Sweet success for marzipan manufacturer

MARZIPAN specialist Shepcote is on a path of growth as popularity for its products continues to soar.

The East Yorkshire business, which is best known for manufacturing handmade cake decorations and almond marzipan confectionery for exclusive stores and blue-chip companies, was launched 45 years ago by Michael Shepherdson in Driffield. Today, the family run business is headed up by Michael’s son Richard and thanks to on-going product innovation and investment, it will see turnover reach £15m in its next accounts, more than double what it was ten years ago. 

Shepcote’s marzipan range, which includes a variety of designs from fruits and vegetables to Halloween objects, is sold to well-known retailers such as Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. Many of its marzipan products are also used as cake toppers, supplied to bakeries such as producer of celebration cakes and Christmas cakes, Greencore, which has a major site in Hull.  

Shepcote said it remains confident of its continued success.

“I’m confident we will continue to grow,” Richard Shepherdson said. “Well, cautiously optimistic, as if we continue to supply a quality product, which we will, we should be ok.”

Shepcote, which moved from Driffield town centre into a purpose built 30,000 sq ft factory, warehouse and office site in 2007, is also a sugar merchant and food distributor. It stocks a range of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, pulses and grains in bulk or retail quantities, which it then supplies to the bakery trade, health food shops, delicatessens and retail outlets.

The Yorkshire firm employs a team of around 60 people and Shepherdson said one of the growth areas for the business will be supplying its goods to more organisations.

“There is a lot of product development going on and innovation is happening all the time. There’s on-going investment in machinery, too,” he added.

“We see constant opportunities and are able to grow with the market.”

Shepcote has also started to operate 24 hours per day for the first time in the company’s history to keep up with increased demand.

Julian Wild, a corporate finance partner and food group director at Hull and York law firm Rollits was appointed as a non-executive director earlier this year to help drive the business forward.