Doncaster firm’s rise to success
INVESTMENT in a blast-freezer has helped Doncaster firm The Real Yorkshire Pudding Company increase its turnover and secure jobs.
A £50,000 loan from the South Yorkshire Investment Fund (SYIF) enabled Thorne-based The Real Yorkshire Pudding Company to buy the machine, which was needed to preserve a lucrative national contract and guarantee the jobs of its 70 employees for at least two years.
The company, which relocated from Sheffield 12 years ago, is an established leader in the production of chilled Yorkshire puddings.
But an increased demand in the frozen market opened an opportunity for expansion and the company created an additional chill store and a cold store on the premises.
The blast freezer is used to freeze the puddings quickly to avoid them being squashed before being packaged and it is estimated that the increased business will provide an additional £1m in turnover.
Paul Holmes, managing director of The Real Yorkshire Pudding Company, said:
“The opportunity to capitalise on growth in the frozen market came at a good time for the company and the loan from SYIF has helped us to grow with it, satisfying demands of high profile clients.
“This has strengthened our position in the foodservice industry and complements our growing presence in the export markets of Europe and Canada.”
He added: “The blast freezer means we are now as proficient in the frozen foodservices industry as we have been in the chilled market for the past 12 years and we are now in an extremely healthy position to grow into different markets.
Karl Hodson, SYIF’s investment director, said that the company’s growth into the frozen market had been relatively quick and it was a positive statement about its flexibility to respond to industry changes.
“It will provide further opportunity to export and enable the company to build on its impressive expansion programme,” he said.
The Real Yorkshire Pudding Company was introduced to SYIF through Business Link Yorkshire.
SYIF provides seedcorn, loan and equity linked investments, ranging from £15,000 to £2.5m, specifically to help small and medium businesses meet the gaps in funding they need for growth and development.
