Ranjit Singh reveals to Iona Walton the secrets of poultry processor 2 Sisters’ success
Ranjit Singh, founder and chief executive of 2 Sisters, is looking for UK-based chicken suppliers. From its infancy 16 years ago as a small cutting operation, the firm’s success has snowballed and with it the amount of chicken it demands from the industry.

Today, 2 Sisters is one of the larger British-owned processors of raw chicken, serving the retail, foodservice and manufacturing sectors with raw and prepared chicken products and ready-meals. It has 13 manufacturing sites in the UK, one in Holland and one in the US, while annual sales exceed £750 million.

Mr Singh employs about 5,500 people, works with more than 300 British farms across the country and uses around 5% of the domestic cereal harvest.

“We concentrate on what we’re good at, which is processing, and develop partnerships with experts in other fields who can provide us with a quality product and adapt to the market while adhering to relevant standards and rules,” says Mr Singh. “Making products that are in line with market demands and consumer trends drives growth.”

Predominantly a private label manufacturer, 2 Sisters also produces branded products, including Buxted and Devonshire Red. It strives to provide consumers with a choice for every occasion: while some want regionally-sourced chicken, others opt for a bird that has been offered a more enriched environment, such as access to the outdoors.

Mr Singh pins his success largely on putting customers first. This is achieved by understanding the needs of customers, the changing market place, communicating these requirements to staff and developing a culture of continuous improvement that challenges tradition and drives performance forward.

“Our close alignment and transparency with our customers has enabled us to lead the way and drive performance. One example where we have been first to market was Oakham. About eight years ago we recognised there was a huge gap between indoor-bred chicken and the outdoor systems. By listening to our customers we were able to develop a system that not only addressed welfare concerns, but was also affordable,” he explains. “Only through continual investment in our facilities and our people are we able to adapt to change and offer better for less.

“British chicken farmers are passionate about what they do and have demonstrated the benefits of working together as a sector. They have diversified into specialist chicken production to meet consumer demand and been at the forefront of driving forward traceability from farm to fork, as well as demonstrating the highest levels of biosecurity.”

Progression within the industry, however, is being held back by planning, believes Mr Singh. “We need local councils to be more sympathetic when farmers are putting forward planning applications for new chicken houses,” he says. “For example, we’ve invested £4m in farms during the past 12 months, but it’s taken 18 months to get the planning permission agreed.

“As for the future, I anticipate further consolidation within the industry as farmers seek to benefit from their economies of scale. At the other end of the spectrum, I think we’ll see smaller family farms meeting the needs of niche markets.”

While 2 Sisters enjoys its continued period of growth, Mr Singh is seeking to forge new relationships with suppliers who are prepared to innovate. “Customer focus is central to our success and we need more of the best farmers to come forward and supply chicken to meet growing demand. By focusing on what we do best and by working with other experts in other fields, we can continue to produce a better product for less,” he concludes.

For more information visit www.2sfg.com.