Ginsters
| Ginsters company logo | |
| Company type | Ltd |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food, Pastry |
| Founded | ~1960 |
| Headquarters | Callington, Cornwall, UK |
Key people | Geoffrey Ginster and family |
| Products | Pasties, Sandwiches |
| Owner | Samworth Brothers |
Number of employees | 700+ |
Ginsters (Template:Pron-en) is a company based in Callington in Cornwall, in the south-west of England. The biggest selling pasty maker in the UK,[1] it specialises in making mass produced pasties, sausage rolls, sandwiches, pasta bowls and other savoury snacks.
History
In the 1960s, Cornish farmer Geoffrey Ginster who had started to diversify his farm by starting an egg-packing station in Callington with 30 employees, hit on the idea of starting a van sales service selling fresh pasties to local retailers. Eventually the pasty manufacturing business took over egg packing, and Ginster converted the egg-station to add to pasty production.[1] In 1977, the Ginster family sold the business to Samworth Brothers,[2] giving birth to the company as it is today with over 700 employees.
Marketing
Ginsters is usually pronounced with a hard 'G' (/ˈɡɪnstərz/), but sometimes with a soft 'G' (/ˈdʒɪnstərz/)[citation needed]. The name of the company has become synonymous with pasties and sausage rolls. The company motto is “Cornish through and through,” and also uses the motto “Real, honest food” on many of its television and commercial radio advertisements.
Samworth Brothers have extended the brand to cover sausage rolls, sandwiches, pasta and other savoury snacks.[1] The products are available across the UK at supermarkets, petrol stations, bakers, student unions, and convenience stores.
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A number of trains (all Class 158 Sprinters) operated by Arriva Trains Wales were in a Ginsters livery for a time, which was mostly black, with the red logo. This has since been removed, but on some trains the Ginsters logo remains on the roof.
Cornish Bara
In March 2011 the company launched the "Cornish Bara", bara being a Cornish word for bread. The product is made with a soft bread roll on the outside and a meat filling inside, and is marketed as 'the love child of a sandwich and a pasty.' A TV advert has been made, with the actor Darren Strange and directed by Armando Iannucci, which features a man in a mid-life crisis who is confused by the unusual product combination of the Cornish Bara.[3]
Packaging
An element of folklore surrounds the difficulty in opening Ginsters packaging, particularly when driving. It has often been suggested (jokingly) that laws will be introduced to stop drivers attempting to do this and an article in the Daily Telegraph by James May suggested a pasty holder for car dashboards.[4]
Sponsorship
Ginsters sponsors the football clubs Plymouth Argyle F.C. in the Football League Championship and Callington Town FC. It also sponsors Launceston Rugby Club ("The Cornish All Blacks").
References
External links
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