Birds Eye: Difference between revisions
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'''Birds Eye''' is an international brand of [[frozen food]]s owned by [[Pinnacle Foods]] in North America and by private equity group Permira in Europe. |
'''Birds Eye''' is an international brand of [[frozen food]]s owned by [[Pinnacle Foods]] in North America and by private equity group Permira in Europe. |
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==Other brands== |
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===Europe=== |
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| ⚫ | [[Unilever]] announced in August 2006 that the business was sold to [[UK]]-based private equity group [[Permira]]. The company's staple product, the [[Fish Finger]], was developed in its old [[factory]] in [[Great Yarmouth]], by a Mr H A J Scott. Frozen vegetables were produced from 1946 using the new fast-freezing process, which are now produced with beefburgers and [[potato waffle]]s in [[Lowestoft]], employing 700 people. |
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| ⚫ | The location of the factory was essential to the "one-hour to frozen" promise formerly made on Birds Eye peas, although commercial decisions have led to this claim being quietly dropped as the time has risen to two and a half hours.<ref>[http://www.birdseye.co.uk/aboutbirdseyefood/our-frozen-food-process.aspx]</ref> There is also a fish products factory in [[Kingston-upon-Hull|Hull]] employing 600 people. |
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| ⚫ | Birds Eye closed a factory in [[Great Grimsby|Grimsby]] in 2005, with the loss of 650 jobs, that had been making fish fingers since 1929. The Grimsby factory on Ladysmith Road was hit by fire, suspected to be set by six local youths on 12 September 2007. The fire was so severe that local residents had to be [[Emergency evacuation|evacuated]]. |
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| ⚫ | As part of [[General Foods]], it merged with [[Kraft Foods]] and [[Philip Morris USA]] in what became the [[Altria Group]]. Birds Eye was sold to [[Dean Foods]] in 1993 and was independently owned by Birds Eye Foods of [[Rochester, New York]] until purchased by [[Pinnacle Foods]] in 2009.<ref>[http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2009/11/new_jerseys_pinnacle_foods_buy.html]</ref> As part of Pinnacle Foods, Birds Eye also acquired Freshlike from the [[Allen Canning Company]]. |
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| ⚫ | In March 2010, Pinnacle announced it would be closing the Rochester headquarters and moving operations to New Jersey.<ref>[http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2010/03/birds_eye_plans_to_close_ny_he.html "Birds Eye plans to close N.Y. headquarters after acquisition by N.J.-based Pinnacle Foods"] NJ.com, March 2010</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The Birds Eye brand is owned by Simplot Australia Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the [[J.R. Simplot Company]]. Simplot purchased Birds Eye and many of Australia's leading food brands from Pacific Dunlop's [[Pacific Brands]] in the mid-1990s. Today, Birds Eye is Australia's leading frozen brand with a line of innovative frozen vegetables, potatoes, and seafood. Birds Eye products are produced at the company's processing facilities in Devonport and Ulverstone, Tasmania, and Bathurst, New South Wales, as well as from imported ingredients. Some seafood items are processed overseas and the completed product imported. |
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| ⚫ | After a tough trading period and a review of its business to focus on high growth/high margin markets, it was announced on 9 February 2006 that [[Unilever]] was looking to sell the Birds Eye brand, as well as the European version - Iglo (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands and Portugal). These brands were worth £836M in sales, with profits of £115M a year, and employ 3,500 staff across Europe with 1,800 located in the UK. [[H. J. Heinz Company|Heinz]] and [[Findus]] have also cut down on their frozen food production. |
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| ⚫ | Unilever will retain the [[Iglo]] brand in Italy, where frozen food is still popular. In the UK, Unilever has said that frozen food is less popular than chilled food products, and has concerns over health and [[E number]]s (European Union codes for additives) after it sternly told TV viewers, "We don't play with your food." |
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==Brands owned== |
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[[Image:Birds Eye Foods headquarters.JPG|thumbnail|right|300px|Headquarters in [[Brighton, Monroe County, New York]]]] |
[[Image:Birds Eye Foods headquarters.JPG|thumbnail|right|300px|Headquarters in [[Brighton, Monroe County, New York]]]] |
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Birds eye has acquired many well-established brands, some of which are distributed regionally and not nationally. The following brands are owned and distributed by Bird Eye:<ref>[http://www.birdseyefoods.com/brands/ Birds Eye Foods: Brands]</ref> |
Birds eye has acquired many well-established brands, some of which are distributed regionally and not nationally. The following brands are owned and distributed by Bird Eye:<ref>[http://www.birdseyefoods.com/brands/ Birds Eye Foods: Brands]</ref> |
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* Voila |
* Voila |
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==Advertising== |
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* '''Europe''' |
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| ⚫ | [[Unilever]] announced in August 2006 that the business was sold to [[UK]]-based private equity group [[Permira]]. The company's staple product, the [[Fish Finger]], was developed in its old [[factory]] in [[Great Yarmouth]], by a Mr H A J Scott. Frozen vegetables were produced from 1946 using the new fast-freezing process, which are now produced with beefburgers and [[potato waffle]]s in [[Lowestoft]], employing 700 people. |
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| ⚫ | The location of the factory was essential to the "one-hour to frozen" promise formerly made on Birds Eye peas, although commercial decisions have led to this claim being quietly dropped as the time has risen to [http://www.birdseye.co.uk/aboutbirdseyefood/our-frozen-food-process.aspx |
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| ⚫ | Birds Eye closed a factory in [[Great Grimsby|Grimsby]] in 2005, with the loss of 650 jobs, that had been making fish fingers since 1929. The Grimsby factory on Ladysmith Road was hit by fire, suspected to be set by six local youths on 12 September 2007. The fire was so severe that local residents had to be [[Emergency evacuation|evacuated]]. |
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In the United Kingdom, [[Captain Birdseye]] is the advertising [[mascot]] of the brand. Appearing in numerous [[television]] and [[billboard (advertising)|billboard]] commercials since 1967, he was played by actor [[John Hewer]] between then and 1998. He is depicted as a clean living, older sailor with a white beard, dressed in merchant navy uniform and with a seafaring accent. This character was so successful that when the company's brand was relaunched with a younger man with designer stubble (played by Thomas Pescod), the project floundered and the older description of the character was brought back into the promotions. In 1993, Captain Birds Eye was voted as the most recognised captain after Captain Cook in a poll. |
In the United Kingdom, [[Captain Birdseye]] is the advertising [[mascot]] of the brand. Appearing in numerous [[television]] and [[billboard (advertising)|billboard]] commercials since 1967, he was played by actor [[John Hewer]] between then and 1998. He is depicted as a clean living, older sailor with a white beard, dressed in merchant navy uniform and with a seafaring accent. This character was so successful that when the company's brand was relaunched with a younger man with designer stubble (played by Thomas Pescod), the project floundered and the older description of the character was brought back into the promotions. In 1993, Captain Birds Eye was voted as the most recognised captain after Captain Cook in a poll. |
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The Captain Birdseye mascot is a reference to the brand's extensive and well-known range of frozen [[seafood]] products, including [[Fish Fingers]]. Because the Birds Eye brand is marketed to families, many of the advertising campaigns feature Captain Birdseye as having a "crew" composed mostly of children in the preteen to [[teenage]] age groups, encouraging [[brand loyalty]] from children and emphasising the convenience of serving the company's products to their parents. A 2005 advertising campaign in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] features Captain Birdseye informing consumers that Birds Eye readymade meals contain no artificial flavourings or preservatives, with an emphasis that they are healthy to children. |
The Captain Birdseye mascot is a reference to the brand's extensive and well-known range of frozen [[seafood]] products, including [[Fish Fingers]]. Because the Birds Eye brand is marketed to families, many of the advertising campaigns feature Captain Birdseye as having a "crew" composed mostly of children in the preteen to [[teenage]] age groups, encouraging [[brand loyalty]] from children and emphasising the convenience of serving the company's products to their parents. A 2005 advertising campaign in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] features Captain Birdseye informing consumers that Birds Eye readymade meals contain no artificial flavourings or preservatives, with an emphasis that they are healthy to children. |
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==Other |
===Other ads=== |
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Birds Eye are also noted for other fondly remembered advertisements, such as one in the 1970s for frozen peas that featured the child actress [[Patsy Kensit]], who would put her forefinger in her mouth to produce a popping sound. This would be followed by a [[jingle]] including the slogan "Sweet as the moment when the pod went 'pop'". |
Birds Eye are also noted for other fondly remembered advertisements, such as one in the 1970s for frozen peas that featured the child actress [[Patsy Kensit]], who would put her forefinger in her mouth to produce a popping sound. This would be followed by a [[jingle]] including the slogan "Sweet as the moment when the pod went 'pop'". |
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From 2010 onwards, all the Birds Eye foods have a new mascot, a talking [[polar bear]] toy (voiced by [[Willem Dafoe]]). |
From 2010 onwards, all the Birds Eye foods have a new mascot, a talking [[polar bear]] toy (voiced by [[Willem Dafoe]]). |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | After a tough trading period and a review of its business to focus on high growth/high margin markets, it was announced on 9 February 2006 that [[Unilever]] was looking to sell the Birds Eye brand, as well as the European version - Iglo (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands and Portugal). These brands were worth £836M in sales, with profits of £115M a year, and employ 3,500 staff across Europe with 1,800 located in the UK. [[H. J. Heinz Company|Heinz]] and [[Findus]] have also cut down on their frozen food production. |
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| ⚫ | Unilever will retain the [[Iglo]] brand in Italy, where frozen food is still popular. In the UK, Unilever has said that frozen food is less popular than chilled food products, and has concerns over health and [[E number]]s (European Union codes for additives) after it sternly told TV viewers, "We don't play with your food." |
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==Sale to Pinnacle Foods== |
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==2013 meat adulteration scandal== |
==2013 meat adulteration scandal== |
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Revision as of 17:58, 1 March 2013
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | 1923 |
| Founder | Clarence Birdseye |
| Headquarters | Brighton, Monroe County, New York, USA |
| Parent | Pinnacle Foods |
| Website | http://www.birdseyefoods.com/ |
Birds Eye is an international brand of frozen foods owned by Pinnacle Foods in North America and by private equity group Permira in Europe.
History and production
The brand and its underlying business is held by different owners in various territories:
Europe
The Birds Eye brand is used extensively throughout Ireland and the UK. In other parts of Europe the Iglo brand is used.
Unilever announced in August 2006 that the business was sold to UK-based private equity group Permira. The company's staple product, the Fish Finger, was developed in its old factory in Great Yarmouth, by a Mr H A J Scott. Frozen vegetables were produced from 1946 using the new fast-freezing process, which are now produced with beefburgers and potato waffles in Lowestoft, employing 700 people.
The location of the factory was essential to the "one-hour to frozen" promise formerly made on Birds Eye peas, although commercial decisions have led to this claim being quietly dropped as the time has risen to two and a half hours.[1] There is also a fish products factory in Hull employing 600 people.
Birds Eye closed a factory in Grimsby in 2005, with the loss of 650 jobs, that had been making fish fingers since 1929. The Grimsby factory on Ladysmith Road was hit by fire, suspected to be set by six local youths on 12 September 2007. The fire was so severe that local residents had to be evacuated.
United States
As part of General Foods, it merged with Kraft Foods and Philip Morris USA in what became the Altria Group. Birds Eye was sold to Dean Foods in 1993 and was independently owned by Birds Eye Foods of Rochester, New York until purchased by Pinnacle Foods in 2009.[2] As part of Pinnacle Foods, Birds Eye also acquired Freshlike from the Allen Canning Company.
In March 2010, Pinnacle announced it would be closing the Rochester headquarters and moving operations to New Jersey.[3]
Australia and New Zealand
The Birds Eye brand is owned by Simplot Australia Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the J.R. Simplot Company. Simplot purchased Birds Eye and many of Australia's leading food brands from Pacific Dunlop's Pacific Brands in the mid-1990s. Today, Birds Eye is Australia's leading frozen brand with a line of innovative frozen vegetables, potatoes, and seafood. Birds Eye products are produced at the company's processing facilities in Devonport and Ulverstone, Tasmania, and Bathurst, New South Wales, as well as from imported ingredients. Some seafood items are processed overseas and the completed product imported.
Unilever review, sale to Permira
After a tough trading period and a review of its business to focus on high growth/high margin markets, it was announced on 9 February 2006 that Unilever was looking to sell the Birds Eye brand, as well as the European version - Iglo (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands and Portugal). These brands were worth £836M in sales, with profits of £115M a year, and employ 3,500 staff across Europe with 1,800 located in the UK. Heinz and Findus have also cut down on their frozen food production.
Unilever will retain the Iglo brand in Italy, where frozen food is still popular. In the UK, Unilever has said that frozen food is less popular than chilled food products, and has concerns over health and E numbers (European Union codes for additives) after it sternly told TV viewers, "We don't play with your food."
On 28 August 2006, it was confirmed that Unilever had agreed to the sale of the business, held since the late 1930s, to a private equity house Permira for £1.2bn.[4]
Brands owned
Birds eye has acquired many well-established brands, some of which are distributed regionally and not nationally. The following brands are owned and distributed by Bird Eye:[5]
- Bernstein's
- Brooks
- Comstock Wilderness
- C&W
- Freshlike
- Greenwood
- Husman's
- McKenzie's
- Nalley
- Riviera
- Steamfresh
- Snyder of Berlin, potato chip maker based near Berlin, Pennsylvania (not related to pretzel manufacturer Snyder's of Hanover in Hanover, Pennsylvania)
- Tim's Cascade Snacks
- Voila
Advertising
Captain Birdseye (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, Captain Birdseye is the advertising mascot of the brand. Appearing in numerous television and billboard commercials since 1967, he was played by actor John Hewer between then and 1998. He is depicted as a clean living, older sailor with a white beard, dressed in merchant navy uniform and with a seafaring accent. This character was so successful that when the company's brand was relaunched with a younger man with designer stubble (played by Thomas Pescod), the project floundered and the older description of the character was brought back into the promotions. In 1993, Captain Birds Eye was voted as the most recognised captain after Captain Cook in a poll.
The Captain Birdseye mascot is a reference to the brand's extensive and well-known range of frozen seafood products, including Fish Fingers. Because the Birds Eye brand is marketed to families, many of the advertising campaigns feature Captain Birdseye as having a "crew" composed mostly of children in the preteen to teenage age groups, encouraging brand loyalty from children and emphasising the convenience of serving the company's products to their parents. A 2005 advertising campaign in the UK features Captain Birdseye informing consumers that Birds Eye readymade meals contain no artificial flavourings or preservatives, with an emphasis that they are healthy to children.
Other ads
Birds Eye are also noted for other fondly remembered advertisements, such as one in the 1970s for frozen peas that featured the child actress Patsy Kensit, who would put her forefinger in her mouth to produce a popping sound. This would be followed by a jingle including the slogan "Sweet as the moment when the pod went 'pop'".
A 1980s campaign for Birds Eye Potato Waffles had a jingle that included the words Waffley versatile.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, June Whitfield appeared in a series of television advertisements for Birds Eye products, featuring the concluding voice-over line: ".. it can make a dishonest woman of you!".[6] One example, for Chicken Pie, may be found at YouTube.[7] The series was the brainchild of legendary advertising art director Vernon Howe and was worthy of mention in several of his obituaries.,[8][9]
Since 2007, Suggs, the lead singer of English ska band Madness has been the face of all Birds Eye products. The slogan "Good Mood Food" and the Madness song "Our House" is used in all advertisements.
From 2010 onwards, all the Birds Eye foods have a new mascot, a talking polar bear toy (voiced by Willem Dafoe).
2013 meat adulteration scandal
In 2013, DNA tests revealed that horsemeat was present in Birds Eye chili con carne that was sold in Belgium and was produced and supplied by a Belgian group named Frigilunch.[10] As a result Birds Eye withdrew all other products produced by the same supplier in the UK and Ireland.[10]
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ "Birds Eye plans to close N.Y. headquarters after acquisition by N.J.-based Pinnacle Foods" NJ.com, March 2010
- ^ "Birds Eye brands sold for £1.1bn" BBC news, 28 August 2006
- ^ Birds Eye Foods: Brands
- ^ TV Adverts of the 1970s
- ^ Birdseye TV Commercial – Dishonest Woman, YouTube
- ^ Vernon Howe obituary, The Independent
- ^ Vernon Howe obituary, The Telegraph
- ^ a b "Horsemeat scandal: Birds Eye withdraws UK ready meals". BBC News. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.