Managing production as a Jamaican pattie manufacturer

Island Delight is part of the UK-founded company Cleone Foods - a company founded by Wade Lyn. When he moved to the UK from Jamaica, he quickly discovered that there was a gap in the market for tasty Jamaican cuisine. So, with a love of that Jamaican cuisine and a desire to share the tantalising flavours with the rest of the country, Wade launched Island Delight Jamaican Patties. We offer our Jamaican patties online and in supermarkets throughout the UK.

When it comes to Jamaican pattie production here in the UK, Island Delight feel that they have truly got it right. Despite now being a market leader in these savoury treats, the company has never lost sight of the quality and love that goes into each and every pattie. Waseem Jagot, production planner at Island Delight gives us an insight into producing Jamaican patties in the UK.

Determining pattie production levels

The popularity of the Jamaican pattie in the UK has still not peaked, and each year more consumers are trying the traditional Caribbean street food. So how do you plan production around a snack that doesn't necessarily have a consistent demand yet?

Every Friday we plan the production of our patties for the following week. We take into account a variety of variables such as:

• Weather
• Promotions
• National Holidays
• School Breaks
• What's happening in the marketplace

After taking any of the above factors into account, we'll adjust the previous week's orders and establish a suitable target for the following week. Each day of the following week, we'll continue monitoring the levels and make adjustments when necessary, with the majority of our patties being produced for supermarkets.

Avoiding production issues

In order to minimise stock wastage and reduce the risk of shortages with our pattie production, we take a proactive approach to stock management. Waseem confirms that attention to detail on a day-to-day basis helps to keep production running smoothly. However, what happens when the stock predictions from the previous week are completely wrong?

Unprecedented orders

Waseem explained that if an unforeseen event occurred such as a supplier needing 300 per cent more patties than their normal order, they won't be letting anyone down. The team aims to keep a minimum stock level at the distribution centre, so there is almost always extra production to use in these scenarios.

At the very least, the buffer provides the team with more time to produce more patties. Waseem and the team at Island Delight work hard to find the balance between too much and too little stock levels. Whilst they recognise the importance of having these ‘buffers', they equally want to ensure that stock wastage is kept at a minimum.