Sausage company's taste of success with Jamie

The news came as Hull-based Cranswick announced a strong increase in sales yesterday as shoppers return to buying premium products

Cranswick, which is best known for its premium sausage range, will provide all the meat, and pasta for Jamie Oliver's range of fresh pork joints, pork steaks, marinated ribs, bacon, Italian charcuterie and fresh pasta dishes.

There will also be a children's sausage range.

The recipes are being developed by Jamie Oliver and his chefs in conjunction with Cranswick and will only use pork from pigs reared outdoors on Freedom Food approved farms. The range will be launched in stores after Easter.

The news came as Cranswick announced a 31 per cent increase in total sales to 200m in the three months to December 31.

The group said that organic growth from the underlying business accounted for 17 per cent of the increase while CCF Norfolk, which was acquired in June last year, contributed 14 per cent.

Sales of fresh pork rose 70 per cent, including the contribution from CCF Norfolk.

Bacon sales rose by 61 per cent, sausage sales increased 21 per cent, cooked meats rose 17 per cent and continental products rose nine per cent.

Cranswick's chief executive Bernard Hoggarth said customers are returning to premium products now that the end of the credit crunch is in sight.

"Premium foods are back in vogue," he said.

"Bacon has done tremendously well, people are keen to buy air-dried premium bacon."

Over the period Cranswick won a bacon contract with Marks & Spencer and it is hoping to develop the account into other areas.

Mr Hoggarth said that upmarket sausage sales saw a dip at

the start of the credit crunch as people tightened their belts, but premium sausage sales are now back on course.

"People want to eat premium meals at home especially when you can buy two packets of premium sausages for 4. That can feed four people," said Mr Hoggarth.

Sandwich sales showed a good recovery, rising by 16 per cent, thanks to extra work with airlines, railway companies and the food service sector.

Analysts welcomed the update and the shares closed the day up 2.6 per cent, a rise of 19p to 755p.

Charles Hall at KBC Peel Hunt said: "We expect a strong improvement in the acquired Norfolk business as efficiency savings are realised and as

pig prices have dropped about 13 per cent from peak."

Mr Hall, who has a "buy" rating on stock, said he expects

Cranswick's good growth momentum to continue, aided by new business wins and product launches.

He raised his 2010 pre-tax profit estimates on the company by five per cent to 43m.

Cranswick said its third-quarter operating margin in the underlying business was maintained at a level similar to that achieved in the first half. Net debt increased 10 per cent to 67m during the quarter,

but it was comfortably below the previous year's level of 74m.

The new Jamie Oliver dry cured bacon will use the chef's unique "Essex cure" which includes Malden sea salt.

Mr Hoggarth said there will be no issues over high salt levels.

Jamie Oliver's pasta sauce range came in for criticism for being high in salt, but Mr Hoggarth said this was due to the inclusion of high salt ingredients such as salted anchovies and olives.

Every joint will carry the TV chef's advice on how to get the best results.

Star cook's boost for british pork

More people are switching to British pork following celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's campaign to promote UK pig farmers.

Bernard Hoggarth, chief executive of Cranswick's food division, said the Jamie Oliver campaign has persuaded shoppers to buy British.

"Consumers want to buy British pork and retailers want to sell British pork," he said. "During these difficult economic times consumers appreciate the value it represents."

Pork is about half the price of lamb and beef.

Mr Hoggarth said people are becoming increasingly concerned about where their meat comes from. "We like to source locally as it's better for the animals' stress and it's better for the environment, " he said.

"We already share a common link with Jamie Oliver as we supply Sainsbury's Taste The Difference sausages, bacon and fresh pork and it is all supplied from RSPCA Freedom Foods accredited farms."