A supermarket local souring initiative enabled a maker of black pudding in the dish's traditional Lancashire home town of Bury to expand.
The company grew in four years from a market stall to boasting a web site, a factory and a listing in Asda stores.
A total of 29 Asdas in the north west now sell Bury Black Puddings, along with local branches of The Co-operative Group, while other multiples have also shown an interest.
Founder and director Debbie Pierce created the company after sales of black puddings from her market stall soared.
"People were coming from all over the country to buy Bury Black Puddings and I thought I would set up a web site to supply them direct," says Pierce. "Then, I had a friend who worked in Asda, who mentioned that the retailer had started a local sourcing initiative. So, we went to see them and they wanted our black puddings." At first, the puddings were made at a friend's factory, but a new dedicated plant factory has the capacity for 50 tonnes a week on a single-shift basis.
Production is already up from two tonnes per week a year ago to six tonnes now. Pierce believes demand is sufficient to quadruple current output, and projected sales for this year are £500,000.
She puts the rising demand down to the recipe, the traditional methods, and celebrity chefs making black pudding chic again.
Pierce harbours hopes of getting the opportunity of going national later this year.
She says: "Asda is leading the way with local sourcing, They have a department that was very understanding. We started in four Asdas. They let us take on as many as we could cope with. They allow us to grow at our own pace."
The company grew in four years from a market stall to boasting a web site, a factory and a listing in Asda stores.
A total of 29 Asdas in the north west now sell Bury Black Puddings, along with local branches of The Co-operative Group, while other multiples have also shown an interest.
Founder and director Debbie Pierce created the company after sales of black puddings from her market stall soared.
"People were coming from all over the country to buy Bury Black Puddings and I thought I would set up a web site to supply them direct," says Pierce. "Then, I had a friend who worked in Asda, who mentioned that the retailer had started a local sourcing initiative. So, we went to see them and they wanted our black puddings." At first, the puddings were made at a friend's factory, but a new dedicated plant factory has the capacity for 50 tonnes a week on a single-shift basis.
Production is already up from two tonnes per week a year ago to six tonnes now. Pierce believes demand is sufficient to quadruple current output, and projected sales for this year are £500,000.
She puts the rising demand down to the recipe, the traditional methods, and celebrity chefs making black pudding chic again.
Pierce harbours hopes of getting the opportunity of going national later this year.
She says: "Asda is leading the way with local sourcing, They have a department that was very understanding. We started in four Asdas. They let us take on as many as we could cope with. They allow us to grow at our own pace."
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