There is, apparently, one man in the North-East who loves his wife so much he gave her a tour of a pickle factory as a Christmas present.
 Fortunately, she had always been fascinated by the process and it was one of most imaginative gifts she could have received. The factory is James Ross & Son, one of the region's best-loved companies which, in a lot of people's eyes, is more of an institution than a business. That, thereby, presents something of a problem when you're an 87-year-old, Newcastle family pickle firm - what does the future hold, for example, and when does the family slacken its hold of the reins? There is no doubt that the late 1990s and early 2000s were tough for Ross's (whose core product can be spotted several times a week behind the counter at the Rover's Return). The Ross brand was - and still is - a real favourite in the North-East and is part of its culinary fabric. National retailers, however, are extremely demanding on their suppliers in terms of service and margins and, as the thick end of 80pc of Ross's production was in supermarket own-brands, any downward pricing pressure was going to hurt. Plus, new competitors started to bring fresh styles of presentation and to the sector - and that hurt, too. In August last year, Ross's brought in its first-ever non-family member as managing director. The appointment of Chris Pennison (ex-Black & Decker and Fisher Price) was part of a recruitment of external people to work alongside the five Ross cousins who are still active directors and shareholders. Basically, they realised that to stay in business for another 87 years, new blood had to be tranfused into the company. Charles Penn was recruited as business development director and things started to happen. "The last time James Ross launched a new product, Neil Armstrong was landing on the Moon," says Chris Pennison. "That's the scale of things. You're either in the fight or you bow out gracefully. We want to be in there as the supplier of choice - James Ross should be synonymous with quality. "The fact that Ross's has lasted 87 years is a strength in itself and our standard range of pickles - the one we're loved for, is still very much going strong and the James Ross ethic is still there, but we needed to reinforce what the higher end of the market is doing. We needed to diversify in terms of recipe and packaging - which is, of course, the first point of contact." Ross's has introduced a new range to a new set of customers. Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Safeway and the Co-op are still very much in the own-brand focus, but it doesn't take a Nellie Pledge to tell you the pickle market is in decline and Chris and his team realised the need to diversify and find other outlets. Ross's Premier range went from concept to shelf within four months, launching last November into delicatessens and specialist outlets with innovations such as Curry Piccallili with Sultanas and Baby Beetroot in Raspberry Red Wine, packaged in elegant, slim jars that wouldn't look out of place on a dinner table. "We focused on our heritage and worked with Design Group in Gosforth on a newer, brighter label to look visually appealing," says Chris. "We targeted the deli market and in six weeks got 60 new outlets - most of whom would never have taken the standard range. It was a major step for James Ross, but we'll never forget our roots, our core products. "We were being driven by our customers and requests from the multiples about what's new - now we're driven by our own imaginations. The question now is, 'why can't we', rather than, 'we can't'." An emphasis on new product development was like music to the ears of quality director, Fiona Ross, one of the three great-grand-daughters of founders James and Elizabeth involved in the company. This may sound daft, but she's passionate about pickles - a phrase that Ross's uses on its labelling - but if you ever share Baby Beetroot in Raspberry Red Wine with her, you'll know why. "Pickles don't have to be eaten only with cheese," she says. "They can be eaten on their own as an alternative to olives, for example. "We do a lot of work in the lab; there are lots and lots of experiments going on - it's really chemistry - and we always aim for quality, it's vital. We're looking at what to do with chillies, pickled bananas in balsamic vinegar, pickled strawberries, grapefruit - why not? A lot of it is recipe awareness. I can go and source some unusual vinegars and I'm looking to explore a dessert pickle range. So why stop? "We're looking to give people 'an elegant pickle experience'. Someone once said that at a tasting and I've never forgotten it." Technical manager, Sharon Dowell plays a key role in new product development alongside Fiona and has helped create the new recipes and flavour combinations. She says: "It was a big challenge to come up with a new set of products that would tempt our existing customers and at the same time appeal to a younger, perhaps slightly more adventurous, generation of pickle eaters." And there's the key. As Chris Pennison says, the company has to cover everybody's tastes and pockets. Markets in the Baltic states and Australia are being investigated this year and a trade show in the Canaries this month should present the pickle profile to another new audience. "If we can transform a localised brand into a global brand - in the style of Newcastle Brown Ale - that sort of thinking will allow James Ross to be here in another 87 years," says Chris. Back home, factory tours are being seriously considered (a pickle is not just for Christmas) and a school has already used the production line as part of a maths lesson. "People have a fascination for the process," says Fiona. "When you're in Poland, in this huge, state-of-the-art, stainless steel hall watching women grading and peeling, you get a real thrill, thinking, 'they're my onions'." There's red stain on the carpet of the James Ross boardroom. The signs are good, however - the company knew instinctively that the appointments of Chris Pennison, Charles Penn, Bill Marley and Ian Sanger from outside the industry were positive steps, though in less visionary family firms, red stains on the carpet could signal fatalities. We're happy to report, it's beetroot. * For further information, contact Chris Pennison (0191) 267 6321 or e-mail: md@jamesross.co.uk | 
