BARRY Thomas had a tough initiation into the world of cooked meats. He tells a jaw-dropping tale about a headless 50lb turkey escaping its executioner’s clutches - but the less said about that the better.

Suffice to say that life on his parents’ farm at Knuzden was the perfect grounding for an impressive career which has seen him rise from market trader to MD of a food company that supplies pies and goodies to several major football clubs – Blackburn Rovers, Accrington, Everton, Liverpool, Preston, to name but a few.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Says Barry, 48: “I was working from six years old, mucking out thousands of turkeys we raised for Christmas. I used to work on the market stall with my dad when I was knee high to a grasshopper.”

Green’s in Blackburn market was set up by Barry’s great great grandfather and the stall has been in the family for around 150 years. His sister and her husband now run it.

Barry started working full time on the stall when he left Rhyddings School in 1983. It sold mainly poultry, bacon and cooked meats.

“We bought our pies in, but deliveries were hit and miss and we would rarely get what we ordered. We were missing out on potential sales, so we decided to try and make our own.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

In 1994 they rented a unit and started making meat pies to supply the stall.

“They started to sell really well,” says Barry. “So we introduced sausage rolls and suddenly it was a struggle to work both on the market and the unit making pies. We were working 24/7. My father didn’t want the hassle as he was too busy on the stall, so I decided to give it a go with my wife and former business partner.”

In 2001 the company was doing so well it moved into larger premises.

“I remember the move to this day. We literally pushed all the equipment to the new site on a Saturday morning and were up and running that evening to keep production running ready for Monday’s delivery.”

Sales increased and so did the staff and by 2003 numbers had swelled to 25 and Barry was again on the lookout for bigger premises.

“In 2005 we secured our first football contract with Everton FC, who have had over a million pies from us. This was followed with Liverpool, Rochdale and over the next couple of years Oldham, Blackburn, Accrington Stanley and Preston North End.”

In 2006 the firm bought a 20,000 sq ft building nearby and yet again Saturday morning was spent pushing equipment up to the new bakery.

“The investment was massive for us at the time but we knew it was a great opportunity.”

In 2008-2009, the company started supplying James Hall with savouries under the Clayton Park label. Booths supermarkets followed. There were now 12 vans on the road supplying hospitals, shops and market stalls around the North West.

The business grew and grew until a chance conversation on a golf course with Anthony Barton, an executive from James Hall, took it to another level.

“I knew James Hall was a great business that looked after its suppliers so I thought there was some opportunity to do some work for them. The conversation came up while I was playing in a charity golf day. We discussed opportunities to supply products and work more closely with them. I then met with Andrew Hall and he was so impressed with our operation, he wanted to buy it.” It was a tough decision. The business had been in the family for generations and Barry had to consider its importance as a legacy for his children, Sadie Mae, 20, and Harrison, 14.

“The decision was hard as it was a successful operation in its infancy but knowing what plans James Hall had gave me the assurance that it was the right time and the right thing to do. The investment needed to take us forward was huge and the sale of the business was a perfect fit to take Clayton Park to the next level.”

The decision also provided long-term security for the 60 or so staff. So in January 2011, Clayton Park Bakery became part of the James Hall Group of Companies and started to supply Asda, Morrison’s Local and Spar.

“In 2012 we launched the 12 pack soft rolls and fruit tea cakes. This was the start of the supply of morning goods into Spar. The sales of these lines grew week on week and within 12 months we were operating 24-7 out of Petre Road and it was at bursting point. We started to look for another site but keeping the location close to the existing bakery so it was easier moving staff without any travel issues. We moved the bread/morning goods production and the cake production into the new site leaving the savoury lines to be made at Petre Road.”

The building eventually purchased what was originally a bouncy castle manufacturer and an investment of over £3.5 million was made by the Hall family to make it a BRC Standard food factory. The site was up and running by July 2013.

This was one of the biggest challenges that Clayton Park Bakery had faced. It was now going to produce morning goods for the whole of Spar Northern. The success continues. Turnover has increased year on year, from around 75k in 1995 to almost 10 million last year. Locally the company employs around 152 people.

Product development in both sites will continue, assures the MD, but with Petre Road and the Huncoat site almost full to capacity, the company is looking for Clayton Park 3.

Barry’s life has changed somewhat since his market trader days. He no longer has to work seven days a week, although working for a food company has its temptations.

“I love the food we make,” says Barry. “But for the last 12 months, I’ve been on a keep-fit regime, cycling, running, and cutting out the fatty stuff. I still eat the bread though. We do a fabulous brown bread which is healthy.”

His fitness level is such that Barry recently completed his first triathlon. He’s also doing the100-mile London Prudential bike ride to raise money for Sue Ryder Hospice, in Chorley.

And that has to be a first for a man who made his fortune selling pies.