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Written by David
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Thursday, 23 September 2010 |
CREA Food Technology Centre helps new business fly the nest
The Great British Pudding Club, owned and operated by David Rodgie and Colin Sim, are an example of a new business start-up that has been at the CREA Food Technology Centre since they began, used it to grow their business, and finally moved onto a unit of their own.
They began their long-term tenancy at the CREA Food Technology Centre in December 2008, initially taking a smaller unit whilst they were developing their product range. This range initially included three types of quiche, two types of cheesecake, and biscuits. CREA provided them with convection ovens, refrigeration and storage space, a gas range, and small equipment. Initially they supplied hotels and pubs directly, but then began a contract to supply Total Foods, a foodservice wholesaler, developing and expanding their range of products as requested.
It is worth noting that many large wholesalers, including Total Foods, require suppliers to have a HACCP Plan (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) in place as a prerequisite. CREA was able to supply The Great British Pudding Club with appropriate paperwork and evidence that a HACCP system was in place for their supplier audit.
These early successes provided a catalyst for further growth, and in July 2009 they moved into the Centre’s largest unit, following a period of using a second kitchen on a part-time basis for product development. Around this time they also gained a contract with Caterite, another foodservice wholesaler. This increased demand further and they also began selling their products at Cumbrian markets and beyond in addition to their core business from contracts. They took on another full-time member of staff in addition to using part-time staff in times of high demand. They attended trade shows in Birmingham and Scotland, and interest was even registered by a company in America! By this time The Great British Pudding Club had expanded to the point where it was beginning to outgrow the Centre, and the search for a larger, privately-rented unit began. At this time their product range consisted of around ten flavours of quiche, bread, brioche, puddings, cheesecake, soup and patisserie.
They finally signed the lease on a property in Penrith, formerly a bakery, and ended their tenancy at the Food Technology Centre on 30th June this year.
In addition to providing The Great British Pudding Club with equipment and HACCP paperwork, CREA also provided a fridge monitoring service, cleaning services, office space, telephone and internet connection, advice on printing and labelling, and assistance with visits from potential clients and Environmental Health Officers. We also allocated them space outside the Centre and a power point so that they could run a mobile freezer unit.
“The Food Technology Centre has given us access to equipment, freezers and chiller storage as our priorities have changed,” said David Rodgie. “The practical advice on food safety and local suppliers has been excellent too.”
David Prentice, Centre Manager, said, “although we were sad to see Dave and Colin go, the Centre has in this case served its purpose by helping them expand to the point where taking on their own commercial unit became possible.”
Country Puddings uses the CREA Food Technology Centre to keep up with demand
Lynne Mallinson owns and operates Country Puddings, an existing business based at Dacre near Penrith that is renowned for its fine puddings. The business is ten years old and already has a strong client base.
“Custard is one product that has gone from strength to strength,” says Lynne. “We were struggling to produce enough custard due to lack of production capacity. I had received promotional materials from the CREA Food Technology Centre and had been to look around, and I decided to use the Centre to cope with the extra demand.”
Lynne and her crew have been coming in weekly to use the Centre’s two 150 litre Fagor Boiling Pans, producing hundreds of litres of custard a time. This enabled them to keep up with extra demand cost-efficiently, and eventually they reached a point where buying their own boiling pans to produce custard at their existing unit became feasible.
“We have been happy with the service we have received at the Centre,” says Lynne. “The extra production capacity really made a difference.” |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 24 September 2010 )
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