Higgidy is a fresh food manufacturer based in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, England. The company produces a range of pies, quiches, tortillas and rolls and was co-founded by Camilla Stephens and James Foottit in 2003.
History
Camilla Stephens started baking her own pies in her kitchen at home after noticing a gap in the market for premium, savoury pies. After supplying local events and independent retailers, the company approached the café chain, EAT, which then became Higgidy's first major stockist in 2004. As a small supplier, Higgidy gained momentum when it was selected to supply Sainsbury'ssupermarkets as part of the "Supply Something New" scheme in 2007. Success grew from there and Higgidy went on to achieve a turnover of £3.2M with a workforce of 50 employees. It was in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 fastest growing companies in the UK for two years running in 2009/2010 and then, in 2011, Higgidy was chosen as the regional winner for the South in the HSBC Business Thinking initiative. The first Higgidy manufacturing site was in Southwick, West Sussex, where family friendMark Campbell joined the business as Managing Director. In 2007, the business moved to its permanent residence in Dolphin Road, Shoreham-by-Sea, where the Higgidy Family Kitchen still resides today, with approximately 300 employees. Higgidy is known for its bold and vibrant premium savoury pastry products, making a range of pies, quiches, rolls and tortillas, with a mix of meat, vegetarian and vegan recipes. Their brand purpose is to produce "glorious everyday food, to help people live well". Beyond savoury pastry, Higgidy founder, Camilla Stephens, has also published two cookbooks. First launched in 2007 and then re-published in 2018, "Higgidy: The Cookbook" features 100 recipes for pies and more, from simple suppers to sweet treats. In 2019 Camilla published "Higgidy: The Veggie Cookbook", featuring 120 recipes that celebrate the glory of veg. A long-standing supporter of FareShare and FareShare Sussex, Higgidy donates surplus stock on a weekly basis, supporting those fighting hunger in the UK via community kitchens and local food banks. In 2019, Samworth Brothers purchased a stake in Higgidy and now sits as a minority shareholder within the business.
Products
The Higgidy Family Kitchen produced just under 13 million individual products in 2019. The range now offers pies, quiches, tortillas, rolls and a snacking and sharing range. Higgidy products can be purchased in Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Ocado, Tesco, Co-op, Asda, Booths, Amazon Fresh, Boots and some Londis and Budgens stores. Its products are also stocked in some wholesalers, such as Cotswold Fayre.
