Snack firm launches new crisp to support RNLI
PLYMOUTH-HEADQUARTERED Burts Snacks has launched a new limited edition prawn cocktail flavour crisp and every time it is crunched it will help the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The company, which has its main factory in Roborough, worked with the charity to develop the packaging for the new treats.
The pack features an image of a lifeboat and is available online with Burts, in cafes and in Costa Coffee stores with 5p from each pack (up to max £10,000) being donated to the RNLI helping it to save lives at sea and keep Britain’s coastlines safe.
By partnering with the RNLI, Burts hopes to raise vital funds for the charity so they can continue ensuring people enjoy “our stunning Devon beaches safely”.
With its Devonshire roots at the heart of the Burts brand, the new prawn cocktail flavour continues to champion the RNLI’s water safety message, which was first introduced on packaging in 2021 with Burts’ sea salt and sea salt and malt vinegar flavours.
The RNLI Float to Live messaging remains on packs to ensure Burts always champions the messaging of its partners to help people stay safe at the coast.
A Burts spokesperson said: “A perfectly seasoned blend for a delicious, tangy and nostalgic flavour, the new crisps are hand cooked, thick cut and cooked to be perfectly golden and crunchy, tying to Burts’ coastal heritage and the rugged coastlines of Devon.
The new flavour will be available in both 40g and 150g bags, making them perfect to munch on the go, share over drinks or indulge whilst relaxing in front of the TV.
“Burts’ mouth-watering crisps contain no artificial flavourings or colourings. All are prepared and cooked in small batches here in the South West by some of Burts famous fryers, to make sure they get the true care and attention Burts customers expect, never compromising on quality, but always delivering on taste and flavour.”
In September 2021 it was revealed that Burts Snacks Ltd shifted £57.3m of crisps in a year and became the UK’s fastest growing independent “snacking” company – despite the Covid pandemic. The firm saw sales jump by more than £7m in 2020, from £51m in 2019.
This led to an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation), a measure of profitability, of £2.6m for 2020 – up from £1m in 2019. Although the crisp and popcorn maker suffered a blow to sales in the hospitality sector when pubs, bars, delis, restaurants and cafes were forced to close during three lockdowns, its annual report said the company was able to bounce back because its products and distribution channels gave it a level of resilience that protected the financial performance.
It has important supermarket contracts, and invested heavily in both its plants during the lockdown. In June 2021, Burts struck a deal with Tesco for three flavours of crisps to be sold in more than 60 stores across the Westcountry – from Yeovil to Ilfracombe and Gloucester to Helston.