Yummy Yorkshire

Husband and wife Jeremy and Louise Holmes kept their cool when it came to finding a way to ensure the sustainability of their third-generation dairy farm.

They set up Yummy Yorkshire six years ago, making a range of ice creams using milk and cream from their own herd of Holstein cows and fresh ingredients from suppliers as close to their Denby Dale farm as possible.

During the economic downturn, they achieved continuous growth, with turnover of almost £300,000 in 2011-12. Last year, ice cream production rose by 29% to 35,000 litres and employee numbers grew by three to six full-time and eight part-time.

The business has continued to grow with renowned chefs Tim Bilton, Marcus Bennett and Eric Paxman among Yummy Yorkshire’s customers.

Yummy Yorkshire has won many accolades, including nine Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards and the Deliciouslyorkshire Product of the Year. Earlier this year it picked up three Great Taste Awards for its basil-flavoured ice cream, its coconut & mango ice cream and its black garlic ice cream.

The firm’s wholesale business has grown over the past 12 months with significant account wins taking the name of Yummy Yorkshire and Huddersfield throughout Yorkshire. The company supplies 20 farm shops, delicatessens and coffee shops in Kirklees alone.

Yummy Yorkshire has turned its ice cream parlour into a visitor destination and has trebled the number of events it holds at the farm has added attractions for customers – including falconry days, a family fun run, a Hallowe’en party and a Christmas market. As a result of these activities, the firm has increased footfall by 32% over the past year.

It is also taking its products on the road by turning a 1960s French butchers can into a retro ice cream trailer, allowing the company to serve seven flavours of ice cream as well as hot drinks and snacks at local events.

A total of 18 new flavours have been launched in the past 12 months, including black garlic & dark chocolate, pumpkin oil and spicy pear & balsamic vinegar. The most recent collaboration was with Taylors of Harrogate to create a Yorkshire Tea flavour ice cream for a festival in Kendal.

Among its link-ups with local businesses, Yummy Yorkshire also partnered Huddersfield Giants’ Side by Side charity campaign – producing a Claret & Gold ice cream which sold well at the Huddersfield Food and Drink Festival.

Louise said: “Yummy Yorkshire has become a major contributor to the local rural economy in and around south Huddersfield and supports the local community where possible.”

Plans were afoot to develop the business further, but Louise added: “Despite a rapid growth, Yummy Yorkshire has remained very true to its firm belief of making a product that is premium quality and does not scrimp on ingredients to try and drive more profit from the business.”

It is also planned to increase ice cream production and set up a recipe development area to allow Jeremy and Louise to innovate without disrupting the daily production process.

Said Louise: “The business will continue to seek out new markets and extend its delivery range to every corner of Yorkshire.”

ProperMaid Ltd

A company making cakes “with a twist” is taking an ever bigger slice of the market.

Lindley-based ProperMaid was founded in 2008 by former dinner lady turned cake connoisseur Allison Whitmarsh, who identified a gap in the market for her unique cakes using unusual flavours such as Courgette & Lime, Beetroot and Chocolate and Dandelion and Burdock.

The company supplies caterers, cafes, delicatessens and retailers with its innovative hand-made cakes made from ingredients mainly sourced in Yorkshire.

ProperMaid has won a clutch of awards, including the Deliciouslyorkshire Awards and the Great Taste Awards while Allison was the Manufacturing Women of the Year Award from networking group Forward Ladies.

Last December, Allison appeared on BBC’s Dragon’s Den – and subsequently received funding from entrepreneur Deborah Meaden. It has also landed key contracts to supply cakes to Pret a Manger’s new high street shops, Manchester Airport’s departure lounges and even Britain’s armed forces overseas.

With its roots and brand firmly based in Huddersfield, the business originally employed six local women, several of them Allison’s dinner lady colleagues. As it grew, the company has maintained its commitment to employ local people and now has 23 staff, including two craft apprentices who attend Kirklees College on day release.

The business is very active in the Huddersfield community, supporting several local charities, including The Welcome Centre at Huddersfield Methodist Mission, while Allison gives presentations to business students at Huddersfield University and takes part in regular cookery school demonstrations at Dean Clough in Halifax.

Said Allison: “The business remains very much proud of its Huddersfield roots and is determined to maintain its local brand profile and focus as it continues to expand in the UK and overseas.”

She said: “The next 12 months will present ProperMaid with a number of challenges and opportunities as we start to see a sustained upturn in global economic conditions.”

The company aims to produce special cakes to mark the arrival of the Tour de France to Yorkshire next year and Allison has been approached to take part in a number of public speaking and school events as a shining light of women entrepreneurs in manufacturing.

Said Allison: “We are not complacent and remain passionately ambitious to fly the flag even further and wider with even whackier great taste ‘cakes with a twist’ combinations in 2014!”

Towndoor Ltd

A property development company is helping Huddersfield businesses “make it” around the region and further afield.

Meltham-based Towndoor Ltd has more than 90 units across six sites, including offices, warehouses, workshops, yards and apartments. Units range in size from 400sq ft to 40,500sq ft.

The family-run business was founded in 1988 by Stuart and Lucy Bamforth after Bamforth Group’s dismantling division was invited to remove the assembly plant at Meltham Mills for tractor manufacturer J I Case Ltd. In the event, half of the former David Brown Tractors factory was sold to Bamforth in the name of Towndoor – and within four years the whole site had been developed into an industrial estate fully occupied by 38 individual businesses together providing 400 jobs.

Towndoor acquired a second site at Netherton from Allied Breweries. The site, renamed Crosland Road Industrial Estate was quickly renovated and fully let to nine companies. A third site was sold to Towndoor by the Case Corporation in 1993 and in 1999 Towndoor purchased land at the end of Bent Ley Road in Meltham for four new units.

Towndoor, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year and is managed by the founder’s son, Dan Bamforth, has now bought its first property in Leeds. Leathley House has been split into six starter units and was fully let within weeks of the property being refurbished.

The company has also taken ownership of Meltham Mills reservoir and is undertaking major safety and refurbishment work to allow local businesses to make use of the water supply and provide walks through the ancient woodlands surrounding it.

Despite the economic situation, enquiries for units to let have continued to grow – with more than 150,000sq ft of space changing hands in 2013 alone.

New tenants include footwear retailer Shoeshoebedo, toy importer Little Bird Told Me, cardboard manufacturer Latham Machinery and engineering company International Process Engineering Ltd.

Towndoor is also home to award-winning Equi-Trek Ltd, Bolling Coffee, Fisher Plastics, ABG Ltd and other businesses ranging from a cake shop to a Ferrari dealership.

Said Dan: “Towndoor is the first port of call for many Huddersfield and Leeds businesses looking for new premises. The company undertakes an ongoing programme of refurbishment and improvement to ensure that each and every property is worthy of a place in our unrivalled portfolio. The majority of tenants are long-term occupiers, which is testament to the company’s positive relationship and proactive approach.”

Dan said: “The family and close-knit style of how we operate our business has undoubtedly set us apart from the competition. Clients are handled on an individual basis and are often considered more of a friend. Our ethos is very much ‘in it together’.”