Kwoks new extension gets Asda presidential opening

With the opening of a major extension to its factory, boosting production space to 35,000 square feet, Kwoks Foods Ltd moves towards the goal of best in Europe for the supply of oriental ready meals

With the opening of a major extension to its factory, boosting production space from around 6,000 square feet to 35,000 square feet, Kwoks Foods Ltd had taken a big step towards achieving its aim of being the best in Europe for the supply of oriental ready meals.

The expanded factory includes state-of-the-art kitchens specially designed to handle the wide range of meals Kwoks produces - and new lines, which are forecast to follow the development work.

The new-look Kwoks was unveiled - along with a commemorative plaque - by Anthony De Nunzio, president and chief executive officer of supermarket giant Asda during an open day on January 12.

The choice of chief guest for the occasion, which saw a specially invited audience taken on a tour of the complex on the Yorkshire Forward-inspired Europark at Grimsby, was an apt one.

For since Kwoks turned out its first ready meals only a little over three years ago, Asda - which is part of the Wal-Mart Group - has become their leading customer.

The supermarket chain now accounts for 80 per cent of all meals to come out of the Grimsby kitchens, including its own branded range of grab-bag Thai meals.

In all, the kitchens are responsible for providing 64,000 oriental-style ready meals a week to a nation whose enthusiasm for them shows no sign of waning.

''We are most definitely in a growth market,'' says Kwoks managing director Ian Rosindale.

''It is a market which is moving at an exceptionally fast pace and one which is gathering momentum.

We have become a major player and can claim with some justification that we have achieved our best-in-Europe objective in terms of food quality - restaurant standard meals are the constant aim - and are well on the way too in terms of manufacturing and support systems.

If we continue to offer the same high quality we have always been noted for, the future looks exceedingly bright''.

With a staff of over 120, Kwoks Foods is now part of the William Jackson Group of Companies, which has a major stake in the business though oriental chef and restaurateur Paul Kwok and his founding partner Wayne Rowlett still maintain their day-to-day roles.

And if it was apt that Mr De Nunzio should do the formal honours at the open day, the choice of date was equally apposite for a company specialising in oriental food as it marked the beginning of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Monkey.

It is a year, whether it is counted in Chinese or English, which is expected to be another momentous one for the go-ahead company as more investment is planned.

''We will continue to invest in people, both in terms of numbers and skills,'' said Mr Rosindale.

''And we will continue with our push to expand our client base, hopefully by adding one or two more supermarket chains to our client portfolio.''.

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