£3 million investment in Yorkshire Food Enterprise Centre helps food entrepreneurs make their mark | News and Events from Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humber

8 March 2010 £3 million investment in Yorkshire Food Enterprise Centre helps food entrepreneurs make their mark

The Rt Hon. William Hague, MP for Richmond Yorkshire and Shadow foreign secretary has launched a £3 million pound Food Enterprise Centre ensuring the region’s food sector remains firmly on the map.

Acting as an incubator for up and coming food entrepreneurs, Leeming Bar Food Enterprise Centre will provide fledgling businesses with food grade space together with an on-site management suite that offers meeting room facilities and access to expert knowledge every step of the way.

Leeming Bar is an excellent location for innovative food businesses, located directly adjacent to the A1(M) the site has excellent distribution links to the rest of the UK. Hambleton District Council has a key focus on regeneration and skills development and had made significant investments in the region to help businesses flourish.

Councillor Tony Hall, Cabinet Member for Prosperity at Hambleton District Council said: “We were able to secure funding from Yorkshire Forward and the European Regional Development Fund to develop this concept and several small businesses are already in the process of signing up.

“The Food Enterprise Centre removes some of the significant cost barriers faced by new food businesses and gives them the opportunity to move into purpose built accommodation, to share costs and experiences with other similar businesses and to make the most of prime market opportunities across Yorkshire and beyond.”

“The start of this project marks the district’s commitment to supporting those regional food and drink producers that want to strengthen and expand. Food and drinks businesses are extremely important to the local economy and this importance will be boosted by the provision of what is a first class facility.”

Tom Riordan, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Forward; “These purpose built premises will help food entrepreneurs to establish their businesses by offering just the sort of facilities they need. By investing our own and European money in the provision of such facilities in the Hambleton District, Yorkshire Forward is encouraging business growth and enterprise in the area.”

The Regional Food Group was consulted on the design of the food production units to BRC standards and Leeming Bar will be managed by RFG members Gary Quinn and Thomo Leteane, food entrepreneurs themselves, with a wealth of experience in food manufacturing.

“Setting up a food business is one of the hardest things to do as there’s so much to consider. We want our businesses to get the right food product to the right target market as quickly as possible. Having a managed workspace were people can advice you on anything from manufacturing issues, to labelling laws and nutritional analysis is invaluable to small businesses. Leeming Bar is all about taking away some of the stumbling blocks that get in the way of food innovation in our area,” says Quinn.

The project, based on the Leeming Bar Business Park near Northallerton, has received significant funding from Yorkshire Forward, the European Regional Development Fund and Hambleton District Council part of wider project in the area, which includes the new Evolution Business Centre in Northallerton. The Food Enterprise Centre offers 11 competitively priced food grade units for companies that meet qualifying criteria. The Centre also aims to attract food businesses from outside the park to use its resources and meeting space, in order to strengthen the food community in Yorkshire.

Food entrepreneurs who are interested in Leeming Bar should contact the Centre Manager Gary Quinn on 01677 425264

Their website is coming soon to this address: http://www.leemingfoodcentre.co.uk

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