Our History

 

From humble beginnings to the UK’s premium party foodmanufacturer.

Our heritage brand dates back to 1994 when the Dale family, with roots in the Norfolk farming community, diversified from farming to food…initially by baking quiche from a dozen farm eggs.

Innovation and determination established the brand within the foodservice sector and the rest is history.

Frank Dale Icon

1994

Frank Dale founded

Jean Dale began making traditional and luxury quiches, fruit pies and tartlets in the late 1980’s having earned an enviable reputation within the local farming community.

Frank Dale was born in 1994 following increased interest from the foodservice sector, starting with the supply of large quiches to wholesalers made with delicious short crust pastry and generous, high quality fillings.

What we handle - ingredients - pastry manufacture - Finedale Foods

2000

Introduction of pre-portioned quiche

Pre-portioned quiches introduced, making preparation and serving much simpler.

2002

The finger food revolution

We launched 5 traditionally British canapes into the foodservice arena, including a range of mini quiches specifically targeting the buffet market.

2005

The finishing touch

Hand-finished canapés were introduced, establishing a reputation for high quality British miniatures.

2006

Truly British Desserts launched

Our product range expanded with the introduction of Truly British Desserts, including the ever popular Mini Strawberry Scone and Victoria Sponges.

Frank Dale - Old product packaging examples

2008

New factory

New Factory, new beginnings as the company moved to our current site in Bunwell, Norfolk.

2009

New canapes launched

We launched a range of canapes into the cash and carry marketplace.

2017

Change of ownership

Frank Dale became part of Finedale Foods.

2018

Growth & innovation

Quality improvements, investment and innovation saw Frank Dale introduce new quiche recipes and launch open bagels and frittata.

2019

Salt reduction

25 years of Frank Dale Programme of Salt Reduction on key lines.

2020

Partnership with Central Foods

Sales and distribution moved to Central Foods to enable better customer service.

2021

‘Food 2 go’ range launch

We launched a ‘Food 2 Go’ range for the UK hospitality sector.

Mini vegan canapés

2023

BRCGS AA+ accreditation

Our first unannounced BRC audit saw us achieve a BRCGS AA+ accreditation, the highest possible achievable grade.

Plant-based quiche launched

Following careful development we launched a plant based mini quiche into the UK foodservice and retail sectors.

Removal of black packaging

All black packaging was removed from Frank Dale products resulting in 10 tonnes of black plastic per annum being saved from landfill.

Frank-Dale-New-Packaging

2024

In-house bagel production

In order to elevate product quality, we began production of our own in-house bagels.

New product launch

We launched two new, very exiting products – Puff Tart Selection and Mini Chocolate Cups.

Celebrating 30 Years of Frank Dale

To celebrate our 30th year we have launched new branding, giving us a more contemporary identity and invested in stronger, clearer packaging to make it easier for chefs and caterers to use.