Patties Foods, is an Australian foodmanufacturing company that produces meat pies, baked goods, frozen fruits, and pre-made desserts. Patties Foods is represented in the Australian market by the Four'n Twenty, Patties, Herbert Adams, Nanna's, Chefs Pride, Boscastle and Snowy River brands. Patties is the largest Meat pie producing company in Australia, and the world. They are the producers of several well-known Meat pies, including the Patties, Snowy River pie, Herbert Adams pie, and as of 2003, Four'n Twenty pies. Patties Foods is headquartered in Bairnsdale, Victoria.
History
Founded in 1966 by the Rijs family, immigrants from the Netherlands.
In 2003 Patties Foods expanded substantially, purchasing the Victorian brand Four'n Twenty from US multi-nationalSimplot, along with Simplot's other Australian bakery product lines and brand names.
A family company
Founded as Patties Bakeries, Originally a cake shop in Lakes Entrance, Victoria, in August 1966 Patties Bakery, originally named for the owner's wife Patty Neat, was purchased by Peter and Annie Rijs, whom emigrated from the Netherlands in 1956. In 1967 the Rijs family began to build business by introducing pies and bread rolls. The demand for Patties' product increased, prompting a series of shops and bakeries to be built, bought and sold. In 1985 a new factory was built and production was moved to Bairnsdale, where it continues to this day. The business continued to expand over the years, Patties began distribution in Melbourne in 1986, and in 1995 exporting to New Zealand. In 1993, Patties launched Arriba, a Mexican food range. In 1996, after pastry sales grew, Patties sold its bread business to Sunicrust in order to concentrate on pastry products. Demand for pastry products continued to grow, resulting in significant expansions to the factory. In 1998, a two million dollar plant renovation and extension took place, including installation of a spiral freezer. In 2000, a new parallel manufacturing line, capable of making all pasties, sausage rolls and finger foods, was installed, substantially increasing capacity. Australian iconic brands Four’n Twenty, Herbert Adams and Nanna's were purchased from American multi-national Simplot in 2003 and Patties began manufacturing the associated products in the Bairnsdale factory in 2004. In 2006, Patties was inducted into the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame and the Gippsland Business Awards Hall of Fame.
Patties Foods was publicly listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and became publicly listed in 2006. The Rijs brothers, sons of the founding Mr and Mrs Rijs, retained 40% shareholding of the company. In 2007 Patties acquired the Chefs Pride and Creative Gourmet businesses, and introduced gluten free foods to its product roster. Since its founding, Patties Foods has grown into one of the largest pie manufacturers supplying the grocery market in Australia. The long-standing family MD and CEO, Richard Rijs, retired in November 2007. The non-executive director, Michelle Allen was appointed his replacement at that time. In September 2008, Greg Bourke, took over as MD/CEO after 20 years experience in senior executive roles for George Weston Foods in Australia and New Zealand. He resigned in September 2013 with the CFO Michael Knaap and Sales Director Tim Peters becoming acting CEOs. In April 2014 named Steven Chaur as their new Chief Executive Officer. During 2014 the company's frozen fruit packing line was closed with 18 people redeployed. In early 2015 a recall was ordered on Nanna's frozen berries which had been imported from China and Chile, after 5 people contracted hepatitis A.
Pies, including the 'traveller pie', pasties and sausage rolls.
Wedgewood
Pies, party pies and sausage rolls.
Nanna's
Frozen fruit, family and snack sized fruit pies, waffles, danishes, crumbles and jam filled donuts.
Herbert Adams
A range of gourmet pies, pasties and sausage rolls.
Snowy River
Pies, pasties and sausage rolls in two different sizes.
Arriba
Burritos
Chefs Pride
A range of bistro items, desserts, finger foods, fruits, vegetable and specialty items which are supplied to hotels, restaurants and other leading hospitality establishments.
