North West business briefs: Botanico; Together; East Lancashire Vehicle Storage Solutions; MK Illumination; Evolution
A new eaterie is heading to the heart of South Liverpool this October.
Based in Woolton Village, in the former Il Ristorante by Crust site, Botanico will be home to a full brunch menu, an impressive afternoon tea and a bistro evening menu, as well as an all day pizza offering and fresh bakery section where guests can buy homemade breads and pastries that are made in-house each day.
Botanico has been created by the team behind Liverpool’s popular Italian Quarter, located in the city centre. Father and son duo Donato Cillo and Antonio Cillo are the owners of the Italian Quarter with venues such as Brunchin, Hey Farina, P&D Gran Caffe and Antonietta Cakes and Gelato, creating a bustling hub for Italian delicacies and dishes in the heart of Liverpool since 2010.
Having both worked in the hospitality industry since they were 13-years-old, Donato, 48, and Antonio, 24, originally from Potenza in Italy, are passionate about showcasing authentic Italian food to Merseyside and beyond.
Creating 25 jobs, Botanico will have a capacity of 90 in the main restaurant with an additional 30 in the dedicated tea room. Donato Cillo said: “Botanico will bring an exciting and fresh approach to this space in Woolton Village, giving guests a venue to visit in couples or groups of friends and family. It’s an inclusive venue with something for everyone, from classic brunch dishes to an all day pizza menu, a delicate and delicious afternoon tea as well as a full evening bistro menu with starters and main courses.”
Antonio Cillo said: “We’ll have a variety of vegan and vegetarian dishes, as well as a fresh bakery section where our guests can take away their favourite loaves, or stock up on home baked pastries. Botanico is a must-visit venue for those who love authentic Italian-inspired cuisine, as well as a wide range of classic favourites.”
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Cheadle-based specialist lender, Together, is partnering with Stockport County Football Club to launch its Schools Programme.
The initiative includes a £125,000 donation to Stockport County Community Trust. The donation will be used to launch the pioneering School’s Programme, providing free educational programmes for all Stockport schools and targeting students most at need. The scheme will deliver educational workshops to local primary schools for children across years five and six. These will cover topics to further the children’s knowledge across three key themes – numeracy and finance, mental health and wellbeing, and e-safety and social media. The programme will run in 48 schools for six weeks, with plans to expand to 77 schools in 2024.
Marc Goldberg, CEO sales and distribution at Together, said: “As long standing supporters of Stockport County FC, I am truly proud Together is able to support the Community Trust in the launch of their Schools Programme, an initiative which will support and further the education of thousands of students across Stockport.”
Alison Warwood, CEO at Stockport County Community Trust, said: “We are thrilled that Together has chosen to support our Schools Programme. The six and twelve week workshops will provide vital support and have such a positive impact on the lives of young people.”
Together also recently received its first external accreditation from CCA, an authority on customer contact strategies and operations. Chloe Cotgrave, chief operating officer, personal finance, at Together said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that we have been successful in gaining and achieving our CCA accreditation for our customer service. This accreditation means that Together will join the ranks of industry leading organisations that have been recognised for their levels of customer service.”
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Dave and Collette Edmondson
A vehicle storage facility based in Darwen has recruited two new staff after installing new infrastructure using funds secured with the help of Lancashire County Council finance service Access to Finance, and now hopes to continue its expansion through boosting its revenues by up to 40%.
East Lancashire Vehicle Storage Solutions was established in March 2022, using personal funds. The business provides customers with secure indoor storage, on-site servicing, MOT preparation, minor repairs, tyre replacement and repairs, alloy wheel repairs, valeting, detailing, tracker fitting as well as vehicle recovery and transport.
Owners, Collette and Dave Edmondson, knew that to maximise available space they would have to install a number of new ramps that would allow them to improve their overall capacity for vehicles from 26 to 36. Managing director, Dave, said: “We found out about Access to Finance after contacting Boost Lancashire, who gave us loads of helpful advice and pointed us in the right direction, which is when we were introduced to Mark from A2F.”
Access to Finance undertook a diagnostic on the level of funding the firm needed and determined that a start-up loan from the British Business Bank would be most appropriate. A £25,000 start-up loan was approved from GC Business Finance within two days of submission with funds in the company account within seven days.
Mark Gibbons, senior Access to Finance specialist, said: ““Collette and Dave have ambitious plans and are already reaping the business benefits of the new infrastructure. We’re continuing to offer the company advice and guidance as they grow.”
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Blackburn-based lighting specialist, MK Illumination, is joining forces with Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone as a proud Silver Patron.
Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone, a charity dedicated to young people, provides more than 60 hours of services when schools are closed.
With in excess of 4,500 members benefiting, its provision takes place at a state-of-the-art centre in Blackburn, a satellite site in Darwen and within the community, open to ages five-19, with a dedicated SEND and Employability services open to young adults up to the age of 25.
Matt Davies-Couzens, MK Illumination managing director, said: “This embodies our company’s belief in the potential of young people in our local community and our commitment to nurturing their growth by providing them with avenues to learn, create, and succeed.”
Wayne Wild, trustee of Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone, said: “We warmly welcome MK Illumination. Their contribution will undoubtedly enrich the experiences of the young people who access our facilities.”
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Lytham lifeboat station and jetty
A Blackpool construction business has carried out work at Lytham’s RNLI lifeboat station.
Evolution delivers private housing, social housing, and sheltered housing to create sustainable communities across Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside. Based on the Fylde Coast, its latest assignment saw the company refurbishing the jetty and railings at nearby Lytham lifeboat station.
Dave Spalding, Evolution’s helpdesk, fleet and HR manager, said: “With the lifeboat being such an important service and needing to be available 24/7 we were pleased to be able to act quickly on behalf of Fylde Council to deliver these urgent repairs. With the expertise of our team we were able to replace the timbers on the jetty and repair the railings to ensure the lifeboat is able to continue to launch successfully.”
Evolution managing director, JJ Fitzgerald, said: “We put communities at the heart of everything we do. We are always happy to support local projects like this which provide a vital service for the community.”
A spokesman for Fylde Council, who commissioned the work on the jetty and railings, said: “Evolution were quick to respond to help us support the RNLI which is such a vital lifesaving service.”
