The company behind the Four’N Twenty pie is celebrating its 50th birthday next week with a party for staff, customers and suppliers in its home town of Bairnsdale, in regional Victoria.
From humble beginnings as a cake shop in Lakes Entrance, Patties Foods now has a portfolio of pie brands, including Four’N Twenty, Herbert Adams, Patties and Nanna’s, and bakes more than 450 million pastry items a year.
Founded by Dutch migrants Peter and Annie Rijs, whose six sons all worked in the business, Patties Foods operates an ultramodern bakery at Bairnsdale, employing more than 400 staff.
Nationally, Patties Foods claims to have more than a 50 per cent value share of the frozen savoury food market, and 47 per cent of the frozen fruit pie market, with the company’s brands all market leaders in their respective categories.
Patties Foods MD and CEO Steven Chaur thanked staff, consumers, customers and suppliers over the past 50 years for helping the company to achieve ongoing success.
“Fifty years in business, 50 years with great products, iconic brands and being part of the community: it’s an achievement worth celebrating,” he said.
“With a great team in place, iconic brands, quality products and an exciting innovation and new product development program, the business is looking to the future with confidence.”