Lionel Hitchen develops green pathway to offer natural flavours on its sustainability journey

Lionel Hitchen manufactures and supplies Naturally Fabulous flavours and flavour ingredients to the food and beverage industry, working closely with customers to develop authentic, innovative flavours and flavour ingredients providing consumers with a memorable taste experience.

As a family-owned company with manufacturing and warehousing sites in Hampshire, one in Barton Stacey and another in Andover, Lionel Hitchen fully appreciates the impact its business potentially has on people and the environment. Its underlying values are to operate with respect and integrity with its employees, local communities and throughout its supply chain.

This has since been recognised at The Solent 250 awards by winning the ‘Business Culture 2022’ and ‘Employee Engagement & Wellbeing 2021’ awards.

History

Founded in 1965, Lionel Hitchen’s success has seen the business grow over the years, laying down robust roots with global suppliers and working closely with customers. Throughout the years it has established a reputation for developing and supplying unique and natural products of the highest quality. It provides a world-class service to valued customers through the application of its technical expertise, flexibility and tailored and bespoke product development.

Development and improvement

Lionel Hitchen has implemented a World Class Manufacturing (WCM) programme that ensures continuous improvement based on how it operates in all aspects throughout the business. Each and every effort is valued, so that individuals can proudly contribute to the growth and success of their company.

In 2021 Lionel Hitchen achieved its first silver in the Ecovadis Sustainability Audit and retained this in 2022, improving the score to reach close to the top of the silver medal banding.

As a company committed to sustainable development and the continuous improvement of its processes and solutions, it embraces the opportunity to be audited by EcoVadis.

Sustainability – the green pathway

This year the company published its first sustainability report, in conjunction with the Southampton Business School (SBS).

“Sustainability has been on our minds for many years, but this is the first time that we are reporting on our activities and commitments. It is a subject that we have been growing increasingly passionate about and it is now at the forefront of everything we do, our values and our decisions. We are a family-owned business, and we want to ensure we will be securing a sustainable business for all future generations of the Hitchen family,” said Eva Agnew, CEO at Lionel Hitchen.

It has been essential for Lionel Hitchen to involve its employees in their sustainability journey and several employees have shown their enthusiasm by forming an independent, cross-functional group to support the development of Lionel Hitchen’s Green Pathway. These individuals have called themselves the ‘Green Dream Team’. The Green Dream Team hold regular meetings to discuss various topics and what activities the company can initiate to improve the company’s sustainability.

Flavour innovation is about turning ideas into reality. Lionel Hitchen’s experienced team know just how to do that to manufacture products most likely to deliver commercial success for its customers in the food
and beverage industries. Its flexibility in manufacturing facilitates low start-up volumes.

So, whether your development project is large or small, Lionel Hitchen would be delighted to
assist. Just get in touch!