Rivals bite into Patties Foods profits STIFF competition in the supermarket frozen food aisle has eaten into Patties Foods' margins and caused its first-half profit to dip 16.5 per cent. The company, which owns Herbert Adams, Four'N Twenty and Nanna's, increased revenue by 5.1 per cent over the half but managing director Greg Bourke said growth in its petrol station and convenience store products did not offset margin pressure in its supermarket division. " (Supermarket) revenue was flat and margins reduced during the period, mainly in the frozen fruit and fruit-pie categories," he said. The commissioning of the new robotic packing equipment has been below expectations and has caused higher conversion costs and supply disruptions. Chairman Chris Riordan said Patties would continue its focus on improving its brands and finding more avenues to sell its products in order to combat challenging trading conditions. "Our response must continue to be a relentless focus on supporting and enhancing our brands, developing new channels and regions, and improving our manufacturing and supply chain efficiencies as part of an overall ongoing review of our cost structure," he said.