New support for food and drink businesses across North Somerset

A new funded support programme is now open for food and drink businesses based in North Somerset to help them develop their ideas and grow their business. Business and technical support is available to businesses producing food or drinks whether in hospitality, catering, general production including from home or larger manufacturing.

The support is available through Food Works^SW based at Weston-super-Mare ,which is the region’s only food and drink development centre with the aim of turning an idea into a sellable product.

A range of free clinics, workshops and seminars are currently being held at the Centre through until September that are open to all south west food and drink business.  Events include a robotics and automation workshop to explore the future of scaling up productivity with the help of robots. Photography, branding, website design and accountancy are also topics that are featured.

Rachel Goff is The Food Works^SW’ Senior Technical and Site Manager. Rachel said, “This new support programme will help people with great ideas, but needing guidance or pointers as to how to make the product marketable.  We can provide the support to help people and businesses take that next step with help in matters such as regulations, labelling, costings, shelf life, equipment, packaging and food accreditations”.

Zoe Plant, The Food Works^SW’ NPD Innovation Manager said, “Our support can help any stage of business or idea from developing a recipe to work at a larger scale, costings, nutritional information, food trends, packaging and how to make a safe product that people want to buy.  The support not only covers time with specialist it also provides for use of our development kitchens to help bring people’s ideas to life”.

More information about the support the Food Works^SW team can provide can be found at www.foodworks-sw.co.uk. More information on the events that are currently available and planned can be found at www.foodworks-sw.co.uk/food-works-live-events. You can contact the team at enquiries@foodworks-sw.co.uk and 01934 315381.