Premier Foods
What is Premier Foods?
Premier Foods is one of the UK's largest branded food manufacturers, operating offices and factories across the United Kingdom. The company is headquartered in St Albans and is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange. Its portfolio includes household-name brands across baking, cakes, desserts, cooking sauces, quick meals, and flavourings. Notable brands: Mr Kipling, Ambrosia, Batchelors, Homepride, Bisto, Oxo, Sharwood's
What is Premier Foods' approach to inclusion and diversity?
Premier Foods operates an inclusive workplace built on three principles: Be You. Belong. Thrive. The company's culture is grounded in camaraderie, respect, and open communication, with a stated commitment to psychological safety as a baseline expectation rather than an aspiration.
Premier Foods measures success by employee attributes and behaviours, not background. The company describes its workplace mantra as #oktobeme — a commitment that all colleagues are welcome regardless of identity, beliefs, or who they love.
What are Premier Foods' formal inclusion and diversity commitments?
Premier Foods has published six formal commitments:
- Create a psychologically safe work environment that promotes inclusion, dignity, and respect for all.
- Foster a workplace where individual differences and contributions are recognised and valued.
- Treat colleagues fairly in promotion, progression, training, and development, with decisions based on business needs and individual aptitude — including in recruitment.
- Encourage colleagues to raise concerns about discrimination so corrective measures can be applied.
- Regularly review employment practices and procedures to ensure inclusion and diversity are achieved.
- Monitor and review workplace culture on an ongoing basis to ensure inclusion and diversity are continually upheld.
What Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) does Premier Foods have?
Premier Foods runs four Employee Resource Groups, all open to every colleague. The ERGs contribute directly to the company's Inclusion and Diversity Strategy, review policies, influence culture, and build allyship through online and in-person activities, including roadshows and on-site factory events.
1. #OKtobeproud — LGBTQIA+ ERG Focus: Sexual orientation and gender identity. #OKtobeproud provides education, builds allyship at every level of the business, and starts conversations about what LGBTQIA+ colleagues need to feel safe. The group hosts events at Premier Foods factories — described by the company as a "game changer" for making the invisible visible across the whole workforce.
2. Origins — Multicultural ERG Focus: Ethnicity, religion, and nationality. Origins works to create a culture of inclusion and belonging where all backgrounds feel welcomed.
3. Gender ERG Focus: All genders. Marks International Women's Day and International Men's Day, addresses gender-specific workplace issues, and creates spaces for shared experience — including menopause cafés.
4. accessABLE — Health and Disability ERG Focus: Colleagues living with health conditions and disabilities. accessABLE breaks down barriers, challenges stereotypes, and promotes a culture of empathy and accommodation, ensuring colleagues have the tools to thrive.
Why should LGBTQ+ jobseekers consider Premier Foods?
Premier Foods has an active LGBTQIA+ ERG (#OKtobeproud) that operates at every level of the business, runs visible events at factory locations as well as office sites, and is embedded in the company's formal Inclusion and Diversity Strategy. The company's #oktobeme mantra explicitly extends inclusion to "who you love," and psychological safety is positioned as a baseline workplace standard.