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  • Pordum Foods

Pordum Foods

This KTP project developed market and branding knowledge and associated management capability to enable the company to penetrate a range of hot-food vending markets. This included looking at food quality and safety knowledge.

The company

Bon Appétit by Pordum Foods is a 24/7, low cost hot food service delivered through “The Little Tasty Food Outlet”, a state of the art vending concept. It delivers a fully automated vending solution for frozen food products and provides onsite microwaves for immediate heating and consumption.

Background

Initiating this KTP was central to the company’s growth plans, as the company wanted to build upon its existing markets and diversify into new markets, whilst improving the management capability and operational systems to drive and support this.  

Pordum Foods needed expertise from the university in order to fulfil its market development and growth plans. 

  • Retail sector marketing skills including structured panel testing, competitor analysis and brand analysis & enhancement.
  • Food product engineering and design expertise
  • Skills and knowledge relating to alternative business management approaches to support rapid growth across a wide geographical area with a broadening product base.   
  • Expertise in shelf life testing certification and environmental control issues.
  • Underpinning knowledge of the retail and international vending sectors.

KTP aims

What did the KTP deliver?

  • Successful development and expansion of markets
  • An increase of £300,000 in sales turnover, with an additional £1.3m anticipated over the following three years
  • A structured approach to managing its customer base
  • Successful revamp of the company’s food product offering
  • Full redevelopment of the packaging format for paninis, baguettes, rolls and pastries
  • Revised and refreshed marketing collateral
The KTP addressed and resolved key issues in the business, and has provided a sound basis for the future growth of the company. It has been invaluable in positioning innovation at the heart of the business. This has been critical in differentiating Bon Appétit within the catering market and has given us a clear competitive advantage.”

Keith Pordum, Managing Director at Pordum Foods

Summary of knowledge transfer from the university to the company

This is the third KTP involving the School of Service Management and food retail companies, and has really strengthened the institution’s research and expertise in this area.

The university’s teaching portfolio has been enhanced by the inclusion of case study materials in a range of modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. As a result of this and previous/ongoing KTPs, the university now runs a successful level 5 module titled “Retail Management in Action” which incorporates a number of KTP components. The KTP also resulted in five publications.

Having recently completed my second KTP as a Lead Academic I cannot emphasise enough how beneficial the programme is to all partners involved. The opportunity to work with industry and relate activities directly back to the classroom remains one of the best elements of my work and enhances the undergraduate student experience with ‘live’ case studies

Harvey Ells, Lead Academic

KTP team

Harvey Ells, 91¶¶Òõ

Chris Dutton, 91¶¶Òõ

Keith Pordum, Pordum Foods

Angela Judge, Pordum Foods

Marco Ferrara, KTP Associate

Further information on KTPs

The KTP Centre runs the 91¶¶Òõ's successful KTP programme – a national government scheme which provides up to 67% grant funding to enable companies to become more innovative, competitive and profitable by engaging in knowledge transfer with universities. For more information please visit our KTP page.

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