Coronavirus business update: Latest news across the North West

Zymurgorium, the Irlam-based creator of gins, liqueurs and rums, is aiming to disrupt the market with its efforts to supply fairly priced hand sanitiser amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic.

With the increasing need for sanitisers in full force, the company said bigger producers have surged the prices of sanitisers, often limiting access to the product.

Switching up production to help keep local authorities, fire brigade, blood bikers, care homes and local communities safe, Zymurgorium said it is passionate about providing an ethical pricing structure which will ensure the safety of those on the front line and in day-to-day service.

Looking to establish the distillery as a fair and supportive market leader in hand sanitiser, Zymurgorium has launched a new line, Zymitizer, available for £7.50 per litre bottle and £19.99 for a five litre jerry can, which it claims is the most reasonably priced product currently on the market.

The ethical pricing structure follows the brand using all profits from previous sales of hand sanitiser to either pay for ingredients for the next batches or to reinvest into equipment to ensure the same quality, but at an even better price.

The Zymurgorium distillery is currently up to a capacity of a swimming pool’s worth of hand sanitiser daily, allowing a fast and effective turnaround for companies in need.

With ethics front and centre, Zymurgorium said it continues to be in full operation and paying staff full living wages, alongside supporting COVID-19 charitable causes.

Zymurgorium sanitiser

Managing director Aaron Ross Darke said: “Our main goal and ambition is to ensure no-one is being ripped off when purchasing hand sanitiser, especially at this crucial time when it really is a key necessity to ensuring people’s safety.

“We want ethics to be front and centre of everything we do and being able to produce and provide quality hand sanitiser, currently the most reasonably priced on the market, is absolutely essential to us.

“We hope our new fair pricing structure will have a knock-on effect for those currently producing hand sanitiser as we look to welcome the challenge of providing a top-quality product that ensures the safety of our customers without them compromising on price.”

Zymurgorium is also looking to give back to those who have previously purchased hand sanitiser from them, currently offering a 20% voucher for any sized order and 20% off for key workers.

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Cllr Crane

Cheshire East Council is to reintroduce parking charges across the borough from June 15.

Parking charges had been suspended in Cheshire East since March 27, following a council decision to support keyworkers – including NHS staff and social care workers – to assist in the response to control the coronavirus.

However, with government plans to re-open high streets on June 15, the council is preparing a number of measures, some of which are temporary, to ensure that the high streets remain safe for the public and local businesses.

Over the coming days several measures will be installed across high streets in Cheshire East, leading to changes at the following car parks:

● Temporary closure of Silk Mill Street and Princess Street car parks in Knutsford; Lyceum Square, Crewe; and Church Lane, Nantwich as access to these car parks compromises the space available for social distancing;

● Temporary suspension of some parking spaces and laybys, where these can provide extra space for widening footpaths to help pedestrians respect social distancing rules.

● Signage will be displayed at car parks to encourage contactless payments as cash payments will not be accepted on the majority of car parks; and

● Ringo, an online smartphone app will be available for people to pay for their parking, to avoid any contact with the parking machines.

The council is also encouraging the public to purchase contract permits for those car parks where they are available. If a permit is displayed in a car window there is no need to use the pay and display machines.

Cllr Laura Crane, portfolio holder for parking at Cheshire East Council, said: “I would like to thank all our keyworkers across Cheshire East for their continued work during the coronavirus pandemic.

“As government restrictions ease, our main aim is to protect people and support our local businesses and the economy. Each measure we re-introduce is a balance between maintaining access and creating enough space for shoppers and visitors to observe ‘social distancing’ when in town.”

Parking meters will be un-bagged, and enforcement will begin on Cheshire East owned car parks from June 15, alongside on-street enforcement patrols.

To protect the public and council staff, the opening of Jordangate and Grosvenor Centre multi-storey car parks, in Macclesfield, will be delayed until mid-July.

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Dan McNicholas

The ‘utopia’ of home working is proving less so in reality, according to Manchester-based training and development company 4and20million.

Since lockdown was introduced most companies have switched staff, where possible, to working from home, with many offering the opportunity to carry on, even after lockdown measures are eased.

However, as lockdown restrictions begin to ease, many office workers still face the prospect of working remotely for months to come as social distancing requirements prevent a return to normal office life.

And while the benefits of not commuting and fewer distractions was an immediate positive outcome for many, the challenges of working alone at home are becoming clearer as workers adapt to the new normal, said the company.

4and20million co-founder Dan McNicholas said: “We initially saw lots of speculation that companies would abandon office spaces altogether.

“That enthusiasm seems to have died down, with people describing a ‘corona-coaster’ of ups and downs to working from home and wanting more of a balance.

“People have started to miss the support they get from having colleagues around them – everything from the ease of collaboration and support to a good morning smile each day.”

He said: “We’ve seen more demand for online courses on increasing resilience and maintaining motivation, as well as more specific skills, like leading a remote team and boosting productivity.”

After having to adapt from delivering in-person training to online courses, McNicholas is aware of the limitations of video calls and online meetings: “We’ve had to break many of our courses up into smaller modules, as people can’t stay engaged and focused on a Zoom call for hours at a time.

“You also lose a lot of the natural interaction of being in the same room, so everyone has to work harder to build a connection with each other.”