Premier Foods adds Miles Calcraft to its 26m roster

Premier Foods, the owner of Hovis, Sharwoods and Bisto brands, is understood to have appointed Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy to part of its £26m advertising roster.

It is thought that RKCR/Y&R has been knocked out of the pitch.

The company is still in talks with McCann Erickson, the only incumbent agency to get onto the shortlist, and WCRS for the second place on the roster. It is not yet clear how Premier plans to split the brands between the agencies.

The food company’s business was previously split between CHI & Partners, which handled the majority of the business, Delaney Lund Knox Warren, Publicis and McCann. All four agencies were invited to repitch.

The advertising review came just weeks after the company reviewed its media planning and buying arrangements. It consolidated the account into Starcom, following a pitch against fellow roster agency, Universal McCann (MW July 19).

Premier, which was previously owned by Texan private equity firm Hick Muse Tate Furst, was floated on the stock market in 2004.

It has been on an acquisition spree that has seen it add a large number of famous UK brands to its portfolio, such as Hovis, from its acquisition of RHM, Batchelors and Ambrosia.

The company invited RHM incumbent agency DDB London, which handled the Hovis brand, but the agency declined to take part (MW September 27).