Barnsley bakery finds recipe for growth
A family-run Barnsley bakery, which was left fighting for its very existence, has proved it has the appetite for growth and is setting its sights on doubling its turnover thanks to help received through the South Yorkshire Business Productivity Grant Scheme.
Headquartered at Worsbrough Bridge, White’s Bakery is a fourth-generation family business that produces a range of cakes, muffins and biscuits, which are enjoyed by school children across the UK. The company is planning to relocate to a larger 20,000 sq ft facility within the next three years, as well as creating a number of new jobs within the business.
The ambitious growth plans are a far cry from the uncertain future the business faced just three years ago, when the Covid-19 pandemic left the 90 year old business fighting for its very survival. Recognising that the business faced the very stark choice of evolving or closing its gates forever, Managing Director David White began exploring ways of overcoming the barriers that were holding the business back.
Working with a local business consultant, David began searching for the magic ingredient that would change the fortunes of the company. Together, they quickly identified a number of factors that were impacting on the business: a reliance on old and unreliable machinery, the use of cumbersome and time-consuming paper-based admin systems and an unclear growth plan.
To overcome the challenges, David decided to apply to the South Yorkshire Business Productivity Grant Scheme for help. The match-funded grant provided the financial help needed to help White’s Bakery invest in a state-of-the-art metal detecting machine, used to detect potential contaminants on the company’s production line. With all lines tested each hour, the new equipment also replaced a paper-based monitoring system.
At the same time, the company also began exploring ways of digitising other key elements in the business. Working in the food industry, it was vital for White’s Bakery to track and trace every component ingredient used in every single product baked – a process that typically involved recording ingredients by hand. With additional funds secured under the Digital Innovation Grant Scheme, the bakery invested in scanning guns and barcode technology, allowing the vital information to be recorded at the click of a button.
Since implementing the changes, White’s Bakery has not only managed to improve the overall efficiency in the business, resulting in turnover increasing to £2.8 million, but it has also set itself the aim of doubling its turnover by diversifying its customer base.
David White, Managing Director, White’s Bakery, said: “There was a real sense, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, that we felt we were doing a good job because everyone in the business was working hard, but the truth is that we were often just busy being busy. We knew that for the business to survive and prosper, it was vital to make changes.
“The funds we received from the South Yorkshire Business Productivity Programme and the Digital Innovation Grant Scheme allowed us to invest in equipment that has proved to be transformational for our business.
“Working in the food industry, we have always taken our responsibilities to food safety extremely seriously, and the measures we have introduced have helped us to capture an incredible amount of detail, in a fraction of the time.
“Everything is recorded and monitored, which provides full traceability over our production lines: from tracing component ingredients, to keeping the production line clean and sterile. Crucially, this information can be accessed at the click of a button, rather than wading through reams and reams of paper.
“The solutions we implemented have helped us to reduce the time taken to record the vital information needed to deliver the highest possible levels of food safety, but they have also allowed us to capture much more detail. For example, production lines are photographed at the beginning and end of each shift, as well as being backed up by who was working on the line, what was being made, the ingredients used and where they were sold to.
“To say the help we’ve received has been transformational for our business has been an understatement, and we’re now working towards doubling our turnover and have exciting future growth plans to scale the business further, which we hope will create new jobs.”
John Mellors, key account manager, Enterprising Barnsley, said: “Backed up by a clear business vision, White’s Bakery is firmly setting its sights on growth and expansion, as well as expanding its operations into new, currently untapped markets.
“Both the South Yorkshire Productivity Programme and Digital Innovation Grant Scheme were created to help businesses overcome barriers to growth. Having successfully introduced new equipment, as well as digitising its paper-based systems, they have helped to reduce the amount of lost working hours. I’m confident that White’s Bakery has a bright and exciting future ahead of it.”
White’s Bakery was founded in 1931 by David’s grandparents Elsie and Albert White, who ran Worsbrough’s local library. During her spare time, Elsie baked, whilst working in the library. By 1940, the popularity of Elsie’s bread and confectionary had outstripped demand for books, and they converted the former bookstore into a full working bakery. In 2019, White’s Bakery became a fourth generation family business when David’s children Mathew and Georgina joined the company’s management team.
£2m cloud computing hub to launch
A new £2 million hub, co-led by the University of York, has been launched to investigate the future potential of cloud computing.
The Hub, part of a £6m investment by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), will bring researchers together to drive innovations in cloud computing systems, linking experts with the wider academic, business and international communities.
The team behind the initiative – called Communications Hub for Empowering Distributed Cloud Computing Applications and Research (CHEDDAR) – believes it is imperative that new communications systems are built to be safe, secure, trustworthy, and sustainable, from the tiniest device to large cloud farms.
Co-lead of the new hub, Dr Poonam Yadav, from the University’s Department of Computer Science, said: “The three communication hubs from EPSRC is a much-needed and timely initiative to bring cohesive and interoperable current and future communication technologies to enable emerging AI, neuromorphic and quantum computing applications.
“CHEDDAR is strongly built on the EDI principle, providing early career researchers opportunities to engage with far-reaching ideas along with national and international academic and industry experts.”
Jane Nicholson, EPSRC’s director for Research Base, said: “Digital communications infrastructure underpins the UK’s economy of today and tomorrow and these projects will help support the jobs and industry of the future.
“Everybody relies on secure and swift networking and EPSRC is committed to backing the research which will advance these technologies.”
Hornsea chippie named as best in the UK
Hornsea-based Whiteheads Fish and Chips has been named the best fish and chip shop in the whole of the UK.
The team from Whiteheads travelled to London for the National Fish and Chip Awards after being named as one of the ten finalists for the prestigious ‘Takeaway of the Year Award’.
Located on The Greenway in Hornsea, Whitehead Fish and Chips has been run by Geoff Whitehead, his family and his team since 1997. Their customers have a choice of either visiting their restaurant or taking it away, usually to Hornsea Beach.
After winning the award, the area’s MP Graham Stuart invited the team to Parliament where he congratulated them in person for their brilliant achievement and presented them with a bottle of House of Commons champagne. They then received a tour of the historic building which included a visit to both the Commons and Lords debating chambers.
Geoff Whitehead said: “The Whiteheads Fish and Chips team are honoured, proud and so so delighted to say we are officially your 2023 UK fish and chip shop of the year! Simply, thank you.”
Graham added: “Fish and chips is a British institution and Whiteheads is very much not just a Hornsea institution, not just an East Riding institution but now a very British institution. Congratulations to Geoff and his team on their brilliant achievement!”
Bradford bank offers safe space for domestic abuse victims
Staff at Bradford’s Metro Bank have been trained to offer a safe space to domestic abuse victims, many of whom are also victims of economic abuse by their partners.
It’s something they’ve been doing, along with 47 other Metro Bank branches, since last November for anyone experiencing or at risk of domestic abuse to safely call a helpline, support service or loved one.
Safe Spaces are part of this week’s UK Says No More campaign, which calls for the end of domestic and sexual abuse which impacts nearly two million people every year in the UK. UK Says No More is working with a number of high-street locations, including Metro Bank to provide Safe Spaces – a vital, private space for people experiencing domestic abuse to be able to access support safely, without being monitored.
The Bradford branch manager Denis Charlette said:“As a community bank, we want to be able to support anyone locally who wishes to use our private Safe Space to help them plan the next stages of their new life.”
Judith Lowe, Chair of Metro Bank’s Women on Work inclusion network, said: “The topic of domestic abuse has been high on our agenda over the last two years as we have worked to increase awareness through events and initiatives. As a community bank, our store teams already have well-established connections with local domestic abuse charities. As our stores are open seven days a week, evenings and 362 days a year, we can offer extended access on the high street for those needing a safe space and we didn’t hesitate to join the UK Says No More campaign.”
Metro Bank has a network of 76 stores nationally. Choosing the stores to participate in the physical Safe Space initiative required careful consideration to ensure victims would be protected. With Metro Bank’s open and transparent approach to high-street banking, some stores are fully exposed to public view, with large glass forefronts. Although all stores support the campaign, certain Metro Bank stores would not have been able to offer a truly safe and confidential space for victims.
Anyone wanting to find the nearest Safe Space to their home should visit https://uksaysnomore.org/safespaces
Metro Bank Bradford is at 5 Market Street, Bradford.The store is open Monday – Saturday 8:30am – 6pm. Sunday: 11am – 5pm.
Hull City Council offers free advice and breakfast to SMEs
Hull City Council is inviting the city’s SMEs to a breakfast event called Hull Business – Your Future to discover what support is currently available and what could be in the future through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
It’s on Friday 24 March, kicking off at 8am with refreshments and networking followed by a welcome from the Leader of the Council, Mike Ross.
There will also be presentations from Hull City Council’s assistant director for economic development and regeneration, Alex Codd, as well as Employment Hub manager Gill Brownlee, followed by a Q&A session.
Hull Business – Your Future will run until around 10:30am in the Reception Room on the Guildhall’s first floor and will finish with the chance to visit stands, advisors and the chance to speak to portfolio holders from the council.
Cllr Ross said: “I look forward to hearing from and meeting local SMEs at this month’s business breakfast. Business formation and growth are top priorities and this event will be a chance to engage with businesses and hear about their work and business needs.”
Alex Codd added: “This is a great opportunity for businesses in Hull to learn about the support and options available to them.
“Funding regimes are changing with the end of European funded support programmes and the emergence of new funded programmes, such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is in place to help businesses grow, provides a boost to the local economy too.”
Professional services firm to acquire financial planning practice
Multi-disciplinary professional services firm, Progeny, has revealed plans to acquire Chartered financial planning practice, Gibbs Denley.
The acquisition will allow Leeds-based Progeny to extend its footprint to East Anglia and take its assets under management to more than £7.5bn.
Established in 1990, Gibbs Denley have 36 team members, including seven Chartered financial planners, across three offices – in Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds and Chelmsford.
Simon Rees, Managing Director, Gibbs Denley, said: “Over 30 years we have built a highly successful business by providing exceptional customer service and nurturing trusted, long-term relationships with our clients.
“In becoming part of Progeny we take a quantum leap in the services we provide to our clients, with financial planning, investment management, legal and tax specialists in house.
“We can keep striving to achieve ever-higher standards for our clients and now offer them easy access to a range of additional professional services to meet all their legal and financial needs.”
Neil Moles, CEO of Progeny, said: “A trusted, highly professional and ethical firm with great people: Gibbs Denley are an illustrious business.
“Naturally, we’re very happy that they have joined Progeny, bringing with them a stellar team, superlative standards and a connection with their communities that stretches back many decades.
“I look forward to what we can achieve together.”
A team from Progeny’s corporate legal department acted as legal adviser to Progeny on the transaction.
Landmark cultural heart plans given green light
Proposals for Kirklees Council’s £210m Cultural Heart development, which is set to transform the heart of Huddersfield town centre, have been approved by the Local Planning Authority.
With approval now secured, construction of the first phase of the scheme is set to get underway in Spring 2024. Initial works will concentrate on the major refurbishments of the historic Queensgate Market, as well as the creation of a brand-new outdoor public square.
The Grade II Listed Queensgate Market building will be sensitively adapted, becoming a vibrant food hall, with space for around ten independent food stalls. Centred around large communal seating areas, the food hall will be a new social focal point, helping provide activity in the area throughout the day and into the evening.
Within the same building will be a new contemporary library venue. Designed with the town’s community needs in mind, this flexible, glass-fronted building will feature group meeting amenities, quiet breakout rooms, a dedicated children’s area, a local history room, computer facilities and more.
Once complete, a special event space and terrace on the top floor of the library will look out over the scheme’s landmark new public square – an attractive outdoor space with water features – therefore doubling up as a destination for community and cultural events and will look out over the park.
To enable these initial works, a section of the existing Piazza building along Princess Alexandra Walk will need to be demolished. The remainder of the Piazza building will stay in place until demolition is required to progress work onsite, with units including Boots and WHSmith also staying open during this period.
Leader of Kirklees Council, Councillor Shabir Pandor, said: “Today is a significant milestone for the future of Huddersfield town centre. Our Cultural Heart project is a transformational scheme that will, alongside our wider Huddersfield Blueprint plans, provide a huge boost to our local economy and existing businesses.
“The Cultural Heart is all about delivering genuine long-term community assets, where friends and families can gather, relax and socialise. We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and we understand that times are challenging right now for many. This reinforces our ambition to grow our town centre offer and give people more reasons to visit and spend time here. The public square, food hall, museum and library will be amazing new spaces that provide free and low-cost activities – ultimately bringing our diverse community closer together.”
Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “We’re delighted that our plans to deliver the Cultural Heart have been approved. A lot of hard work has gone into this project. I’d like to thank the project team involved and also all the members of the public who took the time to share their comments on the plans, helping us to shape the final design.
“Construction of the scheme will be phased and work is already underway to appoint a principle construction contractor. Various site surveys and preparation works will be completed throughout 2023, with work getting underway in earnest early in 2024.”
The first phase of the scheme is projected to complete in Spring 2026. Following this, work will get underway on delivering a new family-friendly urban park, as well as a state-of-the-art museum and gallery, a mixed-use building to help bridge the park and Queen Street divide, and finally, a new multi-purpose live entertainment venue with a 350-space car park.
CNC machine tool specialist finds Affinity with new funding partnership
Nottinghamshire-based Affinity Asset Finance has agreed a major strategic partnership with one of the UK’s leading suppliers of CNC machine tools.
The deal will allow Sheffield-based T W Ward CNC Machinery (Ward CNC) to offer its customers a range of flexible machinery financing options, with Affinity acting as their own FCA authorised finance provider.
Neil Kimberley, director at Affinity Asset Finance, said: “We are delighted to announce our preferred finance partner status with T W Ward CNC Machinery Ltd, who are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of high-quality CNC machine tools across multiple engineering services.
“It has been over a year since we began working together and our partnership has continued to flourish as we have worked closely with Ward’s extensive customer base on a variety of finance solutions.
“We see Ward CNC as a valued partner to our business and we’re sure our relationship will continue to strengthen over the coming years.”
With over 140 years of heritage, Ward CNC currently employs over 30 people across its 5,500 square metre facility at Albion Works, Sheffield, and its dedicated sales showroom at Redditch.
It is the sole UK distributor for a number of the world’s leading machine tool manufacturers including Hyundai-Wia, Hartford, Soraluce, Takisawa and Hankook.
Simon Whitworth, Managing Director at Ward CNC, says: “Our new partnership with the team at Affinity is going to be hugely valuable to our customer base. Many of them will have already worked with Affinity to finance purchases from us since we began working together back in early 2022.
“This new partnership will help us to further develop our service offering and mean that we are not tied to any one lender or bank. Therefore, customers are assured that they can access the broadest range of funding/finance packages and deals available on the market, and we can offer extremely flexible terms and attractive finance arrangements for them. It is fantastic news for our customers and of course, for us here at Ward CNC too.”
Drax launches global foundation to boost grant funding
Global renewable energy leader Drax Group has launched the Drax Foundation to boost the grant funding it provides for non-profit organisations and social enterprises in the UK, US and Canada.
It will focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths education and skills development, and improving community green spaces, with priority being given to organisations delivering for under-served and under-represented groups, advance gender equality and support indigenous communities. The Foundation is said to be a key part of Drax’s community strategy, which is focussed on ensuring that the business delivers a positive impact in the communities where it operates. Drax CEO Will Gardiner said: “Launching the Drax Foundation is the start of an exciting new chapter in how we deliver positive social impact in the communities where we operate. Our ambition is to better support diverse organisations who are working hard to create the next generation of STEM students as well as those enhancing local green spaces and biodiversity. “We are passionate about giving back to the communities we operate in and we are proud of our past philanthropic work. Alongside the new Foundation, and as part of our new community strategy, we are also going to be funding energy efficiency measures for community organisations in the UK, supporting foodbanks around the world and expanding our Communities in Crisis Fund. Combined this is a step change in the support we deliver for people, nature and the climate.”Steve joins residential property team at Wilkin Chapman in Grimsby
Wilkin Chapman solicitors has added Steve Watson to its Grimsby-based domestic property team in Grimsby.
Senior solicitor Steve grew up in Grimsby but completed his training in Dorset before moving back to Lincolnshire in 2016 to join Wilkin Chapman’s Lincoln office. From there, he moved to another firm in Louth where he spent five years before returning to his home town in Grimsby by rejoining Wilkin Chapman in January 2023.
Steve said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to rejoin Wilkin Chapman and the fantastic team here in Grimsby. In my previous role I built a successful and expert team. Now I have the chance to do the same again but in a bigger arena as Wilkin Chapman is the leading law firm in Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire.
“It’s closer to home for me as well as I live in the area, so I’m looking forward to building up a local client base, assisting what’s already a great team, pushing us forward and making the Grimsby office successful for many years to come.
“I’m looking forward to building relationships with people in Grimsby and the local area, as well as establishing professional links with both brokers and agents as we all work together to achieve good outcomes for people.”
After starting his career focusing on commercial property, Steve quickly made the switch to domestic property as he missed the more people focused element. He said: “I initially went into commercial property as that’s what my mentor specialised in while I was on my training contract. However I quickly realised that I really missed the client interaction.
“Helping people to buy and sell their houses and that moment when people get the keys to their house is really enjoyable to be part of and I enjoy that process.
“Residential property is a bit more transactional than other aspects of law. There’s a very quick turnover – sometimes you’ve got lots of completions on a Friday for example – some people wouldn’t like that but those are the days I enjoy the most.”
