MAN buys potted meat factory. Sounds very Northern. Very Alan Bennett.
In these days of fancy eating, potted meats and spreads seem more tripe than taramasalata but Peter Moon, the new boss of Binghams Foods, is looking to change that.
Binghams - the apostrophe is redundant - has been in Sheffield since 1914 and is one of the city's iconic products.
Perhaps not quite up there with Henderson's Relish or Bertie Bassett but potted beef, beef spread and salmon spread have filled Yorkshire stomachs for almost a century.
"In today's market heritage and provenance is important," says Peter in his cramped office at the end of a corridor.
He knows the product inside out, having been general manager there in the Eighties. When they asked him if he wanted to buy it he jumped at the chance.
But doesn't potted meat have an image problem, preferred by older people?
"It's a mature market," says Peter, choosing his words. "Now the credit crunch is on more people are making their own sandwiches and we are seeing a fair spread of customers."
He didn't mean the pun but he'll leap on a lazy reporter who uses the word paste.
"Call it spread. Paste is 30 per cent meat, spread is 70 per cent and potted beef 80 per cent, although we are well over that."
The days of little glass pots are long gone. It's in foil packs and the bigger ones are sold to the catering trade.
Sheffield is Meat Spread Central. At one time there were seven firms making it although today there's only one other, his main competitor.
Peter would prefer the Diary not to utter its name in his factory on tree-lined Western Road, Crookes.
New packaging is promised and new flavours. "We've already brought out beef and tomato, my favourite."
Potted Meat Country stretches from Preston to Leicester although wherever you see a high proportion of blue rinses there'll be Binghams. It's big in Torquay.
Old man Charlie Bingham, the founder, bought one of the city's first cars on potted meat. They still make it in much the same way.
"People think it's processed meat but it's made from prime meat and we have our own butcher. A lot is bought locally, reducing food miles," says Peter, ticking off the boxes.
For a long time Binghams was part of the Northern Foods conglomerate. Peter reckons a owner-manager can give it drive.
He's 51, from Nottingham, with a wife called Stella, Binghams' technical co-ordinator. Yes, he's heard all the jokes and they have a son.
He also has a pretty good line in patter. He and his staff eat it every day to check the quality. He's heard tell that some cooks use potted beef in beef Wellingtons.
"Potted beef is fantastic on hot toast.
"You get a lovely blend of seasoning with the beefy flavour."
But don't call it the poor man's paté. "It's very different. We've played around with it but it doesn't sell in Barnsley."
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