Our strong client relationship with the Trustees of Samworth Brothers pension scheme recently led to a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of their Leicester food distribution centre. Samworth Brothers is a family-owned food producer, making sandwiches, ready meals, savoury pastries, sausages and are home to well-known brands including Ginsters and Soreen.

The tour offered insight into Samworth Brothers’ operations and innovation, giving us a deeper understanding of what matters to them. It was also a great opportunity to strengthen our relationship by showing a genuine interest in their business, and their people - something that will help inform how we work with them moving forward.

I would love to share with you our recipe for success!

Method: building the client relationship

LCP’s relationship with Samworth Brothers started 10 years ago when the firm was appointed as corporate advisor following a recommendation and successful meeting with the Samworth Brothers CEO.

One of LCP’s first major projects involved supporting the company with the closure of its Defined Benefit Scheme to active members. This involved extensive engagement with members, Managing Directors and the Samworth Brothers Board. The team travelled around the country – Cornwall, Leicestershire and the Midlands - meeting members face-to-face to explain the proposed changes to their benefits and answer questions directly. Speaking to members directly really helped to build trust early on in the client relationship and showed that we cared about the overall delivery of the project and member experience.

This trust laid the foundations for a successful, long-term partnership. In 2022, following a successful tender process, LCP took on the role of Trustee actuarial advisors and full administration services for the Samworth Brothers DB pension scheme, which has over 7,000 members. Later that year, LCP also became their investment advisers. Today, Samworth Brothers is one of LCP’s largest and busiest full service clients.

Ingredients: Our Values

When the Trustee appointment went out for tender, LCP had all the key ingredients for success that set us above our competitors: a people-first culture, a deep understanding of their business, and a proven track record of delivery.

Shared values. Our culture and values strongly align with Samworth Brothers. As a family-owned business, they too are people focused, with a strong emphasis on supporting their people, fostering a positive working environment and building community. Externally, we are both known in our respective industries for building meaningful relationships that go beyond transactions. That shared commitment to being connected and people-focused helped lay the groundwork for a strong and lasting partnership.

Going the extra mile. To support Samworth Brothers’ community efforts, a team of LCPers also excitedly completed one of their charity challenges, raising money by completing a gruelling hike. This was a fun but powerful way to show that we value building relationships on a personal level, as much as a professional one.

LCP’s exceptional service. Samworth Brothers have consistently praised our expertise, insight and commitment to understanding their business, setting us up for a successful partnership built on trust.

Equipment: Tools for Success

Collaboration across teams has been key to delivering a joined-up client experience. Our pensions actuarial, admin and investment teams – spread across our London and Winchester offices – work seamlessly using our internal systems to ensure prompt responses and excellent advice. We’ve built a strong client relationship through clear communication, consistently high service, and expert advice—delivering security, stability, and the best outcomes for pension scheme members.

Storage Suggestion - Ice Cold: Tour of the Food Distribution Centre

Our long-standing and trusted relationship with Samworth Brothers didn’t just open doors to projects and great conversations - it opened the freezer doors too, and a unique opportunity to experience their operations first-hand.

The tour began with suiting up in protective gear; hi-vis jackets and steel capped boots. We toured the Leicester distribution site, learning about different teams, logistics and lorry timetables. Along the way, we passed well-loved brands like Warburtons, Arla and a variety of ready meals and sandwiches destined for Sainsburys and Tesco. Food was stacked several metres high on pallets, ready to be distributed nationwide.

But the highlight of the tour was venturing into the freezers! Temperatures plunged to -22 degrees in the main freezer, and even further to -40 degrees in the blast freezer. It was so cold that Jeremy Dell, who also attended the tour with us, commented, ‘it was snowing inside’. Although riveted by freezer facts, we were pleased to get back to the much warmer chilled section, much to the amusement of our tour guides.

Throughout the tour, we saw Samworth Brothers’ values brought to life. We heard about their commitment to sustainability using electric lorries and energy-saving lighting systems. We saw innovation and efficiencies in action, with a robot wrapping pallets in preparation for transport. The visit also included a stop at the staff shop which sells supplier-donated products, with proceeds going to charity.

Seeing the business first-hand gave us new insights into what matters most to Samworth Brothers and will help us tailor our advice even more effectively in future. The tour provided a valuable opportunity to connect, learn, and strengthen the partnership we've built over the past decade—highlighting the importance of understanding our clients beyond the numbers.