Brambles Foods has been announced as winner of the 2008 California Raisins Innovation Award. The company was awarded 1st prize for its range of sandwiches containing raisins.

Brambles Foods’ range includes a coronation chicken with raisins and sunflower seeds sandwich and a Cranks sticky toffee toastie, which is made using sweet sticky toffee cheese on honey and seed bread with raisins. Cranks sandwiches are produced by Brambles Foods under licence.

“Regular development and creativity is an essential element of the Brambles philosophy and it’s great to get recognition for all our hard work,” said director Guy Truman.

Peter Meadows, marketing director of the California Administrative Committee, said: “In the five years that the competition has been running this is the first time we have received a sandwich as an entry, and it was worth the wait.”

Middlesborough-based Brambles Foods formed in 1990 and supplies a range of sandwiches and salads. Currently employing around 400 people, it has two sites: a head office in Middlesborough and a production facility in London.