North West business briefs: Baltic Market; Victorian Plumbing; Cheshire & Warrington LEP; LSH Auto; Man Utd; Mather & Co
Liverpool street food location, Baltic Market, currently host to 10 different independent traders, welcomes its latest addition from July 5, when Italian-inspired kitchen and deli, Polpetta, launches.
The new venture is the brainchild of Liverpool UFC flyweight star, Meatball Molly, alongside her best friend and creator of The Macro Kitchen, Joel McCarthy. Polpetta, which means meatball in Italian, will offer an array of dishes including Italian subs, pasta and sides.
Having wanted to collaborate on a concept for a number of years, Molly, 33, from Norris Green and Joel, 32, from Penny Lane, set their hearts on launching Polpetta. After running the second busiest subway in the UK, aged from 18-22, and gaining her nickname Meatball, kindly given to her by her training mates, it’s Molly’s time to put years of training and her own name behind some incredible food.
Joel has been running his own business, The Macro Chef, for the past few years, amassing a following of health-conscious and flavour-hunting patrons by serving up the healthiest and tastiest macro meals, including custom plans for Molly and Next Gen MMA stars. With Italian cuisine being their favourite type of food, both Molly and Joel say they love how it brings people together and creates a community feel, reminding them of Liverpool.
Molly and Joel said: “After years of wanting to bring our concept to life, it feels amazing to be launching Polpetta at Baltic Market next month! The market is the perfect place to launch our start-up, giving us a platform to showcase our Italian-inspired dishes to the people of Liverpool and beyond who regularly visit the venue.”
Oliver Press, co-founder of Baltic Market, said: “We can’t wait to welcome Liverpool’s newest and exciting food start-up, Polpetta. The passion from Molly and Joel is inspiring and I can’t wait to bring that high tempo energy from the Octagon to the Baltic Triangle. I also grew up with Joel, so it’s a lovely full circle moment to be able to link up with him later on in life and welcome their new concept to the market.”
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Skelmersdale-based bathroom products and accessories retailer, Victorian Plumbing, has signed a three-year principal partnership agreement with Bolton Wanderers FC.
As part of the agreement, Victoria Plumbing will be the club’s official shirt sponsor for the duration of the deal. Victorian Plumbing’s logo will feature across the front of the home and away shirts for the next three seasons, starting from the upcoming 2023/24 campaign.
The partnership with Bolton Wanderers marks the first time Victorian Plumbing has sponsored a football club. As a North West-based business the company said it has a natural affinity with Wanderers’ values and community-centred ethos as key reasons for linking up with the club.
Joe Pascoe, chief marketing officer at Victorian Plumbing, said: “We’re hugely excited to announce this partnership with Bolton Wanderers and are looking forward to becoming deeply aligned over the next three years. This marks a major advancement in our distinctive marketing approach and for our first ever sports marketing campaign, we couldn’t have found a better partner – Bolton Wanderers’ passionate fan base and community-focused approach to football is something we at Victorian Plumbing admire.”
Neil Hart, Bolton Wanderers chief executive, said: “We are thrilled to be entering a three-year commercial partnership with Victorian Plumbing. They are an incredibly impressive company with a huge national presence – but their values remain rooted firmly in community. For those reasons, we felt this was a brand we wanted to align ourselves with for the longer term and we are delighted they are now on board for the next three years.”
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Care training
Warrington is to be home to the region’s first Skills Bootcamp in care work, allowing people in the sector to fast-track their way up the ladder thanks to £1.2m funding secured by the Cheshire & Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) as part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, which will help to train more than 350 people across the region via Skills Bootcamps.
Covering a wide range of areas such as green skills, digital skills, logistics, and skills in the rail sector, these flexible courses of up to 16 weeks give local employers the opportunity to recruit people with the skills they need or develop the skills of their existing staff. They also give local residents the chance to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to a guaranteed interview or access new roles and opportunities with their current employer.
From today (June 12) Warrington & Vale Royal College will be running Skills Bootcamp: Care Worker – which has been designed with employers and sector practitioners to help close the skills gaps within the health and social care sector. Based at the college’s Health & Social Care Academy, which features an independent living flat and a simulation hospital ward, the course covers a raft of topic areas including safeguarding, dementia, mental health conditions, and key legislation in the health and social care sector.
The two-day-a-week course, taken over seven weeks, is designed to offer progression into a more senior role for existing care sector employees as well as enabling those who want to enter the sector to fast-track straight into a care/support worker role. Students who successfully complete the programme will be guaranteed an interview for a vacant post with one of the following local care providers: Bright Futures, SOS Care, and Home Instead. Skills Bootcamps are free for all unemployed or self-employed people.
Clare Hayward, Cheshire and Warrington LEP chair, said: “We’re so proud that our region is now able to offer its first ever Skills Bootcamp in care work. We have seen the shortage of skills within this sector and are glad that this programme is now available to help close this gap. The programme is crucial to the success of our region and our commitment to creating the most sustainable, inclusive and growing economy in the UK.”
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Jill Scott and Vaughan Blackman
LSH Auto is the official car sponsor for former Lioness Jill Scott. The partnership agreement will see England legend Jill become an ambassador for LSH Auto, which has Mercedes-Benz, smart and BYD dealerships across the North West and the Midlands.
Jill has been a regular customer of LSH Auto since 2015 and said: “I’ve been coming to LSH Auto for my cars and all my servicing for almost eight years. They’re also really good at supporting their local community sports teams. I recently met up with the players from Mancunian Unity Women FC, who LSH Auto sponsor, too. It’s nice to see a big brand like this supporting local clubs.”
The announcement comes as Jill embarks on a new coaching career with academy players at Manchester City.
Vaughan Blackman, managing director LSH Auto, said: “We’re really pleased to be partnering with Jill. She was one of the first female players to be given a central contract by the FA, back in 2009, and when she announced her retirement from football last year, she was England’s second most capped international footballer, from both men and women.
“When she moved to the area and started playing for Manchester City, Jill became a regular customer here at LSH Auto, so we feel that she’s already a great ambassador for our brand. She even came along to our Christmas community event in December, which was only a week after she was crowned Queen of the Jungle.”
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Manchester United has announced its global partner, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., through its Snapdragon brand of processors, as the presenting partner of its 2023 pre-season tour of the USA, which includes games against Wrexham, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
The team will travel to the United States in July, playing a series of pre-season matches across the West and East coasts of America, preparing Erik ten Hag’s first team for the 2023/24 season. The four-match schedule includes a game against Wrexham AFC at Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, where the club will field a youth-focused side, giving fans the chance to see some of United’s famed academy’s up and coming players.
This will be United’s first visit to the US in five years, and throughout the entirety of the tour, Snapdragon will offer access to exclusive pre-season content and prizes to its Snapdragon Insider community, which will build as the team moves from city to city. As presenting Tour partner, Snapdragon will bring enhanced pre-season experiences to the club’s global fan base.
Victoria Timpson, CEO of Alliances and Partnerships for Manchester United, said: “Manchester United Tour 23, presented by Snapdragon, will not only be an opportunity for Erik and his squad to train in some of the best sporting facilities in the US, but they’ll also play against some world class opponents in front of our army of passionate supporters.”
Don McGuire, SVP and chief marketing officer, Qualcomm Incorporated, said: “As a valued partner of Manchester United we are delighted to help bring the team to the US. As well as the tour’s presenting partner, we are the proud hosts and match sponsor of the club’s fixture against Wrexham AFC, to be played at the Snapdragon Stadium on the 25thJuly.”
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Manchester-based experience designer, Mather & Co, has orchestrated a remarkable collaboration with ITV to unveil the new Coronation Street Experience, a captivating visitor exhibition at the Trafford Wharf site that opened to the public on Saturday, June 10.
Paul Lee, design director at Mather & Co, said: “Working with ITV again is a great honour, as Mather & Co has developed a strong relationship with the renowned brand since the 2014 tour. We are delighted to have had the opportunity to create such an exceptional experience for this acclaimed TV show.”
Anchored by its innovative set design and graphic expertise, Mather & Co has transformed the visitor centre into the ultimate haven for ardent Coronation Street viewers.
This extraordinary destination invites fans to step into the iconic replica sets of Rovers and Roy’s Rolls, get up close to authentic costumes, marvel at historic props, and relive classic moments in a dedicated cinema space.
James Penfold, representing ITV, said: “The new experience finds its home in a state-of-the-art, purpose-built media building spanning an impressive 16,500 sq ft. Located within the north east corner of the Production Lot, this remarkable structure features the exhibition, a 64-seater cinema auditorium, a retail area, and a cafe.”
The Coronation Street Experience delves deep into the show’s rich heritage, featuring original props and costumes that have made their mark on television history. Visitors can expect meticulously replicated interior sets, including stepping behind the bar on the legendary Rovers Return or for the first time walking into Roy’s Rolls. The attention to detail will immerse visitors in the true essence of Coronation Street.
