Ethnic food business gets commercial edge

From KTP Associate to the youngest Brand Manager for Nestle, Matthew Jones is proof that a KTP programme puts Associates a step ahead on the career ladder.

In a family owned business such as Raj Foods, major business decisions were often made informally. This practice was no longer sufficient at Raj, an ethnic food business which has supplied Halal and ethnic foods to the social services sector including the National Health Service since 1983.

In order to stay competitive in an increasingly demanding and price-sensitive market, Raj needed more polished business practices and a professional marketing plan. To do this Raj Foods took on a KTP programme with London South Bank University and hired Associate Matthew Jones to take on this ambitious project. "For me, KTP was an opportunity to fast-track my career development. The KTP scheme really jumps-starts your career." Raj Radia, Managing Director of Raj Foods in London wanted to bring these skills in-house, "Rather than employ a marketing person who already knows the market and has contacts, we want someone to set up a department for us from the ground up."

The KTP programme has helped Raj to create a comprehensive analysis of the company's market position as well as the position of their competitors. Efficiency was improved through a detailed breakdown of costings that helped Raj increase lower-priced options for price sensitive customers. The produce range was also expanded to 16 meat and 14 vegetable dishes allowing for hospitals to offer a wider variety of meals over a 2 week period. "People are definitely more familiar with Raj Foods than they were before the KTP programme," Raj observed. Raj estimated that brand awareness has improved by 25% and perception of quality has also been greatly enhanced through the KTP programme. Both have helped Raj expand to new markets such as University cafeteria's and HM Prison Service.

Anna Zacharewicz was the academic supervisor on the project. She said it is easy to see the impact of the KTP programme at Raj. "If they hadn't had the KTP project they would have been fire-fighting every step of the way. It is very difficult because the sector they are in is very professional and very competitive. The KTP has had a major impact at Raj."

The KTP helped Raj gain the direction they needed to help their business grow, whilst also helping to advance Matthew's career. "My project at Raj was a key step in getting me into my current position as Brand Manager at Nestle. This scheme was seen in a very positive light by my current employer and it was wonderful to be able to talk about a wealth of positive changes I had implemented at Raj Foods."