Business Growth Hub cooks up recipe for success

GREATER Manchester’s Business Growth Hub has helped to get five of the region’s food and drink businesses onto the shelves of Tesco supermarkets.
 
The Hub’s Recipe for Succes’ event consisted of a series of free seminars to provide a platform for small businesses to get in front of medium to large retailers – offering an opportunity for them to pitch their products to Tesco buyers at the end.

In the seminars, local businesses covered a range of issues including pricing, insight about what major retailers expect from suppliers, and advice on product development. Those who were deemed ‘retail-ready’ then had the chance to pitch their products to Tesco. This led to five of the seven businesses taking part securing a provisional order with the supermarket chain.
 
Successful businesses included Manchester-based microbrewery Privateer Beers which secured a provisional order of its 3.9% Patriot ale with the supermarket.”
 
In addition, Ivy Bell Baking Kits, which provides a range of home baking kits made from traditional family recipes, secured provisional orders of its gingerbread, chocolate and lemon drizzle home baking kits at 20 Tesco stores in the North West. The Trafford Park business was launched last year by former professional pastry chef Verity Gaughan.