Sweet success for Joseph Dobson & Sons

ONE of Yorkshire’s oldest and largest independent family-run confectionery manufacturers has invested in an additional manufacturing site to boost production. 

Elland-based Joseph Dobson & Sons was established in 1850 and is believed to have created the famous Yorkshire Mixtures. It makes sweets and lollipops from recipes that have been handed down through generations, including Voice Tablets, Mint Imperials and Traffic Light Lollies.

In 1999, Miriam Walshaw, great-great granddaughter of Joseph Dobson, and her husband Stephen took over the helm.

Over recent months the company found itself needing extra space for manufacturing and packing the popular Mint Imperials, as well as needing extra storage space. 

With support from NatWest and Lombard – the bank’s dedicated asset finance division – the business has worked with Michael Hall, relationship director in the NatWest Huddersfield office, to secure a commercial mortgage on a new warehouse under the Government’s Funding for Lending Scheme. The firm also worked with Louise Illingworth, relationship manager at Lombard, to obtain an asset finance facility.

Joseph Dobson & Sons has invested in the 8,700 sq ft premises on Exley Lane, around the corner from its existing premises in Northgate. The new site incorporates a state-of-the-art, purpose-built Mint Imperial manufacturing and packing facility which will speed the processes up and in turn, boost productivity. Operations such as manufacturing and packing of sweets and lollies will continue to operate in the Northgate site.

Ms Walshaw said: “The packaging was causing a bottle neck in the process and these machines will help us combat that. Without the new site we wouldn’t have had the space to house them – this will help us a great deal.”

The latest development has enabled the firm to recruit an additional eight employees to join the 52 staff.

“We’ve been with NatWest since the business started in 1850,” Walshaw said.

“Michael has offered us lots of useful advice and has been very helpful throughout this latest expansion project.”

In the long-term, Joseph Dobson & Sons said it plans to continue the organic growth of the business at a steady pace to maintain the quality of the products.

Joseph Dobson & Sons uses the traditional sweet making methods which have been used since 1940s and include boiling the ingredients in large, open copper pans. It’s said that the famous Yorkshire Mixtures came into being when Joseph Dobson’s son dropped some sweets when he was coming down the stairs.

In addition to confectionery, Joseph Dobson & Sons manufactures and supplies cough lozenges to the pharmaceutical industry.

The brand supplies its products to most major supermarkets including Morrisons, Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys, a number of wholesalers and independent retailers, as well as running its own shop in Southgate, Elland.