Classic Sauces
General Manager, Pat Murray, Crossgar

The Benefits:
As a result of successful new product development, an expanded award-winning product range and a wider market base has been achieved. With turnover at Classic Sauces doubling over the past year, employment has tripled. The company is also aiming to gain British Retail Accreditation very soon which will help further penetration of the GB market.

The Company:
Pat Murray had been working in sales within the catering sector for many years and became aware of a gap in the market to supply high quality, pre-prepared mayonnaise to restaurants and catering establishments. He established his own business to satisfy this niche and in 2000 Crossgar Poultry purchased the company to form Classic Sauces.

The Project:
As more entrants came into the market supplying similar mayonnaise products and consumers’ tastes became more and more sophisticated, Pat recognised that the business would have to look to new products and new markets in order to continue to grow. His strategy was to move into the area of dips and sauces that could be sold to suppliers of valueadded food products to the major multiples. But without the technical knowledge to develop this range, Classic Sauces needed assistance with product development, testing and sampling.

Making it Happen:

  • MTP
  • Invest NI - Innovation Credit
  • Invest NI - KTP Programme
  • CAFRE (Loughry Campus)
  • Beechill Laboratories

Having met with an MTP Field Officer, a Project Manager role was established to oversee the development of the new products. Through the Invest NI Knowledge Transfer Programme a graduate in Food Technology from Loughry Campus was appointed. MTP was engaged to advise on further product development criteria and product testing of new recipes, which included a Cajun, black peppercorn and a curry sauce. MTP organised an ‘Innovation Credit’ which is funded by Invest NI. This enabled the product development to take place. Classic Sauces were referred to CAFRE and Beechill Laboratories by MTP for tests to be carried out in the areas of shelf life and general product quality analysis.


The Result...
The new sauces were successfully introduced and are being supplied to a number of key suppliers to retail multiples across the island of Ireland and Great Britain. With a considerable increase in turnover and further new recipes in development, consideration is being given for increased investment from the parent company that will expand the production capacity even further.

Pat Murray: “MTP were able to bring additional technical expertise to the table. This has given us the ability to expand our product range and the competitive edge needed to meet the stringent quality standards expected from suppliers to the major UK multiples.”