Southglade Food Park is fully occupied once more after one new
tenant moved onto the pioneering business park in Nottingham and a
second company currently on the site has expanded to take an
additional unit.
A waiting list of firms interested in securing premises on the
site remains, said Fiona Anderson, managing director of The Food
and Drink Forum which is based at the business park in Gala
Way.
"Since opening in 2005, Southglade Food Park has been popular
with food and drink firms, and we are delighted to welcome the
latest tenant and to hear of the expansion plans of an existing
tenant," said Fiona Anderson.
"Southglade was designed to provide different-sized high-grade
food manufacturing premises for firms at different stages of
development, with the opportunity for companies to move into larger
units as they grow.
"That vision has turned into reality with the business park
proving popular with food and drink companies due to the quality of
the premises, the presence of the on-site business centre, the food
industry experienced support from The Food and Drink Forum, its
convenient location, and the fact that the park is dedicated to
firms all working in the same sector.
"I am very pleased to see that Southglade Food Park is full once
more, and it is heartening to hear that other companies are keen to
move in when suitable premises become available."
Distributor TransFresh, which recently moved off the site to
larger premises in Wigwam Lane, Hucknall, is the perfect example of
how Southglade Food Park was designed to work, she said.
"The firm moved into an incubator unit at Southglade in early
2007. When it grew, it took additional space. Now fully
established, TransFresh has moved to its own larger premises
elsewhere - freeing up space for new and growing businesses to move
in to Southglade," said Fiona.
The new tenant of Southglade Food Park is gluten-free,
dairy-free and additive-free cooking sauces and condiments company
Dovedale Foods, which manufactures the brand Sauces of Choice and
which has moved into one of the smallest-sized units on the park -
433 sq m premises known as nursery units. The firm, run by
directors Ian Noakes and his partner Leah Montgomery, and Ian's
mother Ann Noakes, supplies to farm shops, delis and direct to the
public via its website www.saucesofchoice.co.uk
"The unit is purpose-built and perfect for small companies such
as ourselves," said Ian. "The proximity to The Food and Drink Forum
and the facilities in the Business Centre that we can tap into are
also extremely useful."
Existing Southglade Food Park tenant luxury baker Cake and
Biscuits LLP has also taken a nursery unit to accommodate expansion
plans.
"The moves show that Southglade Food Park is operating just as
it was planned, with firms occupying different sized units as they
grow and develop," said The Forum's food technical manager Richard
Wigley. "We are very pleased to welcome a new company onto the
park, and to help Cake and Biscuits LLP with their development, and
wish them well for the future."
When it opened, the £4.7 million Southglade Food Park was
the first business park of its kind in the UK dedicated to food and
drink production and containing an on-site business centre offering
support to firms.
The build and first three years of operation were funded by East
Midlands Development Agency (emda), the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF) and Nottingham City Council. Since then the
park has been self sustaining.
At the heart of the food park community is a Business Support
Centre run by The Food and Drink Forum, which maintains an on-site
presence and manages the park services. It features meeting rooms,
a new product development kitchen and other facilities for firms
both on and off the park. Tenancies are managed by Nottingham City
Council.
There are plans to expand Southglade Food Park to offer
additional units when funds become available.