Homepride picks head of marketing

Homepride Foods has appointed its first head of marketing and boosted its marketing budget by 50 per cent to 12m.

Paul Cousins moves across from his role as marketing controller for Spillers Foods to take up the new post. Both Homepride and Spillers are owned by Dalgety.

Cousins’ role follows the appointment of Grey Advertising last October to work on new product development as well as its baking products business. Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury holds the Cook-in-Sauces account.

Homepride has faced increasing pressure from new competitors in the sauce market as well as a decline in the market for its traditional baking products. Six months ago it was restructured and moved in with sister company Golden Wonder to save on administration costs.

The changes are being made by Clive Sharpe, who joined Homepride as chief executive from Golden Wonder, another Dalgety company, nine months ago.