The Abbey Hotel in Battle was named Pub of the Year in the annual Shepherd Neame Pub Awards, held at Canterbury Rugby Club. A total of 15 awards were given out at the event, which celebrates exceptional achievement in the teams across its 300-strong estate. Three were individual awards, which this year included Bar Person of the Year for the first time. Winning licensees Sharon and Gordon Thompson took on the Abbey Hotel eight years ago, with help from their grown-up children and partners, and today run a total of four pubs with Shepherd Neame. Their other sites are The Castle Hotel in Eynsford, The Woolpack in Chilham and The White Horse, Maldon. The hard-working family take a hands-on approach to all their pubs, tackling extensive renovations themselves and striving for excellence in every element, from the décor and service to the quality of food and drink served. Sharon and Gordon’s son Charlie and daughter-in-law Kate run the Abbey Hotel, where they met six years ago. Sharon said: “Their attention to detail is so good. They are a credit to themselves with what they have brought to the business. The Pub of the Year award is something they really deserve.” The family also celebrated winning Best Accommodation Offer for The Castle Hotel, which is run by Sharon and Gordon’s daughter Elizabeth and fiancé Jacob Harper. Sharon paid tribute to her family for their efforts, describing herself as ‘very proud’. She said: “They work so hard, all of them do. We couldn’t do it without them and I cannot stress enough how much it is a team effort, all of us working together." Managed Pub of the Year went to The Market House in Maidstone, which was praised for providing excellent service, top quality food and drink, and creating a regular following for the live music it hosts every week. General Manager Matt Green, who has worked at the pub, taken on by Shepherd Neame in 2017, for more than a decade, said: “I’m from Maidstone; I know the clientele; I know the business in the town, we are just trying to push and push to make it the best environment for the people of Maidstone.” The Bear in Faversham took the award for Tenanted Pub of the Year. Praised as an ‘all round proper pub’, it serves a quality range of Shepherd Neame beers, a varied home-cooked menu and organises regular themed nights and events. Licensees Tim and Lacey Stowell started running the Faversham town centre pub five years ago. Lacey said: “We have an amazing team and we couldn’t do it without them. We also get an enormous amount of support from Shepherd Neame.” The award for Apprentice of the Year went to Andy Hawkes, General Manager at The Limes in Faversham, who was 52 when he joined the hospitality industry and started his apprenticeship last year. He said: “I’ve just got three months to go in my apprenticeship now and I’ve learned so much. I’m overwhelmed to receive this – coming to Shepherd Neame was a great decision for me.” The Best Food Offer was given to the Castle Inn, Bodiam, which has been run by licensees Wendy and James Mills for more than 20 years, with James working alongside Head Chef Bob Leeper in the kitchen. Judges were impressed by the team’s ability to offer an extensive menu, from traditional pub fare to restaurant-style dishes, while also retaining incredibly high levels of quality and service. Chef of the Year went to Andy Proctor, who has been at The Marine Hotel in Tankerton for six and a half years – one of the busiest kitchens in the company’s estate and one of the most creative, with a particular focus on seafood due to the site’s coastal location. “We are passionate about food and work really hard as a team to do what we do, every day, and it’s really cool to be recognised with this award,” he said. Hannah Grantham of The Spitfire in Kings Hill was named Best Barperson of the Year. She is one of Shepherd Neame’s Service Champions, supporting team members at other sites to deliver the highest standards, and is popular with customers. She said: “This award is really for my General Manager, Chris Peach, as he is amazing and without his support, I couldn’t do the job.” A shoutout in this category also went to Jemima Woolnough of The Wharf in Dartford. The Best Beer Offer was awarded to the team at The Parrot, Canterbury, which was praised for consistently high quality beer and an excellent selection of cask ale rotated frequently, tested daily and delivered with passion and love. General Manager Francis Williamson said: “I’ve worked for Shepherd Neame a long time and this is the award I’ve always wanted.” The Best Wine Offer went to the team at The Duke of Cumberland, Whitstable, which has an extensive wine list, with a special focus on English still and sparkling wines, to complement its coastal food offer. General Manager Tina Kennedy said: “The English wines we serve are phenomenal and we get more compliments for them than anything. We undertake regular wine training as a team so that we can share our passion with customers, and also recommend wines to pair with food.” The Customer Service Pub of the Year went to the Old Ivy House, London, which was praised for making customers and the team alike feeling valued. The pub aims to offer something for everyone, from jazz performances and live band karaoke to parent and baby pub quizzes, and also sponsors a local five-a-side football team. Business partners who run the pub, Kate Davidson and Del Currie collected the award. Kate said: “We just try to make a pub that we’d go to ourselves.” A shoutout also went to The Parrot in Canterbury in this category. The Heart of the Community award went to The Oak on the Green in Bearsted, which aims to be at the centre of everything that happens in the village, from supporting local charities and football teams, to providing hampers for the elderly. The award was collected by General Manager Paul Stewart, who said: “We have got a fantastic community, and they support the pub. We are the pub of the village, and we are incredibly proud of that.” Turnaround Pub of the Year was named as the Carpenters Arms, Eastling, a tiny pub with a huge following since a trio of dedicated friends - Sarah Neaves, Madeleine Bioletti, and Mark Perkins – took it on last year. The Lifetime Contribution award went to The Pepper Box, Ulcombe, which has been run by the same family for more than 60 years. The current licensee, Sophie Pemble, follows in the footsteps of her parents Sarah and Jeff Pemble, and grandparents Jack and Betty Wood who first came to the Pepper Box in 1958. There were two awards for Outstanding Contribution. The first went to The Alma, Painters Forstal, which has been run by Clare and Richard Annand for the past 13 years, with help from their sons, and is a hive of activity with quiz nights, music and even a spot of bat and trap. The other went to the Market Inn in Faversham, which has been run by David and Sue Pott for almost 20 years, and who are taking a well-earned retirement next month. A hub for local music, along with bat and trap in its huge beer garden, it will be taken on by Tim and Lacey from The Bear in Faversham. Chief Executive Jonathan Neame said: “Our industry has experienced a very challenging time in recent years, but I never cease to be amazed by the resilience, creativity and positivity of our dedicated team members and pub partners." “These awards offer well-deserved recognition for our people, from those just starting out with us to those who have been part of our Shepherd Neame family for many years. We are proud that our pubs continue to be among the best in the country, and it is important to come together for this annual celebration of our achievements.” Full list of winners: Apprentice of the Year: Andy Hawkes – The Limes, Faversham: Andy Hawkes with Managing Director, Pubs, Jonathon Swaine. Chef of the Year: Andy Proctor – The Marine Hotel, Tankerton: Andy Proctor with Managing Director, Pubs, Jonathon Swaine. Best Bar Person: Hannah Grantham – The Spitfire, Kings Hill: Hannah Grantham with Managing Director, Pubs, Jonathon Swaine. Best Beer Offer: The Parrot, Canterbury: General Manager Francis Williamson with Managing Director, Pubs, Jonathon Swaine. Best Wine Offer: Duke of Cumberland, Whitstable: General Manager Tina Kennedy with Managing Director, Pubs, Jonathon Swaine. Best Food Offer: Castle Inn, Bodiam: Licensees James and Wendy Mills with Director of Tenanted Pub Operations Greg Wallis. Best Accommodation Offer: Castle Hotel, Eynsford: (l-r) Elizabeth Thompson and fiance Jacob Harper who run The Castle Hotel, Director of Tenanted Pub Operations Greg Wallis, Sharon and Gordon Thompson. Heart of the Community: Oak on the Green, Bearsted: General Manager Paul Stewart with Managing Director, Pubs, Jonathon Swaine. Outstanding Contribution: Alma, Painters Forstal: Licensee Clare Annand with her two sons and Chief Executive Jonathan Neame. Outstanding Contribution: Market Inn, Faversham: Licensees David and Sue Pott with Chief Executive Jonathan Neame. Turnaround Pub of the Year: Carpenters Arms, Eastling – not present at the ceremony Lifetime Contribution: Pepper Box, Ulcombe – not present at the ceremony Customer Service Pub of the Year: Old Ivy House, London: Licensees Kate Davidson and Del Currie with Director of Tenanted Pub Operations Greg Wallis. Tenanted Pub of the Year: The Bear, Faversham: Licensees Lacey and Tim Stowell with Chief Executive Jonathan Neame. Managed Pub of the Year: Market House, Maidstone: General Manager Matt Green with Chief Executive Jonathan Neame. Shepherd Neame Pub of the Year: Abbey Hotel, Battle

The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho MP, paid a visit to JCB to see for herself the progress being made by the British manufacturer of construction equipment and agricultural machinery on decarbonisation using hydrogen combustion engine technology. The Energy Secretary’s visit started at JCB Power Systems, Derbyshire, where a team of more than 150 engineers are actively engaged in developing hi-tech hydrogen combustion engines for use in JCB machinery. More than 120 engines have been produced so far and many machines powered by these super-efficient engines are currently undergoing evaluation. Ms Coutinho said: “It was terrific to visit JCB to see their pioneering hydrogen combustion engines powering a new generation of diggers. Countries around the world are queuing up to work with brilliant UK businesses, like JCB. It’s our great British tradition of innovation that is creating well-paid jobs across the country and helping us export our world-leading climate change tech." "When it comes to Net Zero, I want Britain to reap the rewards and prosperity it can bring rather than punishing hard working families and businesses. It is incredibly inspiring to see the levels of innovation, dedication, and enthusiasm throughout JCB.” Ms Coutinho met JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford who is personally spearheading JCB’s hydrogen developments. He explained to the Energy Secretary that JCB had already successfully launched a range of battery-electric compact machines, with more than 20,000 battery-electric machines already sold. He went on to highlight that battery-electric technology was largely unsuitable for heavier equipment due to the higher energy demands, and the longer working hours of such machinery in remote locations where access to grid connections is limited. At JCB’s Staffordshire proving ground, the Energy Secretary was shown a hydrogen-powered JCB Loadall telescopic handler at work. After sitting in the cab of a hydrogen-powered JCB backhoe loader, she tried her hand at the quick and easy task of refuelling the machine with hydrogen, which took only a matter of minutes thanks to a purpose-designed mobile refuelling bowser. Ms Coutinho added: “JCB hydrogen combustion engine technology is cutting edge, and it’s going to help Britain stay at the front of the race when it comes to climate change.” Lord Bamford said: “It was a pleasure for the JCB team to show the Secretary of State the wonderful progress that JCB’s British engineers are making in developing a zero-carbon solution to power our machines of the future." "They will need to be powered by something other than fossil fuels and super-efficient, affordable, high-tech hydrogen combustion engines with zero emissions can be answer for the construction industry and agriculture. What’s more, they can be brought to market quickly using our existing supply base.” JCB’s emergence as a leader in zero-emission hydrogen technology comes as governments around the world continue to unveil strategies to develop the infrastructure needed to support the use of hydrogen to drive down CO2 emissions. JCB has manufactured engines since 2004, producing around 200 per day at its UK plant in Derbyshire and 200 per day at its plant in Delhi, India.

A Lancashire hotel venue has struck up a new business partnership with a social enterprise which helps people who are homeless get back into employment. Lancaster House Hotel has taken delivery of a new range of delicious shortbread biscuits supplied by specialist bakery Half the Story. And as the name suggests, there’s more to the tale than meets the eye. The biscuit manufacturer also creates supportive job roles for those who are trying to make a new start after experiencing homelessness. By providing employment, Half the Story helps its employees to earn a wage, develop their skills, build a career path and find somewhere to live. The partnership came about after executive chairman of English Lakes Hotels Simon Berry and managing director of Half the Story Matt Parfitt met at an entrepreneurship conference, where they were both speaking about how business can be a force for good in their respective communities. Lancaster House Hotel general manager Emma Underwood says: “It’s rewarding to get involved with an enterprise which not only improves the offer here at the hotel but also makes a positive impact in the community." “One of the biggest causes of homelessness is unemployment, and access to new job opportunities is a huge barrier to getting people back on their feet too. So we’re thrilled to be working with Half the Story." “Not only do our guests get to enjoy a tasty treat with their teas and coffees, but they are also helping to make a lasting difference to someone’s life and future job prospects." “The biscuits are already proving very popular with guests, with the shortbreads coming in original flavour, lemon and chocolate chip. And wherever we stock the biscuits, there’s explanatory branding to tell the other half of the social enterprise’s story.” Catherine Onions from the Half the Story bakery adds: “The idea behind the enterprise is that every single biscuit we bake and sell brings hope, purpose and dignity back to the lives of those who have experienced the despair of homelessness." “And it’s not just about finding them a new home. Permanent, long term job opportunities and skills development are vital ingredients to helping people make a new start. Our aim is to provide sufficient hours and wages so our team members have the skills, backing and confidence to leave supported accommodation and begin a positive new chapter in their lives.” Half the Story is a joint venture between Grace Enterprises, which provides supportive employment for those with multiple barriers to work, and Green Pastures, which helps secure housing for the homeless. For further information, visit here.

Dead Cats are like the elephant in the room but smellier. When you have a Dead Cat to deal with, your family dynamic will be hard to navigate. As a metaphor, Dead Cats perfectly captures how dealing with the hardest conversations for family members in business together can feel. On the one hand, no-one wants to go there – Dead Cats really smell, are unpleasant to touch and you’re not sure what other surprises could be revealed. Rubber gloves, face masks and nose pegs might all be needed if we are going to get into the relationship clean-up they call for. On the other hand, you have to tackle them: if you don’t deal with the Dead Cats they keep negatively impacting family dynamic. The smell has a habit of getting worse and seeping into everything. When 40 people joined our recent workshop on ‘Burying the Dead Cats’ at Family Business United’s spring conference in London, they were asked to consider how they feel in their relationships when they are not dealing with a Dead Cat issue. The Cool Cats word cloud for this exercise shows that the emotional states they captured were overwhelmingly positive: happy, calm, safe, collaborative, feeling seen, heard and valued, a sense of fun and even joy and excitement. Evidence of a good dynamic. By contrast, when thinking about their Dead Cats, there is a clear emotional shift. Frustration comes to the fore, mixed with anger, anxiety, loneliness, and hopelessness. Notably there was a move from feeling heard and valued to vulnerable and devalued. Both states are probably familiar to you. As humans it’s normal for our emotions to fluctuate. Whether or not our family dynamic is problematic, everyone has ups and downs in their relationships, and everyone has conversations they avoid or handle badly. However, sometimes the ups and downs of family business life become mired in longer term problems, and this is when communication breaks down and rifts emerge. The pressure of being in business together exposes our different wants and needs, brings emotion and then confusion to communication, and makes families in business vulnerable to conflict. What is going on to create this vulnerability? The roots of moods and emotions are sensations called “affect”. Serious depression or anxiety illnesses are called “affective” or “mood” disorders. When we have an affective illness, there will be inflexible or chronic moods that we struggle to shift without help, like depression. Our moods colour how we make sense of everything that is happening. When moods become inflexible, they can shift our perceptions in ways that make little sense to loved ones. Sense, nonsense, meaning, meaningless, “that’s not what I mean”, “you are making no sense!” [I don’t understand] “I don’t believe you” “I can’t trust you” [I don’t feel safe]. It is how things feel that is the main way we make sense of the world around us. When we are not in the grip of a mood illness our moods and feelings vary widely and this is healthy. It is captured well by the Affect Model. Pleasure and discomfort are nature’s way of encouraging learning. Imagine climbing up a ladder – for most of us, the higher we get the more intense it feels, and whether that is elation or fear depends on how safe we feel on the ladder. Look at the states at the top of the ladders in the affect model – where tone and intensity are high - our behaviour becomes reactive and powerful. We feel intolerable discomfort or unsustainable highs, and an irresistible urge for these feelings to go away: to climb down so that we feel comfortable and safe. Feeling off balance and unsafe physically and in relationships comes from our nervous system. Feelings are generated by processes that keep us in balance in life. These include how we adapt to changes during the day, and consistency needs like temperature or energy. Our feelings are instructions to change something to stay in balance, or to stay safe, whether that means taking a paracetamol for a high temperature, eating when hungry or slamming a door and walking out of a row. Models of our physiological needs perfectly describe why and how our behaviour changes when we are calm, distressed or elated. Our feelings and behaviours when we are dealing with Dead Cats, mirror the physical state of being off balance. If you look again at the word clouds, perhaps you can pick up the emotional patterns shown in the Affect Model? In the Dead Cats word cloud can you sense more discomfort and intensity? If you’ve recently experienced a row, can you remember what it felt like physically - did you feel tight, tense, and rigid? Was your (and others) behaviour and language more inflexible and intense? Would you agree this word cloud feels uncomfortable and unsafe? Now look at the Cool Cats word cloud again – isn’t the vibe pleasant? Do you agree the tone is less intense? Can you see the language is more flexible? Would “comfortable” and “safe” be good words to describe this? So, what are Dead Cats and why are they so unpleasant? They are our energised nervous system reactions when our needs are not being met. This is why they are visceral and throw us off balance. They result in a breakdown in communication because being off balance triggers a threat response. Typically, we can all behave in similar inflexible, intractable ways when we encounter a Dead Cat. In our culture and lives we are taught to avoid emotions, instead of experiencing them fully to gain control of them. As we cannot learn what we avoid and can only learn what we experience, we keep repeating the same behaviour. However, as humans we are able to learn greater emotional and social intelligence skills in order to tackle the routine Dead Cats in our lives in a more useful way. Mindfulness is a bit of a buzz word these days but at its heart lie ancient teachings designed to help people cope in war. Many modern, scientifically tested therapies place mindfulness at their centre: teaching people how to control of their emotional states, by being more aware of the feelings they’re experiencing and also choosing not to react. If you would like to explore this further a great read is ‘Acceptance and Commitment Therapy’ by Steven C Hayes – while changing your old habits might feel uncomfortable, tolerating the discomfort can be incredibly useful when dealing with Dead Cats in your day to day life. When a family or team has a room full of Dead Cats, it’s easy to understand how these may even put the business under threat. It’s at this point Alembic are often brought in to help Bury the Dead Cats – to facilitate uncomfortable conversations, expressing and listening to difficult emotions or behaviours, so those involved can express feeling unsafe and understand what has happened and what is needed more deeply. If it’s a rift, the first step to resolving it is processing feelings in a safe way. If it’s not yet a rift but there is a lot of tension between team or family members, Burying the Dead Cats will clear the air, and, as we like to say, can make the impossible possible once more. Every business is different and the issues they face will be unique. It could be a fallout between sibling founders once private equity backing has been secured to develop the business. It could also be that the business experiences an implosion in the relationship between the CEO and newly promoted MD during succession, resulting in the possible loss of the latter and all their experience. In each case there was a huge loss of trust. Nevertheless, we helped both to resolve the problems they were facing. About the Author - Nick Mayhew is the Founder and MD of Alembic Strategy Ltd. If your business is experiencing similar issues to those referenced in this article and you’d like to discuss how Alembic might help you to Bury the Dead Cats please get in touch for a chat (via info@alembicstrategy.com or 44 (0)204 5058068).

Work on a factory extension, predicted to increase Raskelf Group’s manufacturing capacity by 30%, is now under way. The Group’s existing factory at Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, which currently produces up to 3,000 mattresses, toppers and sleeping bags every week, will increase in size by 16,000sqft over two floors. The capital project represents a £1.2m investment for the sleep innovators, who are a BBC Dragons’ Den success story. Thomas Colleran, Commercial Director at Raskelf Group commented: “Having secured the appropriate planning permissions, I am delighted to confirm that our new factory extension has officially started,” said Thomas Colleran, Commercial Director at Raskelf Group. “We have planned the works carefully to cause minimum disruption to our normal operations, and our hope is that construction will be complete by October this year.” Purchased in 2019, the four-acre site currently consists of a 28,000sqft factory, with an additional 12,000sqft office and showroom block. The original factory was fully renovated when it was bought by the Group; however, due to significant growth in business, an extension is now required to take operations to the next level. “As the extension nears completion, our plan is to invest in new machinery; to introduce new processes; and to add in extra product lines with the aim of becoming as vertically integrated as possible,” revealed Thomas. “All of this will require more labour – especially increasing our foam conversion capacity, so there will be new employment opportunities for skilled operatives later this year.” Huddersfield-based firm Radcliffe Construction have been contracted by the Group. They are specialists with more than a hundred years’ experience of doing construction in Yorkshire – including building a 20,000sqft manufacturing unit for Firth Steels. “We are confident that our build is in safe, experienced hands,” said Raskelf Group Finance Director William Colleran who, together with his brother Thomas, is overseeing the project. “Keeping investment in Yorkshire, wherever possible, sits well with our values, and we are proud to be contributing to the local economy with this particular purchasing decision. It is through sound financial management that Raskelf Group can go ahead with this extension, which will enhance the strong, stable manufacturing site we have nurtured at Heckmondwike these past five years.” Increasing its manufacturing capacity is the latest development for Raskelf Group, which revealed in March this year it had consolidated its various business interests – including the Duvalay brand – under an umbrella organisation. There are no plans to relocate its cot mattress manufacturing division, Nursery Connections, from its base in Corby, Northamptonshire. “From pitching to the ‘Dragons’ to growing our high-end mattress brand in Asia, we have never been afraid of making bold decisions,” added William. “Increasing our output by nearly one-third with this seven-figure investment is another big step, but one we are confident will pay off.”

Aristocratic entrepreneurs in Warwickshire are toasting the latest international success for their handcrafted drink which has been named the World’s Best Floral Liqueur. St Maur elderflower liqueur was described by judges as ‘close to perfection’ on its way to beating off stiff competition from entries across Europe, North and South America and New Zealand, to claim one of the top accolades at The World Liqueur Awards this month. The award also becomes the latest in a collection of prestigious industry accolades for the drink, which has been personally handcrafted in Alcester by its proud founders William and Kelsey Seymour, Earl and Countess of Yarmouth, since 2020. Previous honours include The American Distilling Institute International Spirits Competition Best in Category; Las Vegas Global Spirits Awards Gold; Swiss Spirits Review Gold Medal, and Great Taste Award 2 Star rating. The World Drinks Awards celebrate the very best of the international recognised styles in the global drinks industry, for taste and design excellence. The judges were made up of a panel of highly respected and experienced experts in the spirits industry. Their notes read: "Elderflower notes and a pink champagne hue greet the senses, leading to a warm palate with a dry finish that transitions into a delightful sweetness. The aroma is bold and clear, with a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity on the palate. The finish is long and charming, making for an excellent tasting experience with hints of floral notes." Tobias Gorn - Drinks Consultant Specialist, Critic and Writer, Chairman on the World Liqueurs Award, said: “As the Chairman of the World Liqueurs Awards - the biggest liqueur specialist competition globally of this kind - I would like to specially congratulate one specific entry: St Maur has won some big accolades before but being the best according to our judges at the World Liqueur Awards is indeed an outstanding achievement but honestly, not a surprise." “We have tasted St Maur before in different scenarios and it was very hard to advise what could make it better or how could it be even better. It is a top product with a lovely personal story behind it. It is an outstanding drink that is memorable and versatile and close to perfection.” St Maur was first produced for guests on the couple’s wedding day, at William’s family home Ragley Hall, in Alcester. Provenance is core to the brand’s success. The wild blossoms used to make St Maur are hand-picked by William and Kelsey and their friends and family in the shadow of trees which grew when William’s ancestors were young. The map co-ordinates on the logo lead to Ladies Wood and an elder grove in the ancient Ragley Woodlands, now cared for by William and Kelsey. William said: “To win world’s best in the floral liqueur category at the World Drinks Awards is a significant achievement, particularly for a hand-crafted artisanal drink like ours. This is a prestigious award, and one of the most prestigious we have won with St Maur." “The best accolade for us will always be the reaction people have when they taste St Maur. This latest award is an extension of that, this time with drinks experts and professionals from around the world doing the tasting." He added: “St Maur started out as a drink Kelsey and I served to our guests on our wedding day. Now, only a few years later, St Maur is recognised as one of the world’s best liqueurs and the best in our category as well as our country. We are very proud of that but it’s really just the start of the story for us." “With such a versatile drink to work with, suited to spritz, cocktails, and sipping on its own or over ice, the world is our oyster, and our plan is to take St Maur, our little drop of England’s heart, out into the world one big milestone at a time.” Visit St Maur here .

A swimming school is celebrating after receiving vital shower and changing equipment - thanks to a £5,000 boost from JCB. Paddles Disability Swim School, based at South Moorlands Leisure Centre, in Allen Street Cheadle, supports more than 50 children and adults from across the country with severe physical needs, including cerebral palsy, to help them strengthen their muscles and enjoy time in the water. The swim school, which has a squad of six swimmers who regularly compete at the Special Olympics, has now become one of the only schools in the area with specialist changing facilities after fitting the new shower chair and changing bed to make it easier for swimmers to get ready. Darren Worthington, whose 14-year-old son Joseph has been swimming at the school for six years, said the new equipment makes such a difference in helping swimmers to get ready for their lesson. Travelling for nearly an hour each way from Macclesfield every Saturday for the half hour lesson, Darren said: “There is nothing like Paddles Swim School anywhere else locally and it is amazing to have the new changing facilities available to us. As a parent it just makes it so much easier to help Joseph get ready and to keep doing what he loves. The freedom of being in the water makes him so happy and without this equipment we just would really struggle to lift and support him as he gets older.” Paddles Disability Swim School was formed with the aim of providing safe and fun opportunities for young disabled people to access water activities. The club now supports children and adults from the age of four with regular recreational and competitive swimming opportunities. Many swimmers compete in regional, national and even Olympic swimming galas.

A family-run Inverclyde business is hiring and training young people in the field of ground investigation, after the business owners accessed specialist advice from Business Gateway. A & I Geotechnical is supporting youths in the local community by providing them with training and qualifications in the field of geotechnical ground investigation, which the team are experts in. The team has practical experience on a variety of sites throughout the UK. A & I Geotechnical offer a full range of in-house geotechnical services including trial pitting, dynamic sampling, cable percussion, technician services, surveying, site supervision, reporting and project management. The business was founded in 2016 by Ross Cameron and is still led by Ross and supported by his wife Maria Cameron. At the heart of the business is family and their name is inspired by two of their children. A team that once consisted of just Ross now has six team members and is looking to grow further. Four of these team members are young professionals who they have trained, two of them being their sons. One of the company’s key goals is to provide jobs for young people and give them training in a field they may not have considered. This came from a lack of experienced people in the area, so Ross decided to begin hiring and training young people to teach them all about ground investigation, helping them work towards an NVQ in Land Drilling. The basic training for these members of staff takes two years, but Ross and Maria are keen to expand this and train them to do even more. Their two sons are further along in their training and so now get involved in the teaching of the less experienced members of the team. Though it is a small business, the team want to give back to the local area by sponsoring events and sports teams, using local suppliers where possible and only employing people in the Inverclyde area. When they approached Business Gateway, Ross and Maria met their adviser Mario Alonzi, who has been able to provide advice on growing their business and guidance on how to apply for funding from a range of sources. Through this support, the couple has received wage-subsidy grants from Inverclyde Council and has managed to secure a place on the Inverclyde Business Growth Programme. The programme allowed Maria to learn more about aspects like finance, net zero, strategy and growth mindset and provided great tips on how to improve workflow and performance. The couple received 1:1 business support from Mario, as well as being signposted to his wider network and given innovation support. Business Gateway also helped them to facilitate recruitment of new members of the team. Maria Cameron, Director of A & I Geotechnical said: “Mario has given us fantastic help and advice. With his support, we have managed to secure a grant for equipment that will help us expand the business and also secured a meeting with Scottish Enterprise." “Mario has been a great help in continuing to grow the business and provide us with invaluable support.” Mario Alonzi, Business Gateway adviser said: “ By helping Ross and Maria to grow their business and access funding, we have supported the hiring and training of people in the local community. I look forward to seeing how they continue to grow their business and give back to the area.”

The Global Family Business report from KPMG Private Enterprise and the STEP Project Global Consortium reveals how some successful business families adopt a future-centric view of legacy that binds generations together, creating dynamic legacies that adhere with tradition while simultaneously embracing innovation. The report, which launched at the Global Family Business Summit “The pathway to good: Sustaining family business legacy for wellbeing,” provided insights that reveal many business families are overcoming the ‘legacy paradox’ — the trade-off between being a source of identity and inspiration versus a liability if so entrenched in tradition it stands in the way of innovation and change. The report from KPMG Private Enterprise and the STEP Project Global Consortium brings together personal insights from the experiences of top family business leaders combined with data on the impact of family legacies on their business performance gathered from 2,683 family businesses across 80 countries, territories, and regions. The survey data, which uses both qualitative and quantitative research, revealed that of the 45 percent that reported strong legacies, the same cohort also reported strong business performance, and an even higher 53 percent reported high sustainability scores — a powerful combination for the success of the business and the family today and for generations to come, and a reminder that legacy alone may be insufficient. The annual report reinforces the importance of transgenerational entrepreneurship as a key driver of sustained performance in family businesses, with legacy alone insufficient to guarantee long-term progress from generation to generation. The report advocates that legacy is a process, not a final outcome, with the source of legacy originating from many different factors. Legacies are often amplified by transgenerational entrepreneurship among younger generations who compel their predecessors to communicate openly about what matters to them and to reinforce their business legacies and bridge what can sometimes appear as a generational divide. The report takes a closer look at the true essence of legacy in today’s world and provides a ‘future-centric’ perspective where tradition and innovation co-exist and considers where change must be embraced for the business to remain resilient, competitive, and relevant. The report confirms that legacy may need to focus less on the past and be treated instead as a crucial building block for the future because of the positive contribution it makes to business performance and environmental, social, employee and supplier sustainability. Andrea Calabrò, STEP Project Global Consortium Academic Director, and Director, IPAG Chair for Sustainable Family Business & Entrepreneurship, IPAG Business School, says: “Not only does legacy connect generations and ensure the continuity and heritage of entrepreneurial success, but it also shapes the long-term vision of the family’s business and guides their strategic choices." "But in today’s environment, it is presenting new challenges to family business leaders who find it necessary to learn how to blend traditional values with modern business strategies to build a dynamic legacy with future generations in mind.” Differing perspectives and priorities can shape how different generations perceive the importance of their legacy and the strategies they employ to build and sustain it. These generational differences can also enrich the family business’s legacy by incorporating diverse perspectives and approaches that reflect the evolving dynamics of the business and of broader society. The participants attending the “The pathway to good: Sustaining family business legacy for wellbeing” Global Summit were among the first in the world to receive the report, representing leading family business practitioners, scholars and PhD students with nationalities from Asia, the Middle East, the European Union, Eastern Europe, the UK, and North and South America. With ‘social legacy’ heralded as the strongest legacy component from our research findings, the message was clear and served as an undeniable call to action for family businesses to harness their natural instincts to generate ‘sustained performance’ and develop a ‘dynamic legacy.’ The report emphasises how important it is for family businesses to embrace their legacy, as it may be key to future successes: share the essence of your legacy with the family and executive team, and finally, give the family business’s subsequent generation the freedom to create their own legacy. Robyn Langsford, Global Leader, KPMG Private Enterprise Family Business, KPMG International, and Partner in Charge, Family Business & Private Clients, KPMG Australia, says: “Differing perspectives and priorities can shape how different generations perceive the importance of their legacy and the strategies they employ to build and sustain it. These generational differences can also enrich the family business’s legacy by incorporating diverse perspectives and approaches that reflect the evolving dynamics of the business and broader society." "And with the increased focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities across the world, younger generations will likely be more concerned with the social and entrepreneurial legacies of their family businesses versus older generations who may continue to place more value on material legacies and the family bloodline. History doesn’t necessarily repeat, but it rhymes. It is imperative for founders to establish the ‘beat’ for subsequent generations to follow.” The study indicates that while regional similarities exist, data points vary across regions due to the influence of transgenerational entrepreneurship. This supports the notion that legacy alone will likely not suffice — legacies should become dynamic to help maximize business outcomes. Read the full report here:

Baked Earth Bakery has launched its authentic garlic and coriander naan bites into supermarket chain Asda. The packs of 20 naan bites are available at 241 Asda stores nationwide in the bakery section. Dan Butt, MD of Nottingham-based Baked Earth Bakery, said: “We are excited to see our Baked Earth Bakery garlic and coriander naan bites on the bakery shelves in Asda. We believe we are the first to market with these delicious and versatile naan bites, which are mini versions of our popular naan breads." “As a family, we’ve been making naans for over 50 years and this collaboration with Asda means that their customers can now buy our authentic Baked Earth Bakery naan breads for their own families to enjoy.” The garlic and coriander naans can be used for dipping, topping, as a side or served in a big bowl for sharing. Suitable for vegans, they take two to three minutes to cook in an oven or one to two minutes under the grill. They are also suitable for home freezing. The Butt family is a fourth generation family that has been baking authentic naans and flatbreads since the early 1970s – originally from a small restaurant which was Nottingham’s first curry house and since 1990 from a purposely designed factory, using bespoke ovens that replicate a Tandoor that were developed by the family. The company has grown to become a leading producer of naans and flatbreads, supplying to the retail and food service sectors.

Luxury Cotswolds hotel Tewkesbury Park has secured a £500,000 investment from Lombard for upgrading its plant room to include combined heat and power (CHP) in a move which the resort estimates will save it £100,000 per year in energy costs. This highly efficient process captures the heat created by electricity generation to meet its water and space heating requirements. Tewkesbury Park is a family-owned, luxury hotel resort and 18-hole golf course situated on the site of the 1471 Battle of Tewkesbury. The hotel hosts premium stays, golf and tennis trips, weddings and conferences, and also has an onsite spa and fitness centre. The business, which employs 134 people, is run by Linda McIntosh, with her son Chris McIntosh and daughter Claire White. They estimate that the use of combined heat and power will save 200 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide per year. Chris McIntosh, Managing Director at Tewkesbury Park Limited, said: “We are passionate about making our hotel more sustainable and setting a positive example that others in the hotel industry can follow. This investment from Lombard has allowed us to take a big step forward in this regard." “Due to space and listed building constraints, we were unable to install solar panels – but Lombard helped us find a solution that will allow us reduce our emissions and make huge costs savings, while increasing our security of supply with a system powered by LPG that can run even if the grid does not.” Jason Holness, Senior Relationship Manager at Lombard, said: “It was fantastic to work with the McIntosh family on this deal and help them to take a big step towards their sustainability goals, with the added benefit of saving them a lot of money in the long run." "One of our business aims is to provide financing options that encourage and empower businesses to improve their sustainability, and the Tewkesbury Park team embodies exactly what we’re trying to achieve.” The family discovered the neglected hotel in 2014 and, seeing its potential, purchased and refurbished it over a four-year period, adding a new events venue and bedrooms in the main house. For further assistance with their climate action plan, Tewkesbury Park has registered with NatWest’s Carbon Planner, a free tool providing businesses with tailored solutions to reduce their operational emissions. Commercial Director Claire is putting her luxury hotel experience to good use on new ITV game show The Fortune Hotel. Claire and husband Dan are competing for a £250,000 cash prize.

Croots Farm Shop products went down a storm at the Houses of Parliament when they were showcased at the bi-annual Derbyshire Food and Drinks Fair ’A Taste of Derbyshire’ hosted by Derbyshire MPs. Croots took along some of its award-winning homemade products including pork pie, sausage roll, lemon drizzle cake, and Bakewell tart, plus a number of beers specially brewed for Croots. The farm shop sent a team to the event, which was held in the Jubilee Room at the Palace of Westminster, after being invited to attend by Pauline Latham, Conservative MP for Mid-Derbyshire. They also met Conservative MP for Derbyshire Dales, Sarah Dines, whose constituency borders Croots. Kay Croot, who owns and runs the farm shop at Farnah House Farm, in Wirksworth Road, near Duffield, said: “The Taste of Derbyshire event at the Houses of Parliament was a great opportunity for us to showcase some of our award-winning products to MPs." “It was also an excellent experience to visit such an historic and important place. We had super feedback and, as keen ambassadors of Derbyshire and the food produced in the county, we were proud to have had the chance to be part of the fair.” Members of the House of Commons and House of Lords visited the event, including Minister of State for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business Kevin Hollinrake, who talked to Kay about her experience of running a small business. “It was a good opportunity to share with him the challenges facing small businesses, such as huge energy bills, which have risen so much in recent times,” added Kay. Croots was launched in 2008 on the farm run by Kay’s parents and is one of Derbyshire’s most popular farm shops, with a stack of awards under its belt both for the shop and its homemade products. Croots Farm Shop specialises in selling food and drink made by local producers in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, and other nearby counties. It features products from more than 40 suppliers within a 50-mile radius – supporting many other family run businesses - and also sells a wide and expanding range of home-produced items made by the Croots team in-house. The store offers an extensive selection of food, drink, meat, cheeses and deli items, along with gift ideas, wines and spirits. Croots Farm Shop is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays. The café is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 4pm and 10am to 3pm on Sundays.