D2N2LEP Visitor Economy Supplement 2014

VISITORECONOMY

2014

FOOD&DRINK

TOURISMIS KEY

Peter Richardsonon why the visitoreconomy is soimportant toDerbyshire andNottinghamshire

PEAKSVOICE

Jim Harrisonexplains howBusiness PeakDistrict championsthe cause oflocal firms

What Nottinghamshirehas to offer visitors andwhat is being done topromote the county Peter Richardson,

chairman of theD2N2 LocalEnterprisePartnership

CONTENTS04

There are big plans instore for SherwoodForest, which is to havea new visitor centre

06

How a family has builtup one of the region’sbest hotel andrestaurant businesses

08

Visit Peak District &Derbyshire’s crucialcontribution to theregion’s prosperity

10

Events are being stagedthis summer to makeour area Britain’s topcycling destination

12

The work of anorganisation dedicatedto representing PeakDistrict businesses

14

D2N2 is the UK’s Most Inspirational Postcode.Whether you are looking to work, invest,

live or study, why would you want to beanywhere else than Derby, Derbyshire,Nottingham and Nottinghamshire?The visitor economy is a multi-billion pound

sector for this region, helping economicgrowth.We have world-class heritage, world-class

attractions, both in the cities of Derby andNottingham and in both counties.That is why the visitor economy is one of

our eight key sectors in driving economicgrowth and creating 55,000 new private-sectorjobs by 2023.D2N2 has key assets, notably the quality of

our environment, including the iconiclandscapes of the Peak District and SherwoodForest.We also have stately homes, historic

buildings including the Derwent Valley MillsUnesco World Heritage Site, culturalattractions, sporting venues including Derby’sMulti Use Sports Arena and Nottingham’sTrent Bridge, and our waterways.Our visitor economy sector covers those

activities which are directly associated withtourism, including hotels and restaurants,museums and cultural attractions, as well asactivities relating to sports and the widercultural sector which attract and servicedomestic and international visitors for businessand leisure.Employment in the sector has fluctuated

considerably over the past four years but iscurrently more than 65,000 in the D2N2 area,and there is the potential to increaseemployment by exploiting new opportunitiesand markets, such as the growth of cycling as aleisure pursuit, the crescent restoration inBuxton, one of England’s leading spa towns,and the development of assets such asSherwood Forest, Creswell Crags, DerwentValley Mills, Newark’s National Civil WarCentre and the Nottingham Castle Project.There are a number of visitor economy

opportunities we wish to pursue, including thebusiness tourism market, festivals and events,tactical marketing, branding and gateways andhubs, and we are working with our two

destination management organsations – VisitPeak District & Derbyshire and ExperienceNottinghamshire – on a growth plan to drivethis forward.The food and drink manufacturing sector,

which also has links with the visitor economy,is also vitally important to the D2N2 area.Nearly 17,000 people are employed in foodand drink manufacturing, with particularconcentrations in the Peak District, Newarkand Sherwood, Bassetlaw and Amber Valley,and especially in rural areas because of links toD2N2’s important agricultural base, with theagri-food sector continuing to grow during therecession.D2N2 is home to many blue-chip food

manufacturers, including Thorntons,Warburtons, Nestle, Greencore, British Sugarand Pork Farms. There is also a vibrant SMEbase across the urban and rural landscape,with high-quality goods of world-renownedprovenance. The area benefits from a vibrantfarming sector, employing over 10,000 people

on farms and generating more than £500million a year to the economy. Our excellentconnectivity to the rest of the UK enables therapid distribution of food and drink productsand close access to markets.The sector is also relatively productive in

the D2N2 economy with output per full-timeemployee estimated to be 5.5% higher than thesector in the UK overall.It is a source of secure employment in roles

ranging from high tech, professional andmanagerial occupations, including foodscientists and engineers, to lower skilled rolesappealing to a broad section of the workforce.Dedicated training is provided for the

sector by organisations including New CollegeNottingham, University of Derby in Buxtonand the School of Artisan Food.Our visitor economy and food

manufacturing sectors are just two vitalingredients in driving the local economy andensuring D2N2 is the UK’s Most InspirationalPostcode.

Cyclists on theTissington Trail inDerbyshire. The visitoreconomy is one ofD2N2’s eight keysectors in drivingeconomic growth.

Visitors are key to boostinggrowth of local economyPeter Richardson, chairman ofthe D2N2 Local EnterprisePartnership, explains why thevisitor economy is soimportant to Derbyshire andNottinghamshire

0203D2N2: The UK’s mostinspirational postcode

D2N2 is the Local Enterprise Partnership(LEP) for Derby, Derbyshire,Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.Local Enterprise Partnerships are

locally-owned partnerships between localauthorities and businesses.The private-sector led partnerships

play a central role in deciding localeconomic priorities and undertakingactivities to drive economic growth andcreate local jobs.D2N2 is the fifth largest of the 39

LEPs in England, covering an area with apopulation of more than two millionpeople and an economic output inexcess of £36 billion.Our goal is to create 55,000 private-

sector jobs in the D2N2 area by 2023.Our vision is a more prosperous,

better connected, and increasingly

resilient and competitive economy.Our purpose is to support and

encourage economic growth in D2N2.Our ambition is to be one of the most

respected LEPs, known for ourprofessionalism and effectiveness.D2N2 has a clear vision and strategy

in place to guide its work in boosting thelocal economy through a £2.4 billioninvestment programme.D2N2 is led by and governed by its

board, made up of high-profile andrespected business leaders, localauthority leaders and representatives ofthe higher education, further educationand voluntary sectors from across theD2N2 area.For more information about who is

on the D2N2 board, go towww.d2n2lep.org/Board.

We have a clearvision to bringmore local jobs

A look at the successesof food and drinkbusinesses in the D2N2area

16

YOU only had to visit the LondonUnderground last spring to understandwhy Nottinghamshire is a great placeto visit.For, if you stood on one of the

platforms, there is every chance youwould have seen a poster campaignwhich took the city and county’s visitoreconomy to the capital – and did it instyle.In Notts we love the Underground,

said one of the campaigns, referring tothe cave network that lies beneath thecity of Nottingham. In Notts we loveour Manor, read another, carryingimages of what would at the time havelooked suspiciously like one of the mainlocations for the final film inChristopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy,The Dark Knight Rises.And that’s because it was: the image

was that of Wollaton Hall, whichbecame Wayne Manor in the movie.Not bad for a campaign which was

put together in a matter of weeks: “Wehad to develop it in a very short spaceof time,” says Jennifer Spencer, thechief executive of ExperienceNottinghamshire, the county’sdestination management organisation.“You never get as much time as youwould like, but the fact that the themehas proved so adaptable and hasbrought so much reaction shows that itis delivering.”But Jennifer believes that the visitor

economy is capable of delivering morein Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.As of 2011, it was a sector bringing

in £1.44 billion to the local economy.“We believe that this figure has the

potential to be well over £2 billion if

we develop our core product,” saysJennifer. “Our mission is to get morepeople to visit more often.“I don’t believe that the potential is

fully appreciated. The vast majority ofpeople who come here do so for aday or a short break, and it is theshort breaks that we are seeking todevelop because while a day visitormight spend £30, an overnight visitorcan be worth up to £200.”How will that happen? Experience

Nottinghamshire has four strategicobjectives which support that aim –more marketing and promotion of theexisting offer; getting a more detailedunderstanding of the visitor economy;expanding partnerships with theprivate sector and supporting thedevelopment of an improved visitorproduct offer.It has some strong foundations to

build on. As an organisation, it has 450visitor economy members. It has alsobeen backed by the national tourist

board, Visit England, as part of aproject to grow tourism locally withsupport from the Regional GrowthFund. What’s more, Jennifer is able topoint to some surprisingly highrankings for the area as a visitordestination. Nottingham is the 13thmost popular destination forinternational visitors and satisfactionsurveys show that both city andcounty ranked higher thanBirmingham and Manchester.Some of that success is down to

changes wrought by ExperienceNottinghamshire itself in terms of theway the city and county have beendeveloped and marketed. A lot relatesto the fact that both are fundamentallyattractive places to visit.Nottingham has destinations

ranging from the Castle to theContemporary art gallery, the CapitalFM Arena to the Galleries of Justice,the region’s best retail offer and arange of high-quality cafes and

Capital ideato raise theprofile ofcounty’sattractionsRichard Baker talks to Jennifer Spencer, chiefexecutive of Experience Nottinghamshire,about what the county offers for visitors andwhat is being done to promote it.

Trent Bridge will behosting a test matchthis year and TheAshes next year.Left, one of theposters on the

LondonUnderground.Above right,

Nottingham’s caves.

Jennifer Spencerbelieves that the visitoreconomy is capable ofgenerating moreincome acrossNottingham andNottinghamshire.


Targeting the tourism market

restaurants. Oh, and Trent Bridge –one of the international sportingstadiums in the East Midlands and hostnext year to The Ashes.The county has market towns like

Newark, with its Civil Warassociations, Sherwood Forest and theDukeries, Clumber Park and theWelbeck Estate. The National CivilWar Centre at Newark Museum is anew attraction which is expected toopen at the beginning of 2015. It willinterpret the English Civil War throughthe eyes of ordinary people.Nottinghamshire is also home to

one of the biggest regional visitordestinations of all in the shape ofCenter Parcs’ Sherwood Forest village,which provides employment forapproximately 1,750 people and pumpsmillions into the economy of NorthNottinghamshire.The scale of the potential and the

ambition in the visitor economy isillustrated by the fact that severaldestinations are up for recognition atthe annual VisitEngland Awards:● Trent Bridge, for the way in which itpartnered with surrounding localauthorities and organisations to marketand deliver what visitor satisfactionsurveys said was the best Ashes test inthe 2013 series;● Browns, the bed and breakfast atHolbeck in north Nottinghamshire

which has again been shortlisted for theB&B of the Year award;● Elemental Force, the programmewhich saw historical scenes projectedon to Nottingham and Newark castles● Galleries of Justice, which has beenshortlisted as best small attraction● Robin Hood Town Tours, as carriedout by Ade Andrews, for breathing lifeinto the legend of Robin Hood sopassionately.“This is the first time that we have

been represented in so many categoriesand I think that tells you somethingabout the strength and the depth of thevisitor offer available in Notts and theway that it has been developing,” saysJennifer. “I think it also shows us whyfuture developments offer suchpotential. On top of that we willcontinue to take what we already haveand develop innovative campaigns whichpresent the visitor economy in a verypositive light.”There will be campaigns and events

around dance, cycling, ales and the city’scaves. But there will also be a continuedpush to attract visitors coming to Nottsfor something else – conferences andevents.Experience Nottinghamshire has

already enjoyed some notable successesin the conference market, and the valuethey bring is significant.Jennifer explains: “The economic

impact is considerable, and around 25%of the people who attend a conferencewill return as leisure visitors. But it’salso important in terms of some of thekey business sectors in Nottingham,with conferences a key feature ofindustries like life sciences andbiotechnology, where our universitieshave major strengths.”Major conferences also tend to raise

the profile of the destination they areheld in, and national journalists will behoming in on Nottingham later this yearwhen it hosts the national congress ofthe GMB union.A different kind of attention will

come in August when the city hosts theannual World Baton TwirlingChampionship at the Capital FM Arena.Quirky it might be, but it will attract1,500 competitors from around theworld.

Experience Nottingham-shire is working with fourkey themes for leisurevisitors. Its partnersinclude:

LOVE LOCAL● School of Artisan Food● Hambleton Bakery● Stichelton Cheese● Brewing heritageincluding Castle Rock,Magpie, LincolnshireGreen● Newfield Dairy● Colston Basset Dairy● The Bramley AppleFestival● Other local produce.Members includeSherwood Charcutierand Thaymar Ice Cream

OUTDOORS● Cycling routes andevents (Milk Race, CycleLive)● Clumber Park

● Creswell Crags● Water Sports Centre● Attenborough NatureReserve● Wollaton Hall andDeer Park● Newstead Abbey● Sherwood ForestNature Reserve● Go Ape/AdrenalinJungle/Center Parcs● Tennis Centre – returnof the Nottingham Openin 2015

SPORT & CULTURE● Theatres – Playhouse,Theatre Royal● Visitor attractions/museums – Galleries ofJustice, NottinghamCastle and the HolocaustCentre at Laxton● Trent Bridge –International matcheswith India● Creative Quarter –Nottingham is a capital

for creativity, CobdenChambers● Galleries –NottinghamContemporary, NewArt Exchange, Lakeside,Harley Gallery, MishMash● Entertainment – TheCornerhouse, BroadwayCinema, Simspot, LostCity Adventure Golf,Newark Showground,Southwell Racecourse,Nottingham Racecourse● Music – Capital FMArena, SplendourFestival, Forest Livefestival

LEGENDS● Attractions –Nottingham Castle, DHLawrence Centre,Nottingham ForestFootball Club,● Robin Hood TownTours● Pilgrim Fathers Tour● The OriginalNottingham GhostWalk

AND THEN FORBUSINESS TOURISM...Major events secured:● GMB congress 2014● N Spine● Royal College ofAnaesthetists● World BatonTwirling Championships2014

SHERWOOD Forest, home to theRobin Hood legend, is set to have anew £13 million visitor centre.The developers behind the

Discover Robin Hood project, whowere named preferred bidders in2012, say they are now ready to moveto the next stage after getting financein place.Once it is up and running,

Discovery Attractions say the centrewill create 100 jobs and bring an extra£2 million a year into the localeconomy.Nottinghamshire’s tourism industry

is estimated to be worth around£1.44 billion and supports 51,500 jobs.Jennifer Spencer, chief executive of

Experience Nottinghamshire, said:“Heritage tourism is extremelyimportant to the local economy andany developments that can be made toimprove our tourist attractions wouldhave far-reaching economic benefits onthe area.“Robin Hood is well known around

the world and is an important aspectof our tourism offer. Improvingfacilities at the Sherwood ForestVisitor Centre would be extremelywelcome and would greatly enhancethe visitor experience.“This would make it easier for us to

achieve our goal of encouragingvisitors to have an overnight stay inNottinghamshire.”The county council selected

Discovery Attractions as preferredbidder for the project in October2012. Now, following a series of

delays, the finance is in place.Derek Higton, service director for

youth, families and cultural services atNottinghamshire County Council, said:“We are delighted DiscoveryAttractions has announced it has nowsecured funding for the Robin Hoodattraction at Sherwood Forest.“The County Council now needs to

undertake a thorough process offinancial and legal checks withDiscovery and its funders to ensurethat the project can move smoothlyon to the next stage, which will involvethe finalisation of our contractualarrangements for the delivery of thenew visitor centre and accompanyingattractions. We’re hopeful that thisprocess can be concluded over thenext few weeks.“We have worked closely with

Plans to attractmore visitorsto share RobinHood experience

An artist's impressionof the plans for thenew £13millionSherwood ForestVisitor Centre.Developers DiscoveryAttractions say thecentre will create100 jobs and bringan extra £2 million ayear into the localeconomy.

There are big plans instore for one ofNottinghamshire’s biggesttourist attractions.Gemma Turton reports.

CYCLISTS are expected to flockto the Milk Race when it returnsto Nottingham on Sunday, May25.The historic race – which was

held for the first time after a two-decade absence last year – was amassive success, with thousandsof cyclists and more than 60,000spectators.This year’s event will consist of

separate elite races for womenand men, alongside a festival ofcycling open to riders of all agesand abilities.The day will kick-off in the Old

Market Square at 9am.To find out more and register

to take park in events visitwww.themilkrace.com.

MORE than 50,000people are expected toflock to the 30th RobinHood Festival atSherwood Forest fromAugust 4 to 10.Organised by

NottinghamshireCounty Council, theweek-long freecelebration of thefamous outlaw willfeature a full cast ofmedieval charactersand a host of eventsand activities.Councillor John

Knight, committeechairman for culture,at the county council,said: “It is veryinteresting that thereare so many specialanniversaries of eventshere in the county in2014.“The Robin Hood

Festival is a much-loved event with RobinHood fans both in theUK and abroad and it is

wonderful that we aregoing to celebrate 30years of the festival thissummer. It is a doublecelebration forSherwood as it alsomarks the diamondanniversary of receivingsite of special scientificinterest status in 2014.“We put a lot of work

into promoting thefestival each yearbecause the forest isRobin Hood’s heartland.We get thousands ofvisitors at the festivaland it all helps to raisethe profile of Notting-hamshire and SherwoodForest.”The county council –

which celebrates its125th anniversary thisyear – will host a seriesof activities and eventsover the summer atSherwood Forest,Rufford Abbey andBestwood CountryPark.

Festival celebrates three decades


Discovery Attractions to progress thismulti-million pound project and we arepleased that we are another stepcloser to a world-class Robin Hoodattraction at Sherwood Forest.”Marketing director of Discovery

Attractions, Rob Gray, said: “We arepleased to announce that we have nowsecured the final round of fundingneeded to turn the plans for DiscoverRobin Hood into reality.“Unfortunately, delays have been

caused by the extremely difficultfinancial market but we are now backon track and grateful for the patienceand support of Nottinghamshireresidents and Nottinghamshire CountyCouncil.“We are now working together

with the county council on the nextsteps to move the project forward.”

AS ONE of North Nottinghamshire’sbiggest employers, Center Parcscontributes an estimated £20 millionto the local economy each year.The company, which is

headquarterd in Ollerton, welcomes1.7 million guests at its sites across theUK, including its first UK holidayvillage which opened in SherwoodForest in 1987.Chief executive Martin Dalby said:

“Center Parcs is a major employer inNorth Nottinghamshire, with 1,500jobs at Sherwood Forest and a further250 employees based at our headoffice in Ollerton.“The vast majority of employees

live within 15 miles of the SherwoodForest Village, and the economicimpact of Center Parcs to the area isestimated to be around £20 millionper year through wages, local

contracts and onward spend.“We have very close links with the

communities in which we operate andas a major employer, offer a hugerange of roles and contracts asopportunities to local people.“Our housekeeping teams, for

example, can benefit from a special busservice that will bring them to theVillage on changeover days at timesthat fit in with school hours.”Center Parcs’ second holiday village

was opened in 1989, at Elveden Forestin Suffolk, and in 1994 the thirdattraction was unveiled in LongleatForest, Wiltshire.In 2001, Center Parcs acquired the

Oasis Holiday Village in Cumbria,which was rebranded as WhinfellForest and the fifth Center Parcs UKVillage is about to open at WoburnForest.

Center Parcs is a majorplayer in local economy

Thousands will ridein for the Milk Race

Castle aims tocapture visitors

NOTTINGHAM Castle has beendrawing visitors to the city forhundreds of years, and a £24 millionregeneration plan could soon see ittransformed into a world-classvisitor attraction.A trust has recently been

established to help drive a the newplan and raise money to support abid for Heritage Lottery Funding.The ambitious plans would see

the creation of a visitor centre and aglass lift to transport visitors fromBrewhouse Yard, through the CastleRock up to the castle and a newmedieval village.Robin Hood will also play a key

part in the new attraction, asnarrator of the new RebellionGallery.

The Rapids atCenter Parcs’

Sherwood Forestholiday site.

Robin Hood fightsthe Sheriff ofNottingham

during the RobinHood Festival atSherwood Forest.

Hotel business in the bloodIain Hardman has beenworking in hotelmanagement for morethan 15 years with EastLodge and Callow Hallhotels. Jason Noblecaught up with him todiscuss running a familybusiness in the PeakDistrict.

VISITORS to Derbyshire andNottinghamshire will be able toview previously unseen works ofart as part of a new year-longtourism campaign set to takeplace across the two counties


EAST lodge Hotel has rusticcharm, award winning-excellenceand is set in the beautifullandscape of the Peak District. Butit was never intended to be along-term prospect for deputymanaging director Iain Hardman.“We started East Lodge in

1998 and it was a three-yearretirement project of my father’s,”says Iain. “I joined him forChristmas for two weeks thatyear and I’ve now done my 16thChristmas.”Just over two years ago, the

Hardman family took over CallowHall Hotel and Restaurant as well,but it began as something of anaccident.“It was part of a large hotel

group that had gone bust. Wewent to have a look just for anose round and we saw thepotential in that too,” Iain says.Both venues have been helped

by the large number of weddingsthey hold each year, alongside thehotel and restaurant business.An average Sunday lunchtime

will see up to 60 or 70 diners at

either venue, while weddings canaccommodate up to 150 people,and have become one of theirbiggest earners.“The great thing with us is if

people marry here it’s exclusiveuse for the hotel so they don’thave to share with anyone else,and similarly diners know theyhaven’t got to share with awedding,” Iain says.With recent changes in

legislation allowing gay marriage,Iain is hopeful his business will seeeven more custom.“We have been doing civil

partnerships for 10 years but wehave just booked our first gay

marriage. We have seen a vastincrease in bookings in the firstquarter of this year compared tolast year.”A number of developments

with East Lodge Hotel havehelped position it as one of themost popular hotels in the region.“We have made massive

refurbishments. It’s all about levelsof hospitality and aesthetics.“We are one of only 46 hotels

to have an official Visit Britain goldaward and in 2008/2009 we wonEast Midlands hotel of the year.“It’s mystery shopped, so it’s

nice for the team to know theirhard work is recognised.”

The locations of both EastLodge and Callow Hall in the PeakDistrict have helped to attract arange of guests including walkers,couples on romantic retreats andbusiness guests staying on longweekends and luxury retreats.While Iain is preparing for a

busy summer, the Hardman familyare developing Callow Hall.“Callow Hall needed a lot of

TLC. We have built a team overthere and it’s a fabulous venue,”he says.“The main thing with East

Lodge is maintaining it as one ofthe premier wedding and hotelvenues in the country.”

Pieces from the Baroque andEnlightenment periods will featurealongside the work of leadingcontemporary artists as part ofthe Grand Tour.Nottingham Contemporary has

joined forces with DerbyMuseums, the Harley Foundation,Chatsworth House Trust andlocal tourism partners Visit PeakDistrict and ExperienceNottinghamshire to offer aninnovative project based on thenotion of a modern Grand Tour.The initiative is taking place

after a successful application for£350,000 of arts funding from theCultural Destinations scheme.The successful application was

helped by D2N2, the LocalEnterprise Partnership for Derby,Derbyshire, Nottingham andNottinghamshire.Chief executive David Ralph

said: “Through revenue from ourGrowing Places Fund, we wereable to give funding to thedevelopment of the business planand the application.“This allowed local cultural

stakeholders to lead this bid andconcentrate on the most effectiveprogramme which has helpedresult in this successful outcome,which is great news for the wholearea.”Alan Davey, chief executive,

Arts Council England said: “TheCultural Destinations programmeis one of a number of steps whichArts Council England andVisitEngland is taking to stimulatedomestic tourism as well ashelping draw increased visitors tothese shores.”

Art coming on a Grand Tour of counties

Father and son David andIain Hardman with one ofthe awards won by EastLodge hotel, at Rowsley.

Partnership a top priorityFrom left, James Berresford, Peter Richardson, Lady Cobham, the Duke of Devonshire, David Ralph, Jennifer Spencer and David James at the round-tablediscussion on the visitor economy, held at Chatsworth House, below.

HOSTED by the Duke ofDevonshire at Chatsworth House,one of D2N2’s world-classattractions, the public and privatesector joined forces with LadyCobham and James Berresford,chair and chief executive of VisitEngland, to further develop thevisitor economy strategy ofD2N2.D2N2 chairman Peter

Richardson chaired the meeting,where the importance of thevisitor economy, for both businessand pleasure, to the area, wasmade clear. The challenges facedwere aired and Lady Cobhamstressed the importance of theLocal Enterprise Partnershipcontinuing to work closely withVisit Peak District & Derbyshireand Experience Nottinghamshireto bring partners together todeliver the strategy.“As you know, D2N2 aspires

to be the UK’s Most InspirationalPostcode and our tourism offer isgenuinely world class,” said D2N2chief executive David Ralph afterthe event.“We believe we have

established something unique inD2N2, not only in identifying thevisitor economy as a key

D2N2, the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire,brought together the public and private sector to discuss how to turn itsambition into reality for the visitor economy. Stevie Roden reports.

economic priority area for ourarea but working closely with ourtwo destination managementorganisations, ExperienceNottinghamshire and Visit PeakDistrict.“The D2N2 visitor economy

already outperforms both regionaland national economicperformance benchmarks but theLEP believes the visitor economycan and should grow significantly,creating jobs for local people andprosperity for local businesses.“Our challenge is for day visits

to become overnight stays; forovernight stays to become shortstays; and to attract and dispersediscerning visitors throughout theD2N2 area to high-qualityauthentic attractions.“The visitor economy is a

highly-competitive market andwhilst we may have the assets,we also need this to bereinforced by world-classcustomer service and world-classmarketing. Up-skilling both theexisting and future workforce isas much a component ofeconomic growth marketing ouroffer to new markets.“The LEP has already provided

significant support to the sector,funding the Colliers report toprovide a clear roadmap for thesector, supporting updatedvisitor economy information andsupporting The Summer ofCycling in both the Peak Districtand Nottinghamshire. We havealso provided capital funding totwo accommodation providers aspart of our Unlocking Investment

for Growth programme. Wewould like to see RegionalGrowth Funding for marketingour visitor economy extended to2016 and 2017, if necessary usingour own RGF allocation.“We also want to bring

together the food and drinksector more closely with thevisitor economy and align ourcultural opportunities with ouriconic landscapes. Joining up ourcomplementary offers, movingaway from silo working is achallenge to us all.“Our DMOs have different

market segmentation but wherewe do overlap we can providejoined-up itineraries. The LEP,building on the success ofElemental Force, also resourcedthe successful Arts Councilapplication for the Grand Tourwhich will offer a D2N2-wideprogramme in Nottingham,Nottinghamshire, Derby and atChatsworth, Derbyshire. It is ledby Nottingham Contemporary.“The visitor economy is

important to D2N2 but so ispartnership working and that iswhy round-table events like thisare important to help drive usforward.”

Working togetherto bring tourismassets to their Peak

David James, chiefexecutive of Visit PeakDistrict & Derbyshire,assesses its crucialcontribution to theregion’s prosperity andjob prospects.

Birthplace of factory system is World Heritage Site


Picture: Geraldine Curtis

Derby’s Silk Mill is the southern gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

TOURISM continues to play anincreasingly influential role inDerbyshire’s economy.In 2011 it generated more than£1.7 billion of business, supportedmore than 27,000 full-time jobsand attracted almost 39 millionvisitors.Its importance was clearly

underlined during the foot andmouth crisis of 2001, when manyof Britain’s rural tourismbusinesses were badly hit by thepublic perception that thecountryside was closed.Visit Peak District &

Derbyshire, the official touristboard, was set up in its wake toacknowledge tourism’s growingsignificance. Over the past eightyears, we have successfullybrought together resources fromboth the public and privatesectors to pack more marketingpower when promoting the area’sassets, both at home and abroad.This strategic approach, of

pooling money and effort tocreate maximum impact and avoidconflicting marketing messages,continues to pay dividends year onyear. It has also enabled us tofocus on our core mission – topromote the Peak Districttourism destination,including the whole ofDerbyshire – as anaccessible and affordableplace to spend holidaysand short breaks, creatingreal jobs and real benefitsfor the economy alongthe way.In 2012 we were delighted to

receive confirmation that, as oneof England’s premier tourismdestinations, we were to share ina £19.8 million pot of money fromthe Government’s RegionalGrowth Fund. This has enabled usto forge ahead with marketingcampaigns worth £600,000 overthree years, from 2012 to 2015,including match funding from a

range of private sector partners.During year one of

VisitEngland’s Growing TourismLocally initiative, we ran a high-profile billboard campaign,goPEAKS.com, in Birmingham andManchester, to inspire residents

to go online and bookshort breaks and holidaysin the Peak District.Subsequent research

revealed that websitegenerated visits brought£15.7 million into thearea’s economy andcreated or safeguarded

107 tourism-linked jobs over aperiod of just six months. Morethan a third of the spending –around £5.7 million – and all thejobs could be directly linked toour goPEAKS.com campaign – amassive return on investment of44 to 1.Year Two of Growing Tourism

Locally got off to a flying start withthe launch of the Peak District’sfirst-ever television commercial,

part of a £150,000 multimediacampaign, again carefully targetedto bring in more staying visitors tospend money here and boost thelocal economy.Millions of viewers in ITV’s

Anglia and Central (East andWest) regions were targetedduring January and February 2014,followed by video on demand inFebruary and March. Ouraspirational campaign, The WorldAway, inspired both the 30-second TV commercial and anextended version, featuring evenmore breathtaking footage of thearea, posted on our own websiteand those of many of ourmembers.The theme is also reflected

throughout our Visitor Guide2014, available in print and digitalformat, and like the onlinecampaign, specially crafted totarget and appeal to specificaudiences – young coupleswithout children, couples withpre-school children, over 55s andpeople organising multi-generational group get-togethers.

David James

Early signs indicate that all thepromotional activity is generating ahigh level of interest. For example,our website visits are up by 40% onlast year.Film tourism is another effective

weapon in our armoury. We workclosely with Creative England tomaximise every opportunity toattract film and television makersinto the area. Creative Englandestimates that filming can bring up to£32,000 a day into the localeconomy.While we are extremely grateful

to our public sector partners –including Derbyshire CountyCouncil, Derby City Council, thePeak District National ParkAuthority and district councils – fortheir continuing support, we are wellaware that pressure on the localgovernment purse can only increase.This is why we have made greatstrides in becoming a membershiporganisation, securing morecommercial partnerships and supportfor our marketing campaigns. Wenow have seven private sectorpatrons – Chatsworth, ElysianHospitality (East Lodge Hotel andRestaurant and Callow Hall), TheHeights of Abraham, HopeConstruction Ltd, Losehill HouseHotel and Spa, Thornbridge (Hall andBrewery) and the Pinelog Group/Pinelodge Holidays Ltd. Ourmembership, including supply chainmembers, stands at more than 750.Together we are greater than the

sum of our parts and can speak withone strong, cohesive voice tocommunicate the Peak District’sspecial qualities and universal appealto a worldwide audience.

IN December 2001, theDerwent Valley Mills inDerbyshire was inscribed onthe World Heritage List.This international

designation confirms theoutstanding importance ofthe area as the birthplace ofthe factory system, where inthe 18th century waterpower was successfullyharnessed for textileproduction.Stretching 15 miles down

the river valley fromMatlock Bath to Derby, theUNESCOWorld HeritageSite contains a fascinatingseries of historic millcomplexes, including someof the world's first“modern” factories, fromCromford Mill to the SilkMill in Derby.An encapsulation and

restoration project at theiconic Grade I listed Building17, the largest mill buildingat Sir Richard Arkwright’sCromford Mills inDerbyshire, has beencommissioned by theArkwright Society.The Arkwright Society

has put the mill at thecentre of an exciting£50 million restoration andregeneration masterplan totransform Cromford Millsinto a multi-use sustainableheritage, cultural tourism,hospitality, business and

enterprise destination.Building 17 is the first andkey phase of the project;the building will becarefully repaired andconverted to create, on theground floor, a northerngateway for visitors to theUNESCO Derwent ValleyMills World Heritage Site.The Gateway Centre will

provide information, visitororientation andinterpretation aboutCromford Mills and the15-mile long WorldHeritage Site, to help localand international visitorsappreciate its importance

and encourage them tovisit the 16 heritage sitesalong the valley.The project has received

funding from a variety ofsources, including theHeritage Lottery Fund.Derby’s stunning Silk

Mill is the southerngateway to the UNESCOWorld Heritage Site. As abuilding of great historicalimportance, the Silk Mill isreinventing itself for the21st century to create aninspiring space thatcelebrates the creativity ofDerby and provides a placefor everyone to enjoy.

Pedal power to rulein great summer ofPeak performancesPeople will be urged to get on their bikesand take part in a series of events that arebeing staged throughout this summer in abid to make the Peak District Britain’snumber one destination for cycling

FANS of cycling will be able to watchsome of the world’s fastest cyclists inaction when the Tour de Francespeeds through the northern tip ofthe Peak District National Park onSunday, July 6.Enthusiasts will not only be able to

enjoy watching the world-famous racethis summer, they will also take partin a range of cycling events followingthe launch of the Peak District andDerbyshire Summer of Cycling in2014.Triple gold medal-winning

Paralympic cyclist Anthony Kappes isbacking the scheme.Anthony – who struck gold twice

at Beijing in 2008 and again in Londonin 2012, all in tandem track events –teamed up with Olympic mountain

biker Annie Last recently to launchthe programme of more than 100events that are being stagedthroughout the Peak District tourismdestination from April to October.Mr Kappes, who is originally from

Chapel-en-le-Frith, said: “I grew up onthe fringe of the Peak District, anddiscovered a sport that has given me alot of pleasure over the years here, soI’m delighted to support the Summerof Cycling, which aims to introducethe activity to as wide an audience aspossible.“Whether you’re a complete

beginner or have plenty of experience,there’s excellent cycling on everythingfrom relaxing trails and quiet roads tomore demanding upland routes – andthe scenery is so varied and beautiful.”Annie Last, who achieved eighth

place in her mountain bike event atthe London Olympics 2012 and hailsfrom Great Longstone, added: “I waslucky enough to spend my childhoodin the Peak District, and now, as aprofessional cyclist, I love to returnbetween international events to trainon roads, tracks and challenging trails

amid wonderful, yet accessiblecountryside. Summer of Cycling is abrilliant opportunity for everyone toget on their bike and get involved.Cycling’s good for both the head andthe heart – as well as the very bestway to get around.”The Summer of Cycling is staged

by Derbyshire County Council, thePeak District National ParkAuthority, Derbyshire Dales DistrictCouncil, Derby City Council, HighPeak Borough Council, StaffordshireMoorlands District Council andDerbyshire Sport, with the privatesector and support from Visit PeakDistrict & Derbyshire.It encompasses the Peak District,

including the Peak District NationalPark and Derbyshire and Derby.James Berresford, chief executive

of national tourist board VisitEngland,said: “Cycling fever is stronger thanever as the popularity of the sportfollowing the 2012 Olympic Games

continues to gather momentum.“The Peak District and Derbyshire

Summer of Cycling is a fantastic wayto celebrate this legacy as it launchesduring English Tourism Week.“There is an exciting line-up of

cycling-related events, fromYorkshire’s Grand Départ in July tothe first-ever L'Eroica Britannia, whichwill be staged in the Peak DistrictNational Park in June.’’David James, chief executive of

Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, said:“Cycling is going to be huge for thePeak District tourism destinationthroughout the spring, summer andbeyond, thanks to everything frommajor international events to gentle,have-a-go family cycle rides.“We’re delighted that the area is

the focus for a much larger Summerof Cycling that everyone from visitorsto residents can enjoy.“We’re aiming to make it Britain’s

number one destination for cycling, byencouraging everyone from beginnersto experts to come and stay, have fun,get fit and enjoy some fresh air amidsome of the country’s finestlandscapes.“You can hire bikes from one of

the area’s many cycle hire centres –where you can pick from everythingfrom mountain bikes to trikes.“More than 100 events are taking

place throughout the summer, butthere may be more to come – I’dadvise visits to our webpage, www.summerofcycling.co.uk, or Twitterfeed (#summerofcycling) to keep upto speed with what’s happening.”

“We’reaiming tomake itBritain’snumber onedestinationfor cyclingand toencourageeveryone tocome andstay, havefun and getfit.”

Triple gold medal-winning Paralympiccyclist Anthony Kappes,left, and above, secondleft, teams up with a

new co-pilot, Olympicmountain bikerAnnie Last, tolaunch thePeak District& DerbyshireSummer ofCycling.

● Igloo Eastern Peak District Sportive,April 6● High Peak Hog, May 11● JE James Cycle Fest, May 17 to 18● Wiggle Tour of the Peak, May 18● Peak Epic Sportive, June 1● Chinley & Buxworth Cycling Festival,June 14● L’Eroica Britannia, June 20 – 22● Tour de France – Le Grand Départ,July 6● Buxton Spa Sportive, July 27● Staffordshire Cycling FestivalSportive, August 1 to 2● Grindleford Goat, September 13● Cycle Derby Sportive,September 21

● Bike Fest at the Big Shakeout,September 26 – 28● Buxton Adventure Festival,October 11 – 12For full details, visit www.summerofcycling.co.uk.

Summer of Cycling’s key datesA THREE-DAY celebration of vintagecycling, fashion and food will be heldin the Peak District from June 20 to22. Cyclists from across the UK and

all over the world havesigned up for the first-

ever L’EroicaBritannia.

The Italian-inspired event – whosename means ‘the heroes’ – is one ofthe events in the Peak District &Derbyshire Summer of Cycling.Organisers were inspired by the

original L’Eroica festival, whichcentres on the village of Gaiole inTuscany, and was founded in 1997. Itepitomises retro style and glamour –with stops to sample local meats,cheese, olives and wine.In the Peak District, the emphasis

will be on local cheeses, pies, beerand wine to offer an English flavour.The main focus for L’Eroica

Britannia will be BakewellShowground, the starting and finishingpoint for three rides covering 30miles, 55 miles and 100 miles.The showground will also host a

three-day celebration of cycling,vintage fashion and cars, local produceand music. Villages en route areentering into the carnival spirit byholding mini-festivals.

Get ready for Italian job as the heroes ride in



BUSINESS Peak District was formedthree years ago in response to thedisappearance of RegionalDevelopment Agencies and theintroduction of Local EnterprisePartnerships (LEPs).It acts as a voice for businesses in

the Peak District and hostsworkshops and events for firms basedin the area.Chairman Jim Harrison said: “We

border on six LEPs. D2N2 is the mostimportant LEP for our area, butothers also have an impact for us.“It was important that we had a

business-focused organisation toensure that we would get supportfrom the LEPs in the rural areas.“We felt that on occasion the

needs of rural businesses are notunderstood and we represent theneeds of the businesses in the widerPeaks area. D2N2 has a ruralresponsibility and it is prepared tolisten.”The main issue for its members at

present is the availability and speedsof broadband.“Broadband is a subject which

comes up a lot,” said Mr Harrison.“The roll-out begins in SouthDerbyshire in June, but it doesn’t hitthe Peaks until next year, and eventhen we think we will have somechallenges.“Broadband is important for us on

so many fronts because it will enableus to attract the businesses that wewant to have in the Peaks, which areknowledge-based businesses that needthe internet.“It’s also important for bed and

breakfasts and hotels because the firstthing guests ask is if there is wifi.“Our small shops also have

websites. It’s important for them tobe able to get their information out tocustomers. It’s also important forattracting people to live in the area.“I know some people who still have

to use dial-up.

“It is the lack of speed which isfrustrating. Another issue is the lackof phone signal.”The organisation also created an

Inspired by the Peak District logo tobe used in marketing materials and onwebsites. Mr Harrison uses this for hisown company, Thornbridge Brewery.He said: “The branding project

started a couple of years ago and cameoff the back of us wanting to have aunited brand. Businesses can use it toannounce themselves as a PeakDistrict business.“I have used it on my bottles of

beer for the last couple of years.”After a 30-year business

background in engineering, MrHarrison set up his brewery businessin 2005 after buying Thornbridge HallEstate with his wife Emma in 2002.Initially set up in one of the hall’s

outbuildings, the growth of thebusiness led to them opening theirstate-of-the-art Riverside Brewery inBakewell in 2009. It now operatesseven pubs across Sheffield producingaround 270 barrels of ale each week.Exports account for 30% of the

brewery’s revenue, with America,Sweden, Italy, Japan and Australiaamong its key markets abroad.“The business has grown quite

quickly and there is potential for it togrow further,” said Mr Harrison.“It’s a huge market. The interest in

craft beers around the world isamazing – and growing.”

BILLIONS of iconic British sweets aremade each year by the UK’s largestfamily-owned independent sugarconfectionery business, SwizzelsMatlow.The High Peak based company is

one of the few firms still makingsweets in the UK.Its range of brands includes Love

Hearts, Drumstick lollies, NewRefreshers, Parma Violets, Fizzers,Double Lollies, Rainbow Drops andDouble Dips.And with 1.75 billion Love Hearts

made each year, the product remainsas popular as ever.Sarah-Louise Heslop, Swizzels

Matlow marketing manager, said: “Weare very proud of our British heritageand the fact that consumers of all ageslove our brands.“One of the factors that sets us

apart from the competition is the factthat consumers have such strongmemories of our brands from theirchildhood. We are delighted to becelebrating 60 years of Love Heartsproduction this year.”Swizzels was formed by David Dee

and Alfred and Maurice Matlow in1933.The brothers specialised in making

jellies, chews and boiled sweets, whileMr Dee produced tablet-like sweets.Originally based in London, theymoved to a former textile mill in NewMills to escape the blitz.

Providinga voice forbusinesspeople inthe PeaksGemma Toulson reports on the workof an organisation established torepresent the needs of businesses inthe Peak District .

Top: Some of theSwizzels Matlowbrands. Middle: theNew Mills factory.Above: DoubleLollies come off theproduction line.

The company has continued tomanufacture and trade as a familybusiness to this day.Swizzels Matlow is now one of the

largest employers in the area, withmore than 600 staff, many of whomhave been with the company for morethan 40 years.In recent years, the firm has

refreshed some of the core productpackaging, such as the Drumstickrange, with a bold new design toappeal to new audiences whilstremaining true to the heritage of thispopular British brand.This year is set to be the biggest

year yet for world-famous LoveHearts. The iconic sweet is celebratingits landmark 60th anniversary.The brand kicked off the

celebrations by giving fans the chanceto win a money-can’t buy experience –the opportunity to design your ownLove Heart and win a VIP tour of theSwizzels Matlow factory to see it beingmade.The firm has also recently launched

Squashies. Building on the consumerappetite for heritage and nostalgia,iconic Love Hearts, Double Lollies,Refreshers and Drumsticks have beentransformed into a soft, chewy gum, inresponse to the fact that these kindsof sweets are growing in popularity.The Squashies range is already

showing strong growth, with almost50 million bags sold.

Sweet maker’s diamond yearwith Love Hearts celebration

Love Hearts is one of the iconic brands made by Swizzels Matlow at New Mills in the High Peak.

The Inspired by thePeak District logo wascreated for localbusinesses whowanted to be part ofa united brand.

Top: Jim Harrison, chairman of Business Peak District and owner of ThornbridgeBrewery. Above: Mr Harrison, right, celebrating becoming a patron of tourism groupVisit Peak District & Derbyshire


Based at the city’s LentonIndustrial Estate, Butt Foodsmanufactures and supplies naanand flatbreads, rolls, fruit breadand canape bases for the foodservice.More than 60 million products

are baked at its factory each year.The company employs 50

people – after taking on ten newemployees during the first fourmonths of this year – and isgrowing at a rate of 30% everysix months.But this growth has only been

achieved during the last threeyears after Mr Williams soughtguidance on how to take thebusiness forward.Advances were subsequently

made in procurement, developingstaff skills and motivation andsales.Mr Williams will no doubt use

this experience to inform his newrole with the consultation group,but as the industry gears up toface what he describes as a skillsshortage crisis, he and hiscounterparts are keen to use thehelp and support on offer fromthe LEP.“We have spent the last ten

years watching various centralGovernment schemes fail toaddress any skills issues thataffect small businesses,” MrWilliams said. “This has beenbecause the focus has been onvery low-level NVQ one and twoqualifications.“The LEP came to us and said

‘what do you want’. No one has

AN AGEING workforce and askills shortage are key concernsfor Nottinghamshire andDerbyshire’s food and drinkmanufacturing industry.As an industry which employs

16,000 people across the twocounties and accounts for 17% ofthe region’s GDP, these areconcerns which cannot beignored.Which is why the D2N2 Local

Enterprise Partnership hasestablished a consultation groupof representatives from food anddrink businesses to inform itsskills action plan for the sector.Business of all sizes – from a

one-man smoothie maker toThorntons – are represented.And, crucially as far as the

industry bosses are concerned,schools and universities are alsoinvolved.Because encouraging

youngsters to pursue a career inthis sector is one of its majorchallenges.Heading up the group is David

Williams, managing director ofNottingham company Butt Foods.

asked that question before,they’ve just tried to deliver thingsthat don’t add any value tobusinesses in general.“One of the biggest problems

we have in the manufacturing foodindustry is an ageing workforce.“But when schoolchildren talk

about having a career in food theirteacher tells them to become achef. Food manufacturing is neverseen as a viable career.“Around 170,000 people in this

industry across the UK are due toretire by 2020, but we have nointerest from younger people tocome into this industry.

Quality assuranceassistant MichelleGair, right, testingnaan bread at theButt Foods factoryat the LentonIndustrial Estatein Nottingham.Above, managingdirector DavidWilliams.

“We have to address this. Inthe past it has not been addressedby any of the low-levelqualification schemes. A differentanswer is needed.“It’s brilliant that the LEP is

willing to listen to us and help usto address this, because if it is notwe will not be able to findworkers for our industry.“We need people coming out

of school who are ready to gostraight into work, and that doesnot happen now. By working withschools we can do so much more,so it is useful to have theminvolved in the consultation.

AN INDUSTRY body hasplayed a pivotal role indeveloping the food anddrink strategy andassociated skills action planfor D2N2.The not-for-profit Food

and Drink Forum, based atSouthglade Food Park inNottingham, engages withLocal EnterprisePartnerships and all theother agencies andorganisations to maximisethe benefit, support andfunding on behalf ofthe industry.It also provides

membershipservices to supportbusinesses withtheir growth.General

manager of theforum, Fay Davies,said: “Using itsindustryknowledge, theforum has been able toengage effectively throughfocus groups and individualinterviews to define the keybarriers to industry growthand make recommend-ations to D2N2 about futurebusiness support.“The D2N2 area has a

strong agricultural andmanufacturing pedigree.Food products

manufactured in the areahave been driven by itslandscape and the historicalagricultural output in eachcounty.“Both counties possess a

diverse and high number ofentrepreneurial SMEmanufacturers that employmore than 16,000 people.“The sector is

particularly important for anumber of the local areas,particularly the PeakDistrict National Park,

Newark andSherwood,Bassetlaw andAmber Valley, andespecially ruralareas because oflinks to D2N2’sagricultural base.“The sector is

also relativelyproductive in theD2N2 economywith output per

full-time employeeestimated to be 5.5% higher5% to £12.8 billion in 2013,with non-EU marketsexpanding 11.5% andoutperforming EU growthof 3%.“The D2N2 area has

excellent opportunities tobuild on export growththrough its recognised dairyand craft beer products.”

Key role in developing strategyUrgent needto find nextgeneration ofworkers forfood industry

“Our biggest problem is tryingto get the image of the industryright and getting schoolchildreninterested in working in foodmanufacturing.“If we don’t solve that problem

we are not going to have enoughworkers for our industry – andthat would be catastrophic.“We’ve got to get

schoolchildren to understand thatthere are a lot of skilled jobsavailable in factories, includingsales, technical and productdevelopment.“A lot of the boring factory

jobs have been automated out.

“It’s a very resilient sector. Wegrew 900 jobs between 2008 to2010 in the D2N2 area.“As the financial services

industry was falling apart andshedding jobs we continued to bea very robust sector – becausepeople always need to eat.“They might change what they

eat and you might eat out a bitless, but they are still eating, so Ican still sell products.”Speaking about potential

solutions D2N2 can offer hisindustry, Mr Williams said: “TheLEP has asked us to highlight ourcurrent issues and identify

potential future issues, in orderto inform their fundingapplications.“We hope that going forward

we will be able to tackle localproblems, like the ageingworkforce, in a very differentway – by the LEP using itsexperience to influence fundingthat we can apply for to solvethese problems.”Consultation group members

have also identified other specificissues facing their industry, whichthey hope D2N2 can resolve.These include support to aid

and encourage small businesses togrow by providing mentoring andguidance.Mr Williams said: “People need

strategic help around marketingand sales and they don’t have theexperience in-house to do it, sothey need help.”The horse-meat scandal has

also seen manufacturers facingstricter food safety controls andbeing audited more often.“The retailers and the food

service companies want to knowthat their chain is secure,” MrWilliams said. “The issue is weneed more resources to copewith that.“But if you look at the

University of Nottingham, out ofits 30 graduates in food science,29 returned to China.“So there’s a massive increase

in demand but a real shortage ofskills in food science and foodsafety and that’s a real problem atthe moment for the food industry.“The skills action plan has a

plan which we hope will addressthis. That includes offeringqualifications to people alreadyworking in businesses, but weneed some effort and resourcesto facilitate that.”

The food manufacturing industry in the D2N2area is booming but a lack of new talent couldthreaten its growth. Gemma Toulson reports.

Fay Davies

Let there be Rock!Brewing up success

Norma Gregory of Belong Nottingham and Gary Gibbens help to brew GeorgeAfricanus, a new celebration ale, at the Castle Brewery.

UP to 360 barrels of ale arebrewed each week atNottingham’s Castle RockBrewery.The company, located in

Queensbridge Road, also operates18 pubs, produces a wide range ofcore beers and an expansive rangeof seasonal and specials.It’s a company that has

experienced a huge growth:When it began producing beer, in1998, it was at the rate of 25 to30 barrels a week – or 7,200 to10,072 pints.At peak weeks in 2010, the

output was ten times that volumeand with the introduction of ashift system at Queen’s BridgeRoad, following a £750,000investment in increasing capacity,there is the potential to fill 360barrels – more than 100,000 pintsa week.Colin Wilde, Castle Rock

managing director, said: “WhenCastle Rock was founded in 1977by ex-CAMRA chairman ChrisHolmes, it was a pub companywhich began in Newark with theKing’s Arms.“The simple ethos of running a

welcoming pub serving high-quality ale was thoroughlyappreciated by our customers,and Castle Rock began to acquiremore pubs in Nottingham and thewider Midlands area, beforeexpanding its operation furtherand becoming a brewery in 1998.“Today, Castle Rock runs 18

pubs and has won ‘Pub Group of

the Year’ on three occasions. Thebrewery, alongside a number ofcontinuing accolades and awards(including Champion Beer ofBritain 2010 for Harvest Pale) hasincreased its production from just30 barrels per week in 1998 to360.“The company now has more

than 200 employees across its pubestate and brewery.”Castle Rock is celebrating

famous sons and daughters ofNottingham with its series ofspecially brewed Nottinghamian

Celebration Ales. Most recentlyGeorge John Scipio Africanus, theformer slave who becameNottingham’s first blackentrepreneur was highlighted witha real ale brewed in his memory.Brewed in April, 'George

Africanus' will be on sale at pubsacross Nottingham, the EastMidlands and Yorkshire.The brewery’s Nottinghamian

ales continue in 2014 with 'DigbyPearson' from July and 'CarlFroch' from October. The first alewas 'Sue Pollard'.

A NOTTINGHAMSHIRE firm thatproduces popcorn, candyfloss andconfectionery is a leading supplierto the cinema and leisure marketacross the country.Tommy Tucker, which has

premises in Shireoaks andRetford, has expanded itsworkforce after receiving a grantfrom the D2N2 Local EnterprisePartnership.It was successful in applying for

a grant from D2N2’s UnlockingInvestment for Growthprogramme (UI4G), which issupported by the Government’s

up to 30 per cent growth in thebusiness during the next fiveyears.Simon Stanham, financial

director of Tommy Tucker, said:“The Manufacturing AdvisoryService pointed us in the directionof the UI4G funding and it hasmade the difference between usdeciding to go ahead with thisproject.“The grant has allowed us to

expand and create new jobs,which is great news for us as abusiness and the local area,” hesaid.

Regional Growth Fund, and the£62,500 received will go towardsthe £317,500-plus project at itsShireoaks site.The company has employed 11

full-time staff as a result of theexpansion.Prior to the expansion and

creation of new jobs, TommyTucker had a workforce of 50.New machinery has also been

brought in to increase capacityand allow the company toproduce new products and moveinto different markets – a movewhich the company expects to see

NOTTINGHAM company PorkFarms sells 160 million productsevery year either within its ownbranded portfolio or for keyretailers such as Asda, M&S andSainsbury’s.The company employs almost

1,000 people at its two sites in thecity. Alongside its traditional porkpies, its range of products nowincludes quiches, flans, pies andeven gluten-free pastry.Since establishing the business

as a private company in January2007, following its acquisitionfrom Northern Foods, newproduct lines have been added.In 2006 former owner

Northern Foods was in poorshape with a significant pensiondeficit. The company offered toplug it with a £160 million sale ofparts of the business.In January 2007, Vision Capital

stepped in to buy Pork Farms.Chris Peters and Mark Hodson

were part of the managementteam of Pork Farms. They quicklyre-structured the operation.The firm had six sites scattered

across the country, some makingsimilar products. Scotch eggs andfried products were made inShaftesbury, sausage rolls and piesin Market Drayton in Shropshire,quiche in Trafford Park outsideManchester and pork pies inTrowbridge. Nottingham had twosites making quiche and pork pies.The firm employed 2,800 and

had a turnover of £137 million.“The way the sites were

organised meant they werecompeting against each other, forinstance three sites making porkpies, four making sausage rolls,two making quiches,” said MrPeters. “On top of that, the assets

Mark Hodson,businessdevelopmentdirector, andChris Peters,managingdirector. About£20m has beeninvested in thetwo Nottinghamfactories.

factories, Riverside and Queen’sDrive, and the investmentcontinues at the rate of £3 milliona year. All pork pies – MeltonMowbrays made of pork andthose made in a hoop – plus pinkpies made of cured meat – arenow made in Nottingham.The Queen’s Drive factory is

the only UK manufacturer capableof making every aspect of a porkpie so that it can deliver the fullrange of varieties sought byretailers and consumers.Riverside Bakery, little more

than a stone’s throw from

Queen’s Drive, is the country’sleading manufacturer of chilledquiches. It has its own specialistmanufacturing facility anddevelopment team which drivesproduct innovation and quality.State-of-the art manufacturing

allows the business to become theleading supplier of retailer-branded chilled quiches, flans andsavoury tarts to Asda, M&S andSainsbury’s.A highly experienced pastry

team turns out high-qualityshortcrust, French puff, all-butterand specialist varieties. Every day,250,000 quiches are baked.The quiche experts include a

chef who has worked in aMichelin star restaurant.It allows them to design

products meeting the tastes ofthose moving away from pastry,for instance, by designing “Tastethe Difference” cupcake andcrustless quiches sold bySainsbury’s.“Having done that with quiche,

Grant offers bags of promise

were terribly under-invested. Thefabric was tired, the machinerypoor. Northern Foods had beeninvesting in ready-meals. We putin straightforward management.The transition was difficult.”Added to this was the

protected geographical status thattightly restricting where theMelton Mowbray pork pie couldbe made. The boundary touchesthe banks of the River Trent atQueen’s Drive but goes nofurther.About £20 million has been

invested in the two Nottingham

Taste of thingsto come is notpie in the sky

we are moving to otherproducts,” said Mr Hodson. “It isa growth market.”Said Mr Peters: “In 2012, the

business supplied enough quichesto Sainsbury’s for the store to sellone to a customer every twoseconds – the same weight as 19jumbo jets.”Queen’s Drive and Riverside

are major growth engines for thecompany. “This led to a far morestable business,” said Mr Peters.The site had previously had a

“speckled industrial history”. Itwas “an unmanageable site,” headded.Today, the Pork Farms factory

employs 365 at Queen’s Drivewhile Riverside Bakery has 620.Mr Peters said: “The transition

The firm suppliedenough quiches toSainsbury’s forthem to sell oneevery two seconds

was difficult but in the last 12months staff in both sites haveearned profit-related pay.”Across four sites, the group

employs 1,800, which is 1,000fewer than in 2007.Since the acquisition, Pork

Farms has been transformedfrom a £1 million a year loss tosix per cent annual compoundgrowth for the past four years.Sales have risen from £137million in 2007 to £152 million inthe last financial year. “Weshrank the business to grow it,”added Mr Peters.He said he plans to continue

expansion in Nottingham bycreating more jobs to deal withgrowth in production.“Nottingham is a food

manufacturing city,” said MrPeters.

Chris Peters and MarkHodson re-structuredPork Farms inNottingham. Now itlooks to build on arecipe for success.


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D2N2LEP Visitor Economy Supplement 2014

Food

Transcript of D2N2LEP Visitor Economy Supplement 2014