September 14, 2016 2.18 pm
This story is over 91 months old
Alex Albone: The taste of success
“Don’t do it unless you’re passionate about it.” This is the advice that Alex Albone, Director of Brigg-based Pipers Crisps, gives to anyone wanting to start out on a new business venture. With a lot of hard work and a few controversial ideas, Alex has created a thriving company with a £10 million turnover, but…
“Don’t do it unless you’re passionate about it.” This is the advice that Alex Albone, Director of Brigg-based Pipers Crisps, gives to anyone wanting to start out on a new business venture. With a lot of hard work and a few controversial ideas, Alex has created a thriving company with a £10 million turnover, but he couldn’t be more modest about it.
“Unless you really are going to put the hours in, forget it, because it’s not going to happen,” Alex said. “If you’re starting out, the truth is that you have to be passionate about it and know that there are going to be knocks along the way.”
Having gone from financial futures broker to farmer Alex saw a change in the world as it was just starting to shift its focus to local produce and it wasn’t long before he became passionate about being local, and not just for Lincolnshire.
Whilst on a trip to Wales, Alex met David Lee Wilson who made Anglesey Sea Salt. “It suddenly occurred to me that there was an opportunity surrounding the possibility of taking potatoes from Lincolnshire, turning them into crisps and putting Anglesey Sea Salt on them.
“We have the opportunity of being local in Anglesey (Wales) and working on the localism of Lincolnshire potatoes.”
Pipers Crips was the first to launch a brand which talked about the provenance and where food came from, setting a trend that others, such as Marks and Spencer soon followed.
On April 9th, 2004, Alex delivered his first 20 boxes of crisps to four pubs and Abbey Park Farms in East Heckington.
From there the company has continually grown and now the company makes more than 26 million packets of locally produced crisps a year, which are distributed to over 17% of the UK as well as 11 different countries.
Alex Albone, founder of Pipers Crisps
“What feels really good is that we employ 76 people and that we’ve pushed our reach beyond Lincolnshire.
“We export to 11 countries, admittedly on a small scale at the moment but we’re starting to find some traction there. What’s really great in terms of export is that it appears that we don’t have to put a Union Jack on it in order for people to recognise that it is British.”
Working with his partners Simon Herring and James Sweeting, who own coffee roastery Lincoln and York, Alex has built the company upon a foundation of strong relationships.
The brand is sold at a number of retailers of all different shapes and sizes, from corner shops to Lincolnshire Co-operative and Booths, as well as many different pub chains. All of which are distributed from one of its three distribution centres across the UK, at Elsham, Epping and Oxford.
Currently, 50% of deliveries being made are by the company’s own fleet of vans. There is also a fourth depot on the cards to be opened by the end of the year, which will allow the company to cover the whole of England with its own delivery vans.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
September 12, 2016 8.08 am
This story is over 91 months old
Alex Albone: The taste of success
“Don’t do it unless you’re passionate about it.” This is the advice that Alex Albone, Director of Brigg-based Pipers Crisps, gives to anyone wanting to start out on a new business venture. With a lot of hard work and a few controversial ideas, Alex has created a thriving company with a £10 million turnover, but…
“Don’t do it unless you’re passionate about it.” This is the advice that Alex Albone, Director of Brigg-based Pipers Crisps, gives to anyone wanting to start out on a new business venture. With a lot of hard work and a few controversial ideas, Alex has created a thriving company with a £10 million turnover, but he couldn’t be more modest about it.
“Unless you really are going to put the hours in, forget it, because it’s not going to happen,” Alex said. “If you’re starting out, the truth is that you have to be passionate about it and know that there are going to be knocks along the way.”
Having gone from financial futures broker to farmer Alex saw a change in the world as it was just starting to shift its focus to local produce and it wasn’t long before he became passionate about being local, and not just for Lincolnshire.
Whilst on a trip to Wales, Alex met David Lee Wilson who made Anglesey Sea Salt. “It suddenly occurred to me that there was an opportunity surrounding the possibility of taking potatoes from Lincolnshire, turning them into crisps and putting Anglesey Sea Salt on them.
“We have the opportunity of being local in Anglesey (Wales) and working on the localism of Lincolnshire potatoes.”
Pipers Crips was the first to launch a brand which talked about the provenance and where food came from, setting a trend that others, such as Marks and Spencer soon followed.
On April 9th, 2004, Alex delivered his first 20 boxes of crisps to four pubs and Abbey Park Farms in East Heckington.
From there the company has continually grown and now the company makes more than 26 million packets of locally produced crisps a year, which are distributed to over 17% of the UK as well as 11 different countries.
Alex Albone, founder of Pipers Crisps. Photo Steve Smailes for Lincolnshire Reporter
“What feels really good is that we employ 76 people and that we’ve pushed our reach beyond Lincolnshire.
“We export to 11 countries, admittedly on a small scale at the moment but we’re starting to find some traction there. What’s really great in terms of export is that it appears that we don’t have to put a Union Jack on it in order for people to recognise that it is British.”
Working with his partners Simon Herring and James Sweeting, who own coffee roastery Lincoln and York, Alex has built the company upon a foundation of strong relationships.
The brand is sold at a number of retailers of all different shapes and sizes, from corner shops to Lincolnshire Co-operative and Booths, as well as many different pub chains. All of which are distributed from one of its three distribution centres across the UK, at Elsham, Epping and Oxford.
Currently, 50% of deliveries being made are by the company’s own fleet of vans. There is also a fourth depot on the cards to be opened by the end of the year, which will allow the company to cover the whole of England with its own delivery vans.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The 2024 Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards are now open for nominations, seeking to spotlight outstanding businesses within the Greater Lincolnshire area.
Hosted by Stonebow Media, the publisher behind The Lincolnite and the MyLocal platform, this prestigious event is designed to honour the achievements of the regional business community.
Thanks to the headline sponsorship from the University of Lincoln Enterprise & Research department, the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards are a unique opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of local enterprises.
The awards are also sponsored by Ringrose Law, Duncan & Toplis, Sills & Betteridge and Pearson Hydraulics. A small number of sponsorship opportunities remain available. Contact [email protected] to discuss partnerships.
Businesses can nominate themselves across eleven awards categories:
The deadline for nominations is May 24, with the judges’ deliberation lunch set for May 29.The judging panel includes business experts and professionals from Lincolnshire and event sponsors.
The Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards 2024 gala will take place at the Engine Shed on July 12, 2024.
Enhance profile & credibility: Securing an award or being shortlisted acts as a powerful endorsement, signaling trustworthiness to potential customers and helping to distinguish your business from competitors. Displaying the award on your communications can significantly boost your brand’s perception.
Insightful focus & feedback: The application process encourages deep reflection on your business strategy and direction, offering invaluable feedback and clarity, even for new ventures.
Team confidence boost: Recognition from the awards can significantly uplift your team’s morale, affirming the value and potential of your business in the eyes of industry experts.
Marketing & PR boost: Being associated with the awards, even as a nominee, can enhance brand visibility, providing ample content opportunities for social media and other marketing channels.
Networking opportunities: The awards connect you with local business leaders and experts, offering a platform to seek advice, share ideas, and foster future partnerships. The ceremony itself is an excellent occasion for networking with peers and celebrating mutual successes.
Potential to win: Entering offers a chance to win and gain all the associated benefits, but even without taking home a trophy, the process can yield significant advantages for your business.
A Lady Gaga loving kitten owned by a couple who run a charity for disabled pets featured on Channel 5’s The Pet Psychic.
Pet Psychic Beth Lee-Crowther comes to the aid of pet owners and in Tuesday night’s episode she met Cookie the kitten, a depressed camel, and looked at whether a dog can predict the future.