks.
In July 2008 Bernard Matthews unveiled details of its business recovery plan and brand relaunch. This plan aimed to reposition the company and included three key elements: refocusing on British Turkey farming and production, making products that claim to better meet the needs of consumers today, and championing British agriculture.
In 2008, Bernard Matthews recorded an operating profit of £857,000 from continuing operations (2007: £9.6m operating loss).
In January 2010, Bernard Matthews resigned from the post of Chairman, a decision which coincided with his 80th Birthday. It was announced on 26 November 2010 that Bernard Matthews had died at the age of 80 years old.
products which are made with meat sourced from partners in South America.
Bernard Matthews Farms produces turkey for leading UK grocery supermarket chains for use under their own retail brands, and also for businesses supplying the out-of-home foodservice market.
Under the "Golden Norfolk Turkey" brand, Bernard Matthews Farms provides a frozen turkey range including whole birds in a variety of sizes, plus crowns and joints, basted and stuffed. New products under the Farms brand introduced in 2009 included several new seasonings, and an apricot and date stuffing.
Jamie Oliver
in his television series Jamie's School Dinners
. The product became an emblem of the mass-produced processed food that Oliver wanted to remove from school meals. In the wake of the programme, several major catering organisations announced that they would no longer serve Turkey Twizzlers in schools. Bernard Matthews discontinued the product in 2005.
, playing 'baseball' with live turkeys. The two men were sentenced to a 200-hour community service
which was later criticised as being 'derisory' by some animal welfare
organisations. Palmer's and Allan's defence lawyer, Simon Nicholls, stated that their actions were part of a ‘culture’ at the Norfolk plant and, describing the conditions in the unit as "appalling", said: "You can see why people move to an organic, more open type of farming." An RSPCA inspector said it was the worst case of cruelty to farm animals of which he had heard A vet, after seeing the footage, said it was the ‘most hideous and blatant’ abuse he had seen in 25 years.
The 2007 Bernard Matthews H5N1 outbreak was an occurrence of avian flu
in England
that began on 30 January 2007. The infection was caused by the H5N1
subtype of the Influenza A
virus and occurred at one of Bernard Matthews' farms in Holton
, Suffolk
. A range of precautions were instituted including a large cull of turkey
s, the imposition of segregation zones, and a disinfection programme for the plant.
It emerged in a highly critical report from Defra
that there was a series of biosecurity failings at the Holton plant, some of which had been drawn to the company's attention in the past.
Though the cause of the outbreak has not been determined, Bernard Matthews regularly transported turkeys and turkey products between the UK and its plant in Hungary
, and the H5N1 bird flu strains found in Hungary and Britain were effectively genetically identical.
Consequences of the outbreak included bans by a number of countries on the importation of poultry from Britain, a sharp fall in sales of Bernard Matthews products resulting in workers being laid off and a collapse in confidence in the brand.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
farming and food products business, which specialises in the farming of turkey
Turkey (bird)
A turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris. One species, Meleagris gallopavo, commonly known as the Wild Turkey, is native to the forests of North America. The domestic turkey is a descendant of this species...
s. Founded by Bernard Matthews
Bernard Matthews
Bernard Matthews Farms Ltd is a British farming and food products business, which specialises in the farming of turkeys. Founded by Bernard Matthews in 1950, as Bernard Matthews Foods Ltd, the company is headquartered in Norwich, Norfolk, England, and has 56 farms throughout Norfolk, Suffolk and...
in 1950, as Bernard Matthews Foods Ltd, the company is headquartered in Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and has 56 farms throughout Norfolk, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
and Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
farming nearly 7 million turkeys each year. The company breeds and rears both indoor and free range turkeys on its farms, making Bernard Matthews an integrated agricultural business.
The business
Bernard Matthews is the largest poultry farmer and food company in East AngliaEast Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, with 56 turkey farms and two production sites located in Norfolk and Suffolk. BM Holdings is split into three independent companies; Bernard Matthews Farms in the UK, Bernard Matthews Oldenburg in Germany and SaGa Foods in Hungary. Noel Bartram is Group Chief Executive for Bernard Matthews Holdings. In June 2009 Bernard Matthews Farms appointed Jeff Halliwell Managing Director of its UK business.
The company is Assured Food Standards (Red Tractor) accredited. The production sites in Norfolk and Suffolk have ISO 14001
ISO 14000
The ISO 14000 environmental management standards exist to help organizations minimize how their operations negatively affect the environment The ISO 14000 environmental management standards exist to help organizations (a) minimize how their operations (processes etc.) negatively affect the...
accreditation, meeting the British Standard for the management of environmental risks.
In July 2008 Bernard Matthews unveiled details of its business recovery plan and brand relaunch. This plan aimed to reposition the company and included three key elements: refocusing on British Turkey farming and production, making products that claim to better meet the needs of consumers today, and championing British agriculture.
In 2008, Bernard Matthews recorded an operating profit of £857,000 from continuing operations (2007: £9.6m operating loss).
In January 2010, Bernard Matthews resigned from the post of Chairman, a decision which coincided with his 80th Birthday. It was announced on 26 November 2010 that Bernard Matthews had died at the age of 80 years old.
Products
The company produces a range of cooked, fresh and frozen British turkey, including products such as oven-ready whole birds, joints, cooked re-formed meats, and meal accompaniments, which accounts for over 90% of the business. Bernard Matthews also produces chickenChicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
products which are made with meat sourced from partners in South America.
Bernard Matthews Farms produces turkey for leading UK grocery supermarket chains for use under their own retail brands, and also for businesses supplying the out-of-home foodservice market.
Under the "Golden Norfolk Turkey" brand, Bernard Matthews Farms provides a frozen turkey range including whole birds in a variety of sizes, plus crowns and joints, basted and stuffed. New products under the Farms brand introduced in 2009 included several new seasonings, and an apricot and date stuffing.
Key dates
- 1950 – Company founded
- 1955 – Its headquarters were moved to its present location, Great WitchinghamGreat WitchinghamGreat Witchingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk about north-west of Norwich.It covers an area of and had a population of 564 in 235 households as of the 2001 census....
Hall near Norwich. - 1960 – Bernard Matthews entered the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest turkey farmer in Europe.
- 1971 – The company was publicly listedInitial public offeringAn initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
. - 1980 – The company launched its first TV commercial featuring Turkey Breast Roast, with Matthews himself introducing the famous 'Bootiful' catchphrase in his thick Norfolk accent.
- 2000 – Bernard Matthews successfully fought off a take-over bid from US food giant Sara Lee.
- 2001 – The company was bought back by the Matthews family and taken private again.
- 2006 – Two contract workers were convicted of animal cruelty for playing 'baseball' with live turkeys.
- 2007 – The company's farm in HoltonHolton, SuffolkHolton, in Suffolk, England, is a village near to the town of Halesworth with a population of around 1,100. Holton is split into two parts, Upper Holton and Holton.-History:Although it often referred to as Holton St...
suffers an outbreak of the H5N1H5N1Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as "bird flu", A or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal species...
strain of avian influenza. - 2007 – The company's factory B plant closes and staff moved to A plant causing many to leave or be relocated at its parent plant up the road.
- 2008 – In July, the company re-branded from Bernard Matthews Foods to Bernard Matthews Farms and stated that all its turkey products would be made with British turkey from its own farms.
- 2010 – In April, Bernard Matthews began a new advertising campaign, bringing back its 'Bootiful' catchphrase that was previously used between 1980 and 2007.
- 2010 – 25 November, the founder, Bernard Matthews, died.
Turkey Twizzlers
One of Bernard Matthews' formed-meat products, 'Turkey Twizzlers', became a subject of debate in January 2005, when they were singled out for particular criticism by the celebrity chefCelebrity chef
A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become famous and well known. Today celebrity chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations via mass media, especially television. Historically, celebrity chefs have included Antoine Carême and Martino da Como.-External...
Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver
James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
in his television series Jamie's School Dinners
Jamie's School Dinners
Jamie's School Dinners is a landmark four-episode documentary series broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK from 23 February to 16 March 2005. The series was recorded between Spring to Winter 2004, in which it featured TV chef Jamie Oliver attempting to improve the quality and nutritional value of school...
. The product became an emblem of the mass-produced processed food that Oliver wanted to remove from school meals. In the wake of the programme, several major catering organisations announced that they would no longer serve Turkey Twizzlers in schools. Bernard Matthews discontinued the product in 2005.
Animal welfare
On 7 September 2006, two contract workers were convicted of animal cruelty after being covertly filmed by a member of staff from Hillside Animal SanctuaryHillside Animal Sanctuary
Hillside Animal Sanctuary, based in Frettenham, Norwich, is the United Kingdom's largest home for animals removed from their owners by the direct action of animal rights activists. The vegan-run sanctuary is staffed by volunteers and funded entirely on public donations...
, playing 'baseball' with live turkeys. The two men were sentenced to a 200-hour community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
which was later criticised as being 'derisory' by some animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
organisations. Palmer's and Allan's defence lawyer, Simon Nicholls, stated that their actions were part of a ‘culture’ at the Norfolk plant and, describing the conditions in the unit as "appalling", said: "You can see why people move to an organic, more open type of farming." An RSPCA inspector said it was the worst case of cruelty to farm animals of which he had heard A vet, after seeing the footage, said it was the ‘most hideous and blatant’ abuse he had seen in 25 years.
Avian flu outbreak
Avian flu
Avian influenza, sometimes avian flu, and commonly bird flu, refers to "influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds." Of the greatest concern is highly pathogenic avian influenza ....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
that began on 30 January 2007. The infection was caused by the H5N1
H5N1
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as "bird flu", A or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal species...
subtype of the Influenza A
Influenzavirus A
Influenza A virus causes influenza in birds and some mammals and is the only species of Influenzavirus A. Influenzavirus A is a genus of the Orthomyxoviridae family of viruses. Strains of all subtypes of influenza A virus have been isolated from wild birds, although disease is uncommon...
virus and occurred at one of Bernard Matthews' farms in Holton
Holton, Suffolk
Holton, in Suffolk, England, is a village near to the town of Halesworth with a population of around 1,100. Holton is split into two parts, Upper Holton and Holton.-History:Although it often referred to as Holton St...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. A range of precautions were instituted including a large cull of turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
s, the imposition of segregation zones, and a disinfection programme for the plant.
It emerged in a highly critical report from Defra
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
that there was a series of biosecurity failings at the Holton plant, some of which had been drawn to the company's attention in the past.
Though the cause of the outbreak has not been determined, Bernard Matthews regularly transported turkeys and turkey products between the UK and its plant in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and the H5N1 bird flu strains found in Hungary and Britain were effectively genetically identical.
Consequences of the outbreak included bans by a number of countries on the importation of poultry from Britain, a sharp fall in sales of Bernard Matthews products resulting in workers being laid off and a collapse in confidence in the brand.