June 2006 - Pioneer Foodservice makes £250,000 investment

The 250 square metre expansion of its Rosehill headquarters increases storage space by a third, providing space for 196 pallets stacked four high.

David Jenkins, sales director of the family-run business which employs 280 people in Cumbria and the North East, said: "The extension is to increase the capacity of our storage area due to increased sales to our catering customers."

"Growth of both foodservice and grocery sales have increased significantly year on year."

"The extra storage has also enabled us to look at the overall running of the department and improve our efficiency and service levels to customers as well as stocking a wider variety of lines."

With demand from the public for different types of cuisine, the catering trade is increasingly using ingredients based menus which require a wider range of products.

This, coupled with larger numbers of people eating out, has helped to expand Pioneer’s business.

Main contractor for the new building was Carlisle-based Story construction with the steel provided by Newdales.

The building incorporates three sealed loading docks and automatic electric roller shutter doors and a two tonne scissor lift provided by Stertil.

In recent years, Pioneer has built a cold storage facility as well as doubling the size of its loading bay area in Carlisle.

At its Gateshead depot it has also renewed its loading bay. The firm has retail outlets in Carlisle city centre and Harrington, West Cumbria, as well as its Rosehill food hall.

Future plans for the company which began by selling potted meat 128 years ago in Carlisle and is now run by the fifth generation of the family are to make alterations and improvements to the Rosehill food hall, again due to increased sales mainly through new product development and to increase office accommodation.

The company continues to build upon the success of its regional Lakeland brand of beef, lamb and pork which are all sourced from local producers.