Business Manchester

Express Solicitors achieves ‘Best Companies’ accolade along with another year of solid growth

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06/02/2023

Express Solicitors, the personal injury law firm, has for the first time, been recognised as one of the UK’s ‘Best Companies’ to work for, achieving two star accreditation for ‘outstanding levels of employee engagement’ of its 500-strong employees.

In its debut appearance, the Manchester-based personal injury firm secured a top ten sector position as the ‘best to work for’ law firm in quarter one 2023, securing 6^th position.

Express Solicitors also ranked in the top 20 North West based firms, in 18^th position and secured 27^th position for the best to work for large companies nationwide across league tables revealed in today’s (Friday 3rd February) Best Companies live event.

The accolade is the first award of its kind that Express Solicitors has received that recognises its commitment to employees across areas such as leadership, wellbeing and personal growth. The nationally recognised and respected ‘Best Companies’ scheme is a standard of excellence for UK businesses, designed to celebrate and showcase outstanding employers.

Express Solicitors’ Managing Partner, James Maxey, comments on the accolade: “To have been recognised by such a prestigious national scheme as a company which is ‘outstanding’ is a real achievement, showing that we have been able to create a highly engaged and committed team.

“We are proud of our high employee engagement levels, proven by our results in the Best Companies survey and it’s fantastic to see that our investment in new initiatives to support our staff’s wellbeing and physical health, such as an extra week’s wages to support our staff with the increased costs of living, additional birthday holiday, and recognition for 5, 10, 15 and 20 years’ of service has been recognised.”

Express Solicitors has also returned a strong financial performance in its statutory accounts filed with Companies House in December 2022, achieving a 12.5% increase in group turnover from last year to £36m.

In the last financial year, Express Solicitors successfully acquired another personal injury law firm, Michael W Halsall Solicitors, together with its modern Haydock office. Currently Express is preparing to consolidate its employees from four buildings in the Northenden area to one £4.4 million head office building, a mile away from its current Manchester head offices, which can accommodate over 1,000 staff.

As well as continued investment in its growth, the personal injury firm has an active Diversity & Inclusion Group with representatives from every department, hosting a full calendar of events to raise awareness of topics and celebrate the communities that make up the organisation. This is in addition to the regular opportunities available to colleagues to socialise with the whole organisation, events to raise money for nominated national and local charities, join various sports-based groups and an Employee Assistance programme available 24/7.

Maxey continues: “We are a hugely ambitious team and growing at a rapid pace with significant investment in people, process improvements and cultural change aimed at empowering our team and ensuring that they come with us on our growth journey.

“There’s a new appetite for learning and development and a palpable, excited buzz around the place. 2023 has got off to a tremendous start as we must continue to deliver our aim of creating a high performing personal injury law firm that continues to provide secure and rewarding employment for many years to come.”

Established in 2000, Express Solicitors is a top 100 UK law firm, dedicated to helping injured people. The company is ranked as a leading firm in Chambers UK and the Legal 500. The firm’s staff include some of the most experienced and well-qualified personal injury lawyers in the UK.

Travel Counsellors surpasses all-time record with £114m ‘peak’ month sales, announcing best ever January

Olivia McHugh

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06/02/2023

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Based in Manchester, Travel Counsellors, one of the UK’s leading independent travel companies, reveals its best January on record, reaching £114.5m in sales. This is up by 50 per cent on January prior to the pandemic, and means the company is trading 65 per cent up on pre-pandemic levels since the start of the financial year (1st Nov 2022).

January saw eight out of 10 of Travel Counsellors’ biggest sales days in its’ 28 year history, with the last day of the month seeing the company have its best ever sales day on record of £6.5m, surpassing the £6m mark for the first time ever. In fact, the top five sales day for January saw £28.1m of sales combined.

Both leisure and corporate sales in the UK saw a rise with figures increasing by 60 per cent and 105 per cent since 2022, respectively. The company’s UK leisure business attracted more new customers than ever before, driving an increase in booking volumes of over 40 per cent, compared to January 2019, pre-pandemic. Furthermore, January witnessed 377 Travel Counsellors celebrating their best ever month.

The company also saw its highest ever bookings month through its in-house booking system Phenix, with over 75 per cent of premium leisure sales sourced through the platform enabling Travel Counsellors to create tailor made ATOL protected packages for customers.

Steve Byrne, CEO of Travel Counsellors, comments: “These outstanding results are testament to the very special people we have in our community and the care they give to customers, especially during the pandemic, and the reputation we have forged in providing trusted travel advice.

“January has been a month of records being broken, but more so, highlighting the power of our community and ways in which we can support one another to look after customers and achieve such growth. We have seen around half of our Travel Counsellors working in teams, a concept we continue to build on and support using our platform, which has enabled them to collaborate, share expertise and knowledge and be even more successful.”

The company booked trips for more than 78,500 passengers in January, recording over 7,000 new customers choosing to book with a personal Travel Counsellor in the month. Top selling destinations were the USA, Spain, Greece, UAE and the Maldives. Lapland, in Finland, also sits in the top ten destinations booked in January and tops the company’s Winter 23/24 sales. Bucket list trips where experience is everything and multi-generational family groups are on trend for the year according to the data. The company maintained a 5-star Trust Pilot rating throughout the month.

Steve adds; “We are certainly seeing customers truly valuing their holiday and the importance of connecting face to face with business customers, booking with someone they can trust and who will be there for them throughout their journey. We are also seeing more people choosing to book sustainably when looking at their travel options, with a record number of ‘Greenleaf’ accredited properties in Phenix being booked throughout January.

“We are focused on continuously enhancing and building on the support, technology, and tools to enable our business owners to operate their businesses and lifestyles in a way that suits them, whilst providing the most personal service to their customers, and enabling them to celebrate even more success in 2023.”

Last year Travel Counsellors recorded a record-breaking year taking in over £800m in sales and welcomed over 150 new franchisees globally. This year the company will be investing £10m into its bespoke technology, attracting more talented professionals to build their own businesses using the company’s personal, digital platform.

For further information about Travel Counsellors, please visit: www.travelcounsellors.com

LSH Auto to host Mercedes-Benz apprenticeship evening in Stockport

Olivia McHugh

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06/02/2023

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LSH Auto is instigating a recruitment drive to seek its next generation of apprentices this week. On Wednesday and Thursday, the business will host two apprenticeship evenings as part of National Apprenticeship Week.

Young people interested in finding out more about becoming a Mercedes-Benz apprentice are invited to Mercedes-Benz of Birmingham on Wednesday 8^th February and Mercedes-Benz of Stockport on Thursday 9^thFebruary at 5.30pm.

Talent Acquisition Specialist at LSH Auto, Becky Pitt, said: “We’re looking forward to recruiting as many apprentices as possible to join us in September 2023 and would urge anybody considering a career in the automotive industry to come along to one of our events this week. Our apprenticeship evenings provide the perfect opportunity to meet some of our existing apprentices and colleagues and chat to them to get a real insight into the various roles that are available. Visitors will also have a ‘behind-the-scenes’ tour of our state-of-the art facilities to see where they could be working.

“Becoming an apprentice is a great way to earn money and a qualification whilst gaining invaluable real-life experience of the career you’re interested in. We currently have 65 apprentices working at our Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Birmingham, Solihull, Tamworth, Stockport, Macclesfield and Whitefield. We offer three courses, all with NVQ Level 3 qualifications as Apprentice Customer Experience Partners, Apprentice Parts Specialists and Apprentice Technicians.”

Anybody wishing to attend the events should email [email protected], specifying which event they would like to attend.

Chris Birch, parts supervisor at Mercedes-Benz of Birmingham, began his career in 2009 with LSH Auto as an apprentice. Chris said: “I started as an apprentice at Mercedes-Benz of Tamworth. After a year there, an opportunity came up to join the team at Mercedes-Benz of Birmingham. I completed my apprenticeship there, was nominated for Apprentice of the Year and became a qualified parts specialist. In 2017, I was promoted to parts supervisor and took charge of my own team.”

Attendees to the events this week will receive a tour of the facilities and learn more about the Mercedes-Benz apprentice scheme, the roles available, how to apply and what to expect if their application is successful.

Scarlett Darby, who enrolled as an apprentice in September 2020, said: “Originally, I went to college to do a beauty course, but I quickly realised that wasn’t for me. I joined the Mercedes-Benz apprentice scheme and now work in the parts team for LSH Auto, at Mercedes-Benz of Birmingham. I really enjoy being an apprentice here and I’d definitely recommend it.”

For information on careers with LSH Auto visit https://www.lshauto.co.uk/recruitment/current-vacancies/ or to attend one of the apprenticeship evenings email [email protected].

PRE-TAX PROFITS AT BRUNTWOOD INCREASE 68% DUE TO INNOVATION-LED ASSETS

Olivia McHugh

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06/02/2023

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In its 46-year history, Bruntwood has reported one of the strongest set of figures.

The property investor and developer saw pre-tax profits augment by 68% to £75.2m, the second highest on record, thanks to the growing appeal of its portfolio of assets that serve the UK’s innovation economy.

A major driver behind the numbers was the growth in income from its Bruntwood SciTech 50/50 joint venture with Legal & General, which had the best year since its formation in 2018.

Profitability there was boosted by the completion and successful letting-up of several key assets and the growing recognition of life sciences as a distinct real estate asset class, all of which contributed to significant revaluation gains.

This included the first two phases of Circle Square that completed and are now fully let, an expansion and 100% letting of a building to existing customer and international molecular diagnostics group Yourgene Health at Manchester Science Park, and Alderley Park, the UK’s largest life sciences campus and now a growing tech hub, which has become income generative following a sustained period of investment and redevelopment activity.

Meanwhile, Bruntwood’s Pioneer buildings, which are focused on high-end amenity and shared spaces in core city centre locations under its Works brand, are now 100% let following strong customer demand for workspace from innovation-linked industries such as tech and digital.

Across the group, net asset value rose by more than 10% to £671.5m (2021: £606.5m) and the value of its combined portfolio, including Bruntwood SciTech assets reached £2bn (2021: £1.8bn).

Bruntwood made a number of significant investments and acquisitions that contributed to this growth, while market sentiment towards science and technology real estate assets strengthened.

Within the Bruntwood SciTech portfolio, it unveiled a £76.2m investment into the purchase and regeneration of Glasgow’s famous Met Tower, to create a new tech and digital campus and marking Bruntwood and Bruntwood SciTech’s first development in Scotland.

Elsewhere, Birmingham’s first ‘smart-enabled’ building, Enterprise Wharf, topped out in the Spring while No.1 Birmingham Health Innovation Campus, the first building at the £210m scheme that shares its name, reached the same milestone in September. In Manchester, the £87m, 264,000 No.3 Circle Square secured planning approval, the hub for Industry 4.0 at Manchester Science Park – Base completed, and a £20m investment into new high specification biology and chemistry labs launched at Alderley Park.

Within the Bruntwood Group’s Works portfolio, it completed the £3m refurbishment of Liverpool’s The Plaza, gained approval for the net zero redevelopment of Manchester’s Grade II listed Pall Mall and work started on the 90,000 sq ft Castle House in Leeds as part of the wider West Village regeneration project. ,

Plans were also submitted in Manchester for the £93m The Alberton scheme, which will create a new 18-storey, wellbeing-led workspace with the highest workplace pool in the UK, and the Ev0 building, which is set to become the UK’s lowest carbon new build workspace.

There was also a resurgence in lettings agreements with new hospitality operators, including the operators of new restaurant, Climat, on the rooftop of its Blackfriars building in Manchester

Demand for flexible workspace continued to strengthen with occupancy averaging 90% across the year in Bruntwood’s Works portfolio. Plans to expand the availability of its Serviced Space product are included in the Plaza, Pall Mall and West Village developments.

Bruntwood’s town centre regeneration arm marked a significant expansion with the formation of a new 50/50 joint venture with Bury Metropolitan Borough Council and the acquisition for redevelopment of the town’s Mill Gate Estate shopping centre.

Its existing partnership with Trafford Council reached several significant milestones including the start of work on the redevelopment of the former Rackhams (House of Fraser) building in Altrincham into Foundation, offering new retail, leisure and flexible workspace, while planning approval was secured for the regeneration of King Street in Stretford and with it the relaunch of the town’s original high street.

The group’s progress towards its goal of becoming Net Zero by 2030 continued at pace with the launch of its Net Zero Pathway, outlining a clear strategy to achieve Bruntwood’s sustainability ambitions. In an industry first, it acquired a stake in the Kirk Hill wind farm that will see most of its energy needs, such as to operate its own offices and common spaces, come from a renewable source.

The Ev0 building is Bruntwood’s first project to meet LETI 2020 design targets for upfront carbon, RIBA’s 2025 targets for whole life carbon and the UKGBC’s Paris Proof operational energy use targets.

Commenting on the figures, Chris Oglesby, CEO of Bruntwood, said: “We have always looked beyond the short term to base our investments around the strategic trends we see reshaping our towns and cities. This approach, from the formation of Bruntwood SciTech in 2018 to the Pioneer programme of forward-thinking, flexible workspaces that we launched long-before the pandemic, is the foundation of this year’s strong financial performance.

“We have aligned our products and proposition with the businesses and organisations driving the future of the UK economy in innovation-linked sectors like tech and digital, life sciences and their supporting ecosystems, all of which continue to show huge potential in many of our regional cities.

“As we now lean into the challenges presented by the end of another economic cycle, this will remain our focus. We will continue to focus our energies on investing in assets, whether that’s for Bruntwood SciTech or Works, in such a way that meets the needs of modern business and industry, targeting growth into new and existing cities around the UK.”

Every year Bruntwood and the Oglesby family shareholders donate more than 10% of distributable annual profits to philanthropic and community causes.

Business and tech community come together to officially welcome new Vodafone Edge Innovation lab to Salford

Olivia McHugh

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03/02/2023

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The state-of-the-art lab is in partnership with the Home of Skills and Technology (HOST) at MediaCity to allow local software developers to experiment with next-generation cloud technology

Members of the business and tech communities across the Greater Manchester region came together recently for the official launch of the new cutting-edge Vodafone edge technology lab and showroom at HOST in MediaCity, Salford.

The lab is the first of its kind in the UK and is designed to help support the development of Manchester, and the surrounding region, into a Northern digital powerhouse.

It offers the opportunity for companies, academics, software developers and public sector organisations to see and test the possibilities of the next generation in cloud technology – Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC). When deployed in combination with 5G, developers can create applications that react faster than the human brain. These capabilities could give rise to new technology use cases such as autonomous vehicles, near-real time fraud detection and augmented/virtual reality mobile experiences.

Software developers and innovators in the Greater Manchester region will have access to these technologies in the earliest stages of development. This head start will create a global centre of excellence for real-time mobile applications in the region, supporting the growth of digitally led businesses and industries in the area, as well as in the rest of the UK.

Attendees at the event were treated to a panel discussion, followed by the opportunity to see the lab for themselves and demo some of the new MEC technology on display.

Demonstrations at the lab included an augmented reality experience from Tactile and Vodafone, where digital instructions and information is overlaid on the physical world through a virtual reality headset. This allows engineers to access valuable information when repairing physical assets, as well as the opportunity for more experience engineers to dial in to support activities and provide visual instruction in real time without lag.

Paul Dennett, City Mayor of Salford, said: “It’s fantastic to see a facility like this opening in Salford. It’s already a thriving centre for new technology and entrepreneurship and having access to the facilities at the lab will make a massive difference to local businesses and organisations across a variety of industries.”

Maria Grazia Pecorari, Strategy and Wholesale Director at Vodafone, said: “For digital to have the biggest impact on our lives, we need to put the technology in the hands of the people who will use it every day. That is the exact purpose of this lab. This is exciting for us, as it’s the first of its kind in the UK, and it’s got the potential to bring a huge amount of opportunity to the wider North West as well as Salford and Manchester.”

Mo Isap, CEO of IN4 Group, the operator of HOST, said: “We’re really pleased to see the vision for this lab realised, and to have been able to share it with the business and tech communities across the region. It’s now available for them to use to really test out the possibilities of the next generation of technology, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with.”

The panel featured Jenn Didoni (Head of Cloud Business, Vodafone), Mo Isap, CEO of IN4 Group, the operator of HOST (The Home of Skills & Technology) and Councillor Eamonn O’Brien (Lead for Education, Skills, Work, Apprenticeships & Digital at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority) alongside Tilly Gilbert (Principal Consultant & Edge Practice Lead, STL Partners).

They discussed the new opportunity for Manchester to create a global centre of excellence for next-generation technologies, to drive new economic value and opportunity for companies and communities in the Greater Manchester area.

The Growth Company shares insights ahead of National Apprenticeship Week

Olivia McHugh

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03/02/2023

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Managing Director of GC Education and Skills looks at the organisation’s apprenticeship opportunities and what they mean to learners and businesses.

With more than 30 years’ experience in training and education for both school leavers and adult learners, GC Education and Skills is showcasing the benefits an apprenticeship can bring.

National Apprenticeship Week (6-12 February) shines a light on the positive impacts of on-the-job training and the wide opportunities available for people across the board.

In a recent survey of GC Education and Skills’ apprentices, 98% feel as though they have progressed in their learning and development since starting their apprenticeship .

A total of 87% believe learning with the Growth Company has given them new or enhanced knowledge and skills and 88% believe they are making progress towards their career aims.

GC Education and Skills was listed as one of the Top 50 Training Providers in the country by RateMyApprenticeship in 2022.

It currently has more than 50 live apprenticeship opportunities on its books, ranging from construction to childcare, marketing to manufacturing. Rochelle Pilgrim from Blue Ocean Building Ltd has been nominated for Apprentice of the Year at the MIMA 2023 awards, after undertaking her training with GC Education and Skills.

Watch a video about its courses and dedicated SkillCentre in Trafford Park here – https://youtu.be/63zCevi8OBY

Jon Paul-Rimington, Managing Director of The Growth Company Education and Skills, said: “Apprenticeships are a great option for someone who is looking to get a head start in their future career whilst earning money at the same time.

“At The Growth Company Education and Skills, we have over 30 years of experience supporting individuals to achieve their goals and we’ve seen first-hand the benefits of apprenticeships for our learners.

“We listen to what businesses are telling us and respond to their demands by creating courses that will help students and their employers. There’s a real drive for digital skills and understanding how we can better equip people with them to re-enter the modern workplace.

“Green skills represent a major part of our future. GC Education and Skills launched the Green Skills Academy in January, supporting the drive to become carbon neutral in GM by 2038.

“The Academy offers a Dual Fuel Smart Meter Installation Apprenticeship on which our learners will be able to understand how to install the meters as well as give people a better understanding of their energy usage.

“We pride ourselves as being seen as an alternative provision to a mainstream college environment. Our sites are smaller in size which can help people that might suffer from anxiety or have concerns about returning to education.”

The education provider also won the Low Carbon Innovator of the Year Award at the National Construction Apprenticeship Awards and Training Company of the Year 2022 at the National Fenestration Awards.

See the full range of courses and how to apply here.

Visit GC Education & Skills website to kick start your future and achieve your goals with our range of apprenticeships, traineeships, courses, higher education degrees and adult courses.

For more information about the Growth Company, visit https://www.growthco.uk/

* The Green Skills Academy will initially be hosting learners from across the North, including Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Liverpool City Region, Yorkshire and Humber.

The Advantages of Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency for Your Business

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News Desk

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03/02/2023

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In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for the success of any business. However, creating and executing an effective digital marketing strategy can be overwhelming and time-consuming.

That’s where a digital marketing agency comes in – they bring expertise, resources, and technology to help your business achieve its marketing goals and reach new customers. In this article, we will explore the many advantages of hiring a digital marketing agency for your business, including increased efficiency, improved ROI, and access to a wider range of skills and services.

Whether you’re a small start-up or a well-established enterprise, a digital marketing agency can help you reach new heights in your marketing efforts.

Why Hire a Digital Marketing Agency?

If you’re looking for a way to focus on your core business, while still getting the benefits of digital marketing, then hiring a digital marketing agency is an excellent solution. A professional team can handle all aspects of your online presence so that you don’t have to waste time or money managing those details yourself.

A good agency will use the most effective tools available in order to build brand image and reputation online. They also have experience with technical issues that may arise on your website or with social media accounts–and they know how best to deal with them when they do happen.

By hiring someone else as opposed to trying it yourself (or even worse: paying someone else), they’ll save you time and money while increasing efficiency overall.

They Can Build Your Brand and Online Reputation

Social media marketing is one of the most effective ways to build your brand image and reputation online. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow you to create a community around your brand where people can share content, communicate with each other and engage in conversations about your business.

It’s crucial for online businesses: it can promote content that would otherwise go unnoticed by potential customers and help increase traffic to your website. But this can be time consuming, so hiring branding experts is a great way to get your brand out there effectively.

Social media marketing also provides an opportunity for businesses that are just starting out in their industry by providing them with exposure at low costs compared with other forms of advertising.

They’ll Understand Which Marketing Services You Need

Most agencies offer a wide variety of digital marketing services, including SEO, PPC and email marketing. This is important because these are the three major areas that you should be focusing on if you want to grow your business online. However, their expertise also means that they’ll know which services would benefit your business the most.

That means you won’t be wasting valuable time and money on marketing tactics that won’t provide any results.

Website Maintenance

When your website goes down, not only is it extremely frustrating, but it can cost you. You don’t have to worry about these types of technical issues or website maintenance when you work with a digital marketing agency. They will be able to fix these sorts of problems quickly and efficiently.

That means you can focus your time on the business itself and let a team of experts take care of the rest.

Free Up Your Time

It’s not easy running a business. You have lots to focus on, which means you have less time to focus on other things.

Marketing is something that takes time, so instead of having one person doing everything, you can have a team of experts working on your account.

With this weight off your shoulders, you can spend your time running the business and making sure everything else is going smoothly.

Conclusion

Hiring a digital marketing agency can provide numerous benefits for your business. From expertise in the latest digital marketing strategies, to the ability to save time and resources, to improved brand reputation and increased online visibility.

With the right agency, you can achieve your marketing goals, reach your target audience and ultimately drive more sales and revenue. Investing in digital marketing is a smart move for any business looking to thrive in today’s digital landscape.

FOLLOW YOUR HEART TO HARD ROCK CAFE MANCHESTER THIS VALENTINE’S DAY

Olivia McHugh

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03/02/2023

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Head on over to Hard Rock Cafe Manchester this Valentine’s Day, to celebrate all things love with your Valentine or Galentine.

Romance over a cheeky Flirtini Cocktail, featuring vodka with flavours of citrus, pineapple and Chambord topped with Da Luca Prosecco DOC Rosé; or raise the romance ‘steaks’ with a delicious 12oz New York Strip Steak, seasoned and grilled, topped with grilled shrimp and a traditional scampi sauce, served with seasoned green beans and gold mashed potatoes.

0N0A1523 1 — **FOLLOW YOUR HEART TO HARD ROCK CAFE MANCHESTER THIS VALENTINE’S DAY** 3

What’s more, you can ‘put a ring on it’ when you order both items together – enjoy a complimentary side of onion rings on the house!

Hard Rock love birds aren’t limited to February 14th, however, because the Valentine’s menu is available from February 9th to 15th – so there’s plenty of time to fall head over heels with this limited time experience.

Booking is recommended; to reserve your table for two at Hard Rock Cafe Manchester, visit Opentable

Northwest sourdough specialist, Lovingly Artisan, named as the best artisan bakery in Britain

Olivia McHugh

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03/02/2023

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Cumbria & Manchester’s Lovingly Artisan Bakery has been named as the top bakery in Britain as part of the 2023 Bakers’ Dozen – which lists the best artisan bakeries in Britain as voted for by industry experts.

The Bakers’ Dozen was revealed on Tuesday 31st January at the first ever meeting of The Artisan Collective, held at The Compound, in Birmingham sponsored by Bako, Brook Food & Bakery Equipment, Craggs & Co, and Dawn Foods.

The Artisan Collective is an initiative created by British Baker, the leading source of information for the baking industry, to celebrate artisan bakeries and the people behind them while offering a platform to facilitate conversations and share skills. Among them was Lovingly Artisan’s Catherine Connor, who joined an expert panel discussion examining cost effective marketing for bakery businesses alongside journalist Vince Bamford, Matthew Bond, from Project D and Vhari Russell, from The Food Marketing Experts.

When it came down to voting time for the Bakers’ Dozen more than 100 specialists, including artisan bakers, consultants, suppliers, and lecturers, were asked to vote for their favourite artisan bakeries. Each voter was hand-selected by British Baker with the voters broken down by region to ensure bakeries across Britain had an equal opportunity to shine.

Aidan Monks, co-owner of Lovingly Artisan Bakery commented on winning top spot in the Bakers’ Dozen: ”We were totally shocked to be included in the top 13 let alone being voted the UK’s number one artisan bakery. Being named in the top spot is even more special for us knowing that our industry peers have voted for us. Hopefully the fact that we are trying to create the very best bread we can using the finest ingredients available and to put quality, wholesome, healthy breads at the heart of every family table again, has really resonated with them because it’s exactly what they are trying to do too.”

Amy North, British Baker editor added: ”The Bakers’ Dozen celebrates the best of the best. Each bakery on the list has been recognised by others in the industry as a beacon of dedication, passion, and skill, as demonstrated through lovingly handcrafted products and the people who make them.”

An artisan bakery is where baked goods – such as sourdough, bread, buns, pastries, and cakes and more – are made by skilled bakers by hand, often utilising longer and more traditional processes. Quality of ingredients and the end products are high on the agenda, and as a result, artisan bakeries typically only have a handful of sites.

The 2023 Bakers’ Dozen is as follows:

1. Lovingly Artisan, Cumbria & Manchester

2. The Street Bakeshop, Basingstoke

3. E5 Bakehouse, London

4. Bread Source, Norfolk

5. Bread Ahead Bakery, London

6. Northern Rye, Newcastle upon Tyne

7. Poppyseed Bakery, Eastbourne

8. Peter Cooks Bread, Hereford

9. The Dusty Knuckle, London

10. Pollen, Manchester

11. Fabrique, London

12. Levain and Cherry, Birmingham

13. Freedom Bakery, Glasgow

Three Victorian townhouses in Wigan to go under the hammer this month

Olivia McHugh

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03/02/2023

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Later this month, three adjoining Victorian townhouses on New Market Street in Wigan will be put up for auction. Dating back to the 1880’s the three-storey dwellings will appear in auctioneer Pugh’s online property auction on 21st February.

Number 1 New Market Street has a guide price of £80,000 with a guide price of £160,000 for the combined lot of 3 and 5 New Market Street.

Cited as a rare example of Victorian three-storey houses in the town, the properties retain many original features and are in need of a complete programme of modernisation and repair. They are centrally located with town-centre shopping, and facilities such as Wigan & Leigh College and the recently re-developed Wigan bus station, close by.

Edward Feather, associate director at auctioneer Pugh, said: “These lots present a unique opportunity for an ambitious developer. Planning permission for the conversion of 1-5 New Market Street into nine two-bedroom flats was previously granted and, although now lapsed, this demonstrates the potential for the right developer to reimagine these properties subject to the necessary permissions.

“This is an exciting time for Wigan and these properties are perfectly placed for the £135m Galleries redevelopment scheme in the heart of the town centre which is due to be completed in 2025.”

Bidding on the properties, as well as the other lots in Pugh’s online property auction, opens on 21 February and closes the following day. To view the full catalogue, go to www.pugh-auctions.com.