CASE HISTORY
Direct Table Foods Ltd.
from terrible TRAGEDY to wildest DREAM
In the summer of 2004 we proudly celebrated our 25 year association with Direct Table by featuring their well deserved, ongoing success in issue 15 of our newsletter. The article emphasised the very special atmosphere - founded on a spirit of friendship and loyalty - that is so evident throughout the company, so we rightly entitled it ‘Heartbeat’.
Only 4 months later (November) this celebratory triumph turned into a tragedy of terrible proportions when the plant at Bury St Edmunds was completely destroyed by fire. Imagine the effect this had on everyone at Direct Table; years of hard work and dedication gone up in smoke. It was heartbreaking for everyone, especially Managing Director, Tony Stanton, who said, “It was like losing a member of the family. I walked around in a daze for weeks, got no sleep and thought of nothing else – it was my worst nightmare.”
As you can see from the pictures the devastation was, to quote Tony, ‘mind blowing.’ However, as is so often the case when tragedy strikes, people showed extraordinary kindness and offered all sorts of help. The car dealership next door made meeting rooms and other facilities available and even competitors offered to help, but the spirit and resilience of the Direct Table Management team shone through. Within 10 days a night shift was set up at the Cuffley, Herts, plant and Bury St. Edmunds workers were bussed there and back each day. Direct managed to retain 50% of the original workforce and not one customer was let down or lost – some achievement!
“I hated having to lose good staff and I was amazed at how many people were affected by the tragedy, but in a strange way it brought us all closer together. We all worked so hard to resolve the numerous problems, but we did it and I tell you, I’m truly proud of my team – they’re fantastic!” said Tony Stanton.
In true Direct Table fashion, the team looked to the future and realised that this was the right time to move on, so the bold decision was taken to build a state-of-the-art plant on
a new site located on the major A14 road out of Bury. The new location provides excellent communication with all parts of the country and, for the visiting drivers from mainland Europe, it’s easy to find. When they do arrive, they will enjoy the rest and refreshment facilities that have been specially built for them near the despatch bays.
The whole factory is constructed to the very highest standards and, as you would expect, it boasts just about every kind of new technology to provide low running costs and maximum efficiency including heat pumps, special glass for retaining heat while letting in maximum light without glare, grey water recovery and remotely controlled temperature, storage and refrigeration throughout.
As the illustrations clearly show, the new Direct Table will be a shining example of the very latest and best in modern industrial architecture. The new plant will provide many increased benefits from more logically laid out production lines for faster, more efficient production with minimal giveaway and maximised yields, to a new, much larger curing facility with up to the minute control technology for highly efficient and consistent curing across the entire Direct Table product portfolio. A comprehensive, well equipped new test kitchen and fabulous open plan offices add to the futuristic, yet welcoming feel of the whole place.
New slicing lines
The 2004 fire destroyed everything, including the sizeable ‘fleet’ of AEW Delford Systems slicers, checkweighers and weigh price labellers that had done much to deliver the huge range of quality products for which Direct are so famous. We are very pleased to report that yet again, our machines and systems have been chosen by Tony and his team to ‘deliver the goods’. The inventory includes: five IBS2000 high speed bacon slicers, each coupled to a G2200checkweigher and consumer buffer line, one
Smartslice Vision for cutting fixed weight gammon joints and one APC slicer complete with G2200 checkweigher for slicing horseshoe gammon steaks. Nine G1000 end-of- line checkweighers with metal detectors and a three channel grader for grading pork loins complete the list – for now! Naturally, we asked Tony why once again AEW Delford machines would feature so prominently and vitally in his new ‘dream’ factory. “I believe in AEW Delford Systems. I’ve dealt with them for more than 25 years and I know I can trust them to deliver the performance we’re looking for. They are a member of our team,” he said. •
Editors note: It was a cold, dark day in December when I visited the new site and interviewed Tony Stanton. Work was progressing at a pace and as usual, his tremendous warmth, infectious enthusiasm and energy impressed me.
It’s good to know the heart still beats.
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