Westaway sausages do not have a dedicated sales team, yet we continue to get busier and handle more and more enquiries. We believe this is due to the values we uphold and the quality and consistency of our pork products.
However, we often win business on price.
We can produce a high specification sausage at a very competitive price, and that is why we are delighted to engage with existing and new partners to give value to professional caterers.
Goals and Objectives:
As 2025 approaches, we aim to double our production and halve our footprint. This is an ambitious goal, but it is a worthy target. To achieve this, we need to break it down into manageable steps.
Investment: We are upgrading to more efficient machinery that produces more product using fewer resources in less production time. The machinery is centrally controlled and monitored, capable of learning the best settings to optimize performance and sharing this information with other machines. Managers have real-time data to show the yield on raw materials and throughput to manage production. The machines use intelligent servo motors to give precise control with feedback on position, temperature, and torque, reducing the energy they need. We can see a 30% saving in electricity and can make an extra 45,000 sausages per shift using an average of 2% less raw materials.
Diversification: We are using the same connected processes and proven production methods to produce a wider range of pork products with the same efficiency. This reduces site and staff overhead, provides better utilisation, and opens new sales opportunities.
Sustainable Packaging: We continue to pioneer new packaging materials. Our long-standing commitment to finding alternatives to plastic is now offering cost savings with the latest Extended Producer Responsibility rates showing that our costs are half those in our sector. Our competitors risk losing margin unless they increase prices.
New Ingredients and Materials: Traditionally, sustainability focuses on improving existing processes. We are piloting new ingredients and materials that will add value and substantially improve the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of our sausage manufacturing.
Energy Efficiency: Food and drink manufacturing uses 18% of all UK energy, and energy is typically 15% of a manufacturer’s costs. Processes need to be designed to be energy efficient from “plough to plate”. We use fresh, not frozen meat, make to order, and do not hold stock in temperature-controlled storage. We monitor, control, and schedule our use of energy to get the best benefit. We are looking at a complete solution to link our heating, chilling, ventilation, and air conditioning to improve air quality, comfort, and humidity while reducing costs.
Optimised Logistics and Temperature-Controlled Storage: Our kg per cubic meter pack design is 20% more efficient than our competitors. By using super-efficient small batch manufacturing processes, we can produce on time, in full, and invoice correctly (OTIFIC). This means no overproduction and excellent service levels. This, in turn, reduces stock levels held at distributors, provides for backhaul (30% of all HGV traffic miles are without any load), and cuts the need to store slow-moving stock. We see further opportunities to collaborate and drive the footprint down with shorter supply chains and substantially cut transport emissions.
Waste Reduction: We will focus on not just the best utilisation of all our resources but also on how we can help reduce food waste at all stages, from our supply chain to households or professional caterers. We have new software and labelling equipment being installed in Q1 to allow for automated picking and further development of on-shelf dynamic pricing to eliminate in-store wastage and the need for staff markdown labour.
Community Engagement: We are very proud of the work we already do in our community. However, we wish to operate on a larger stage, and so we are launching a sustainability sign-up initiative to engage with those in our sector and our community who share our values. This will highlight best practices, invite collaboration, and signpost to events that can contribute towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
Conclusion
We see 2025 as hugely exciting as we develop and push ahead with new technology, new products, and new aspirations.
#TogetherWeCan
Have a wonderful fulfilling New Year.
Let’s make sausage!