Patisserie Valerie and Spooner Industries on the list of 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain

 

Patisserie Valerie and the manufacturer of industrial ovens Spooner Industries are among the businesses identified as the ‘1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain’, an annual report that measures the dynamic of SMEs in the UK. 

Collated by the London Stock Exchange, this annual report is a celebration of some of the fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. Spooner Industries was one of the 75 companies honored across the Yorkshire and Humber region. To be selected, Spooner had to demonstrate not only consistent revenue growth over a minimum of 3 years but also significantly outperform peers in the same sector of manufacturing. Spooner Industries in Ilkley produces industrial ovens, dryers, coolers, provers/proofers, air turns, stabilisers, oxidizers and solvent and energy recovery equipment, and has been a leading innovator in the principles of forced convection technology since 1932.

Xavier Rolet, Chief Executive, London Stock Exchange Group said:

“This report is a significant part of London Stock Exchange’s broader campaign to support UK high growth companies in their journeys from Start-up to Stardom and to create an entrepreneurship revolution. I’m delighted that a strong alliance between UK Government, financial market participants, investors, entrepreneurs and companies has been created to support these inspiring businesses.”

Summing up the mounting accolades for the company so far this year, Mike Brook, Managing Director of Spooner Industries said:

“We are very proud to be included in ‘1000 Companies to inspire Britain’ and described as one of the UK’s most vibrant companies. This and the recent opportunity to showcase our business to the Prime Minster and Chancellor will resonate within the company for a long time to come and is testament to the innovation and technology developed here at Spooner.” 

Patisserie Valerie was first opened in Frith Street in London’s Soho in 1926 by Belgian-born Madam Valerie. She came to London on a mission to introduce fine Continental Patisserie to the English. It was an instant success.

During the Second World War, the Frith Street premises were bombed by the Luftwaffe and Madam Valerie subsequently set up shop around the corner in Old Compton Street where her legacy continues to this day in our Soho branch.

The unique café-atmosphere includes the decor left over from the 1950’s epitomized by the now famous Toulouse-Lautrec style cartoons by Terron. Patisserie Valerie produces cakes and patisserie, continental breakfasts, lunches, teas and coffees and an atmosphere that is unique to each location. 

On optimist view over the manufacturing in UK 

Despite an increasingly competitive global environment, strong domestic demand is boosting production levels across a wide range of manufacturing activities, according to London Stock Exchange Group.
Although the manufacturing sector’s share of employment has declined since the late 1970s, production lines are whirring in factories across the UK, giving cause for optimism. Domestic demand lifted factory orders to a four-month high in December 2014, according to the CBI’s Industrial Trends Survey. Investment in new facilities and machinery, research and development, and recruitment, coupled with an increasingly skilled workforce, is creating a solid outlook for UK manufacturers.

Sector at a glance
• GBP 139 billion – The industry’s contribution to the national economic output
• 2.6 million people work in manufacturing – 8% of all UK jobs
• 3,624 – The number of high-growth small businesses in manufacturing in 2013

Food and drink – recipe for success

Food and drink companies are the toast of the UK economy, bringing 16,000 new products to market each year. The industry spends GBP 1 billion annually on R&D, helping it stay one step ahead of changing consumer demand.
No sector has been impervious to the recession, but UK food and drink manufacturing has held up well against the economic headwinds, with increased exports and new job creation. Figures show that the UK government helped 2,500 food and drink businesses sell their produce abroad in the 12 months to October 2014 – more than ever before – generating GBP 300m for the UK economy.
Sector at a glance
• 400,000 people are directly employed by the food and drink industry
• 96% of businesses are micro- to medium-sized
• 45% increase in value-added exports in five years