£4m Tesco deal for Pooles Pies

POOLE’S Pies, the Wigan business run by Neil Court-Johnson, has picked up a £4m contract to supply pies and sausage rolls for Tesco’s Finest range.

Mr Court-Johnson, the former boss at Holland’s Pies, bought the business from Wigan Athletic owner Dave Whelan last year.

In November the business, which employs 50 staff, won a contract to supply frozen fruit pies and crumbles to ASDA.

Mr Court-Johnston said: “This is fantastic news and a real vote of confidence in our ability to produce the very highest quality products.

“Our state of the art production facilities mean we can produce the finest quality at lowest cost – a powerful USP (unique selling point). It is great news for the company and a shot in the arm for the local community in Wigan.”

Poole’s was established in 1847 as a local craft bakery. Dave Whelan bought it in the late 1980s, transforming the Wigan factory into a state-of-the-art 300,000 sq ft plant that can make up to 100,000 pies and pastries an hour.