Higgidy
Higgidy is a British fresh-food manufacturer known for pies, quiches, tortillas, rolls and other savoury baked products.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Higgidy is a United Kingdom fresh-food manufacturer based in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. The business was co-founded in 2003 by Camilla Stephens and James Foottit and developed from Stephens's home baking into a branded supplier of chilled savoury foods. Its principal categories include individual and sharing pies, quiches, tortillas, filled and savoury rolls, pastry swirls, savoury muffins and other snack products. The company's early development followed a route common to successful specialist food manufacturers: it began with small-scale production for local events and independent retailers, then secured a significant early customer in the café chain EAT in 2004. Higgidy's first manufacturing premises were in Southwick, West Sussex. In 2007, the company moved to a larger site on Dolphin Road in Shoreham-by-Sea, allowing it to expand production and serve national retail customers. A major step in the brand's retail growth came in 2007, when it was selected to supply Sainsbury's through the supermarket's “Supply Something New” initiative. This helped Higgidy move beyond local and independent distribution and establish a presence in the United Kingdom's mainstream grocery market. The company subsequently became available through retailers and platforms including Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Ocado, Tesco, Co-op, Asda, Booths, Amazon Fresh, Boots and selected Londis and Budgens stores, as well as through wholesalers such as Cotswold Fayre. Higgidy's identity is closely associated with handmade-looking, irregularly shaped savoury pastry. The name reportedly came from an early description by a visiting child of the uneven appearance of the company's pies. Rather than presenting uniform industrial perfection as its central cue, the brand has used an informal, homemade and friendly character to distinguish its products in chilled food and bakery aisles. The company recorded rapid growth during the late 2000s and early 2010s. It appeared in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 ranking of Britain's fastest-growing companies in both 2009 and 2010, and in 2011 was selected as the South of England regional winner of the HSBC Business Thinking initiative. The cited reference material reports turnover of £3.2 million and a workforce of 50 employees during this period; the figures are historical and do not represent current financial performance. By 2019, the Higgidy Family Kitchen was reported to have made just under 13 million individual products, illustrating the scale reached by the business. Higgidy also has a strong vegetarian and meat-free orientation within its broader savoury range. Its products include vegetarian and vegan rolls, and founder Camilla Stephens published Higgidy: The Cookbook in 2007 and Higgidy: The Veggie Cookbook in 2019. These publications reinforced the brand's association with home cooking, recipe development and accessible vegetarian food. In 2019, Samworth Brothers, the food group behind brands including Ginsters, acquired a minority stake in Higgidy with an option to increase its holding. The arrangement was described as a partnership intended to create operational opportunities without an immediate merger of manufacturing operations. Higgidy has also supported FareShare and FareShare Sussex by donating surplus products on a weekly basis for distribution through community kitchens and local food banks. Its current detailed ownership structure, leadership roster and official website are not established in the supplied reference material.
History
Higgidy was established in 2003 by Camilla Stephens and James Foottit in West Sussex. Its origins lay in Stephens's home baking: she began making pies in her kitchen and then supplied local events and independent retailers. The company's name is associated with the uneven, homemade appearance of its early pies, which a visiting child reportedly described in a way that inspired “Higgidy.” This informal origin became consistent with the brand's later emphasis on handmade character rather than industrial uniformity. The company gained an important early commercial account in 2004 when the café chain EAT began buying its products. This gave Higgidy a larger and more regular customer while it was still a small supplier. Its first manufacturing site was located in Southwick, West Sussex. In 2007, Higgidy moved to premises on Dolphin Road in Shoreham-by-Sea. The relocation provided a base for continued production growth and established the town as the company's manufacturing home. Also in 2007, Higgidy was chosen to supply Sainsbury's under the supermarket's Supply Something New scheme. The relationship represented a turning point: the company moved from primarily local and independent distribution into national supermarket retail. Its subsequent retail network expanded to include Waitrose, Ocado, Tesco, Co-op, Asda, Booths, Amazon Fresh, Boots and selected Londis and Budgens stores. Products were also distributed through wholesalers, including Cotswold Fayre. Higgidy's growth was recognized in the late 2000s and early 2010s. It was included in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 ranking of the United Kingdom's fastest-growing companies in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, it became the South of England regional winner of the HSBC Business Thinking initiative. The cited material records historical turnover of £3.2 million and a workforce of 50 employees during the period of its early expansion. By 2020, the Shoreham-by-Sea site was reported to employ about 300 people, although the supplied material does not establish whether that figure remains current. The product portfolio expanded beyond its original pie focus. Higgidy became associated with individual and sharing pies, large and small quiches, snack quiches, tortillas, sausage rolls, vegetarian rolls, vegan rolls and a broader snacking and sharing range. The latter included dinky rolls, pastry swirls and savoury muffins. The brand's vegetarian credentials were also reflected in Camilla Stephens's publications: Higgidy: The Cookbook appeared in 2007, followed by Higgidy: The Veggie Cookbook in 2019. In 2019, Samworth Brothers, a food group with other pie and bakery interests including Ginsters, purchased a minority stake in Higgidy and obtained an option to increase its holding. The partnership was expected to create operational opportunities, while the available account stated that there were no plans at that point to merge manufacturing operations. The precise subsequent ownership outcome is not specified in the supplied sources. The business has also maintained a social-impact relationship with FareShare and FareShare Sussex. Higgidy donates surplus stock weekly for use by community kitchens and local food banks, supporting people experiencing food insecurity in the United Kingdom. By 2019, the Higgidy Family Kitchen was reported to have made just under 13 million individual products. The supplied sources establish Higgidy as an active British fresh-food manufacturer, but do not provide a confirmed current executive list, current ownership details beyond the Samworth Brothers investment, current financial statements or a verified official website URL.
- 2019
Samworth Brothers takes a minority stake
[1]Samworth Brothers invests in Higgidy and receives an option to increase its shareholding.
- 2019
Vegetarian cookbook published
[1]Camilla Stephens publishes Higgidy: The Veggie Cookbook, containing 120 vegetarian recipes.
- 2011
HSBC Business Thinking regional award
[1]Higgidy is selected as the South of England regional winner in the HSBC Business Thinking initiative.
- 2010
Second consecutive Fast Track 100 appearance
[1]The company appears in the ranking for a second consecutive year.
- 2009
First Sunday Times Fast Track 100 appearance
[1]Higgidy is included in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 ranking of Britain's fastest-growing companies.
- 2007
Move to Shoreham-by-Sea
[1]Higgidy relocates its manufacturing operation from Southwick to premises on Dolphin Road in Shoreham-by-Sea.
- 2007
Sainsbury's supply agreement
[1]The brand is selected for Sainsbury's Supply Something New initiative, accelerating its development as a national retail supplier.
- 2007
First Higgidy cookbook published
[1]Camilla Stephens publishes Higgidy: The Cookbook, a collection of 100 recipes connected with the brand's food and baking identity.
- 2004
EAT becomes the first major customer
[1]The café chain EAT begins purchasing Higgidy products, giving the young company an important recurring commercial account.
- 2003
Higgidy is founded
[1]Camilla Stephens and James Foottit co-found the business in West Sussex after Stephens begins producing pies from her home kitchen.
Products and positioning
A British chilled fresh-food brand positioned around handmade-looking savoury pastry, approachable recipes, imaginative fillings and a friendly, informal alternative to highly standardized mass-market bakery products.
Savoury baked foods · 2003
Pies
Higgidy's core range includes individual pies, sharing pies and smaller “little pies.” The category expresses the brand's original home-baking heritage and its deliberately informal, handmade-looking appearance. Products are sold through major United Kingdom supermarkets and other grocery channels.
Chilled savoury bakery
Quiches
The quiche range spans large quiches, little quiches and snack-sized formats. It extends Higgidy beyond traditional pies while retaining the brand's focus on convenient chilled foods suitable for meals, lunch occasions and sharing.
Chilled prepared food
Tortillas
Higgidy produces tortillas as part of its broader fresh-food portfolio. The available reference identifies the category but does not specify individual varieties, ingredients or launch dates.
Savoury rolls
Sausage, vegetarian and vegan rolls
The roll range includes conventional sausage rolls alongside vegetarian and vegan alternatives. These products broaden the brand's appeal across meat-eating, vegetarian and plant-based occasions and are available within Higgidy's retail distribution network.
Savoury snacks
Snacking and sharing range
Higgidy's snacking and sharing products include dinky rolls, pastry swirls and savoury muffins. The range is designed for informal eating occasions and complements the company's larger pies, quiches and meal-oriented products.
Brand decisions
2019
Accept minority investment from Samworth BrothersM&ABackground
Higgidy had grown into a sizeable fresh-food manufacturer, while Samworth Brothers had experience in food manufacturing and ownership of other pie brands.
Action taken
Samworth Brothers purchased a minority stake in Higgidy with an option to increase its shareholding.
Aftermath
The investment was expected to create operational opportunities, while the available account stated that there were no immediate plans to merge production operations.
2007
Expand into national supermarket supplyStrategyBackground
After developing through local events, independent retailers and the EAT café chain, Higgidy sought a larger retail platform.
Action taken
The company supplied Sainsbury's through the Supply Something New initiative.
Aftermath
The relationship helped Higgidy progress from a small local supplier toward wider United Kingdom supermarket distribution.
2007
Relocate and expand manufacturingStrategyBackground
Growth in customers and production created a need for a larger manufacturing base than the original Southwick site.
Action taken
Higgidy moved its manufacturing operation to Dolphin Road in Shoreham-by-Sea.
Aftermath
The Shoreham-by-Sea site became the company's principal production location and later supported a substantially larger workforce.
Recent events
Higgidy launches its first advertising campaign[2]
Reported:
Higgidy launched its first advertising campaign, focused on its pie range. The ads were planned to run for six weeks on YouTube as the first part of a year-long campaign series.
Higgidy appoints Sarah Jackson as marketing director[2]
Reported:
Higgidy announced the appointment of Sarah Jackson as its new Marketing Director.
Sources3 sources
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