Princes Group has unveiled a major new campaign aimed at boosting the profile of UK food manufacturing.

The ‘UKM’ campaign will showcase a newly introduced UKM stamp designed to underscore the value of UK-made products and will feature on products manufactured at Princes’ ten UK sites, where nearly 3,000 people are employed.  The initial roll out will see the UKM mark on Princes’ soft drinks and ready meals ranges, Crosse & Blackwell soups and Crisp n Dry Oil.

This initiative comes as part of Princes’ efforts to drive both consumer awareness and industry change by highlighting the benefits of choosing products made in the UK and Princes hopes to secure retailer support for instore activity.

Simon Harrison, CEO of Princes stated “UKM means secure jobs here at home in our communities, it means economic prosperity through tax contribution to the UK economy, and it means increased domestic food security”

The launch responds to growing consumer demand for transparency, with recent surveys indicating that 81% of consumers are prioritising sourcing information into their purchasing decisions. Princes believes that more UK production and sourcing leads to greater food security and a more sustainable future for UK food.

“The UKM stamp is more than just a label” added Harrison. “It signifies our pledge to deliver products that are not only high in quality but tells consumers that what they are buying helps to sustain their families, friends, and neighbours, while contributing to the local and national economy. By choosing UKM products, consumers contribute to local job creation and economic growth.”

While much of its core raw materials such as tuna, tomatoes and pasta aren’t likely to ever be UK sourced Princes highlighted that is already spends some £590m with British businesses encompassing packaging, raw materials and site maintenance and equipment.

Princes intends for this campaign to support the UK government’s ambitions for economic growth and food security, while also advocating for robust, sustainable food systems.

“UKM doesn’t mean that all the raw materials and ingredients we use to make our food and drink are from the UK. The industry is well used to global sourcing and ensuring consumers get the things they want 365 days a year at affordable prices. Climate plays a part too – our Napolina tomatoes will always be 100% Italian and Princes tuna isn’t going to be available from UK waters any time soon” added Harrison. 

Princes efforts are a part of a larger movement to affirm the importance of UK manufacturing within the global food industry, aiming to establish a legacy of quality and responsibility. The UK food and drink industry is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector with nearly 500,000 people employed by over 12,000 businesses.

“UKM is something we hope the wider industry supports and for us is the start of a journey to source more from the UK where we can. Regardless of the source of a raw material, if it’s made in the UK then it contributes to UK jobs, taxation, growth and greater national prosperity” added Harrison.

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About Princes

With a global supply network, a portfolio of household favourite brands and a leading position in the manufacture of customer own label products, Princes is one of the UK’s largest food and drink groups. 

Established as a seafood importing business in 1880, Princes specialises in sourcing and manufacturing quality products, with a mission of “Proudly producing authentic and affordable, high quality store cupboard essentials from across the world”. As a leading international grocery supplier, millions of consumers across the UK, Europe and across the world enjoy Princes brands and products every day.

Headquartered in its original home city of Liverpool, Princes operates ten manufacturing sites in and around the UK, producing food, edible oils and soft drinks. The company also operates international facilities for processing tomatoes and pasta (Italy), tuna (Mauritius) and oils (Poland), with commercial sites across the globe.

Princes manufactures hundreds of different food and drink products under private label and the Group’s owned brands. These include the iconic Princes brand, Napolina, the UK’s number one Italian cooking brand, and British soup producer, Crosse & Blackwell, among others.

Princes also manufactures and distributes branded products under license, including Branston Beans, Olivio oil, Swizzles squash. Following Newlat’ s acquisition of the company in 2024, Princes now also manages and operates food manufacturer Symington’s, including its brands Chicken Tonight, Ragu, Naked Noodles and Mug Shots.

Princes sources quality ingredients from more than 40 countries, collaborates with 600 raw material suppliers, and employs approximately 7,000 people across the globe.

For press enquiries and high-res images, please contact princescorporate@webershandwick.com