Flintshire Business Scales-Up to Showcase Innovation with £100,000 Investment

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Development Bank of Wales , 4th December 2023

Flint-based food manufacturer The Pudding Compartment is continuing its major expansion following a £100,000 investment from the Development Bank of Wales.

Established in 2007 by Steve West, The Pudding Compartment supplies the travel, foodservice, and business to business sectors with bespoke cookies, biscuits, cakes and traybakes, along with its own branded range of sweet treats under its Creative Bake Co brand. The loan of £100,000 from the Development Bank is being used to increase the capacity of the 10,000 sq. ft manufacturing unit on Manor Industrial Estate in Flint. This includes the creation of new areas for office and storage space plus making the production floor space larger to accommodate the installation of a new high-performance automated production line.

The Pudding Compartment is also working closely on a project with AMRC in Broughton to convert its business in Flint to become a state of the art SME ‘Factory of the Future’ which includes adopting the latest digital technology.

Having recently completed the Business Innovation and Tourism Escalator Scheme (BITES) run by Industry Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government, Director Steve West said that the company is preparing to double the current turnover of £1.5 million and increase the number of employees from 20 to 30 FTE.

He said:

“We first had support from the Development Bank in June 2020 with the help of a loan from the Covid -19 Wales Business Loan Scheme. With the pandemic now behind us, our focus is now on transforming the business with the latest digital technology and additional manufacturing capacity to meet the growing demand for our products.

“We have developed our business strategy to drive growth and we’re confident that new technology will help us to improve operational efficiency. The support of the Development Bank as our funding partner means that we have the working capital to invest in our facilities. We hope that this is the beginning of a long-term partnership that will unlock our future potential.”

Andrea Richardson, Portfolio Executive with the Development Bank said:

“We’ve worked with Steve since June 2020, helping them to navigate and survive the pandemic. Steve was short-listed for Entrepreneur of the Year at the Wales Food and Drink Awards in May 2023 so it is particularly pleasing to now be supporting them with the investment needed to adopt new technology and create the space to scale-up and grow the business for the long-term.”

The loan for The Pudding Compartment came from the Welsh Government-backed £500 million Wales Flexible Investment Fund. Loans, mezzanine finance and equity investments are available for Welsh businesses from £25,000 to £10 million with terms of up to 15 years.

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Mae’r gwneuthurwr bwyd o’r Fflint, The Pudding Compartment, yn parhau i ehangu’n sylweddol yn dilyn buddsoddiad o £100,000 gan Fanc Datblygu Cymru.

Wedi’i sefydlu yn 2007 gan Steve West, mae The Pudding Compartment yn cyflenwi’r sectorau teithio, gwasanaeth bwyd, a busnes i fusnes gyda chwcis, bisgedi a chacennau o bob math, ynghyd â’i ystod brand ei hun o ddanteithion melys o dan ei frand Creative Bake Co. Mae'r benthyciad o £100,000 gan y Banc Datblygu yn cael ei ddefnyddio i gynyddu capasiti'r uned weithgynhyrchu 10,000 troedfedd sgwâr ar Stad Ddiwydiannol Manor yn y Fflint. Mae hyn yn cynnwys creu ardaloedd newydd ar gyfer gofod swyddfa a storio yn ogystal â gwneud yr arwynebedd llawr cynhyrchu yn fwy i ddarparu ar gyfer gosod llinell gynhyrchu awtomataidd perfformiad uchel newydd.

Mae The Pudding Compartment hefyd yn gweithio'n agos ar brosiect gydag AMRC ym Mrychdyn i drawsnewid ei fusnes yn y Fflint i fod yn 'Ffatri'r Dyfodol' BBaCh o'r radd flaenaf sy'n cynnwys mabwysiadu'r dechnoleg ddigidol ddiweddaraf.

Ar ôl cwblhau’r Cynllun Cynnydd Busnes Arloesedd a Thwristiaeth (a adwaenir yn y diwydiant fel BITES) sy’n cael ei redeg gan Ddiwydiant Cymru ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru yn ddiweddar, dywedodd y Cyfarwyddwr Steve West fod y cwmni’n paratoi i ddyblu’r trosiant presennol o £1.5 miliwn a chynyddu nifer y gweithwyr o 20 i 30 CALl.

Dywedodd:

“Cawsom gefnogaeth gyntaf gan y Banc Datblygu ym mis Mehefin 2020 gyda chymorth benthyciad gan Gynllun Benthyciadau Busnes Covid-19 Cymru. Gyda’r pandemig bellach y tu ôl i ni, rydym bellach yn canolbwyntio ar drawsnewid y busnes gyda’r dechnoleg ddigidol ddiweddaraf a’r gallu gweithgynhyrchu ychwanegol i ateb y galw cynyddol am ein cynnyrch.

“Rydym wedi datblygu ein strategaeth fusnes i ysgogi twf ac rydym yn hyderus y bydd technoleg newydd yn ein helpu i wella effeithlonrwydd gweithredol. Mae cefnogaeth y Banc Datblygu fel ein partner ariannu yn golygu bod gennym y cyfalaf gweithio i fuddsoddi yn ein cyfleusterau. Gobeithiwn mai dyma ddechrau partneriaeth hirdymor a fydd yn datgloi ein potensial yn y dyfodol.”

Dywedodd Andrea Richardson, Swyddog Portffolio gyda’r Banc Datblygu:

“Rydym wedi gweithio gyda Steve ers Mehefin 2020, gan eu helpu i lywio a goroesi’r pandemig. Cyrhaeddodd Steve y rhestr fer am wobr Mentergarwr y Flwyddyn yng Ngwobrau Bwyd a Diod Cymru ym mis Mai 2023 felly mae’n arbennig o braf cael eu cefnogi nawr gyda’r buddsoddiad sydd ei angen i fabwysiadu technoleg newydd a chreu lle i ehangu a thyfu’r busnes. ar gyfer y tymor hir.”

Daeth y benthyciad ar gyfer The Pudding Compartment o Gronfa Buddsoddi Hyblyg Cymru gwerth £500 miliwn a gefnogir gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Mae benthyciadau, cyllid mesanîn a buddsoddiadau ecwiti ar gael i fusnesau Cymru o £25,000 i £10 miliwn gyda thymhorau o hyd at 15 mlynedd.