Premier Foods' new flexi-working policy serves best of both

Premier Foods, one of Britain’s biggest ambient food producers and home to some of the nation’s best loved brands including Bisto, Oxo and Mr Kipling, is introducing a hybrid working model, aimed at boosting productivity and personal wellbeing.

From this month, the 800+ colleagues who would usually work at Premier Food’s standalone offices, will be able to work wherever they work best, in a move that the FTSE 250 company hopes will be transformational. In recognition of the change, Premier Foods is providing all its people managers with bespoke training to support the transition, which includes mental health provision and practical support.

David Wilkinson, Group HR Director at Premier Foods, said: “This isn’t about getting rid of the office altogether, it’s about shifting our mindset on what it means to be flexible. Work is a verb not a place and whether it’s for a team meeting or just personal preference, our office remains open for anyone who wants to use it. What it’s not, is somewhere colleagues have to be for the sake of showing their face.”

Under the new ways of working, colleagues who can work remotely will be encouraged to work where they are most productive, not a set location they must attend. This follows a number of focus groups, spanning more than 100 Premier Foods colleagues, who told decision makers that a hybrid model would offer the best of both worlds.

David Wilkinson adds: “This is a significant step change that reflects how far we’ve come as a business. Innovation has always been a key focus for Premier Foods and so it makes sense for us to apply the same progressive thinking to our policies, as we do our brands. Our new model will create a workplace culture that fosters mutual flexibility and trust, while retaining our ways of working, which have seen us deliver continued outperformance over the past few years.”

Notes to Editors

Applicable sites include St Albans, Manchester, Lutterworth, Southampton, and High Wycombe.

About Premier Foods

As one of Britain’s largest ambient food producers, Premier Foods is committed to delivering the taste that people love, with food that’s made in Britain by people who understand its consumers. We supply a range of retail, wholesale, foodservice and other customers with some of the nation’s best loved brands, including Ambrosia, Batchelors, Bisto, Loyd Grossman, Mr. Kipling, Oxo and Sharwood’s. The company employs over 4,000 people operating from 15 sites from across the country.