A Lincoln hairdressing business has relocated and expanded, with three new members of staff making the cut to be on the team.
Hairworks owner Neil McCluskey has restyled his business by snapping-up a new premises within a complex of luxury student apartments – just across the road from his old salon.
What started out as a few jokes while builders were constructing Jackson & Jackson Developments’ Water House on Water Lane, soon turned into a serious business opportunity for Neil.
He said: “I watched the progress being made on the development of 15 flats and the workmen kept joking, ‘we’re busy getting your salon ready.’
“I realised the unit at the foot of the flats would be absolutely perfect for Hairworks.
“I was fully aware that my existing salon was well overdue for a refit and felt that this move would be an easy transition for us and less disruptive to the business and its clients.”
Now Neil and his team of nine stylists and two apprentices are enjoying working in bright, modern and more spacious surroundings.
“Water Lane is in a really good location, because it is close to the city’s High Street. We catch passing trade and we have already attracted new clients who love the look of our new salon,” added Neil.
“I strongly believe that, while anyone can take on an empty unit and kit it out as a salon, that your staff are the key to a really successful business and I never lose sight of that.”
Hairworks, which offers the full range of salon services for men, women and children, opens six days a week, from 9am to 6pm.
Neil still owns his former Water Lane premises, which could soon be revamped and home to a new tenant.
Lincoln BIG Events & Promotions Manager Michael Armstrong said: “We congratulate Neil on his move and we are delighted that he has also created new jobs in the process.”
A new seafood shop run by a pair of businessmen from Grimsby is set to open in Lincoln city centre.
Kevin Gray and Mark Vandeville have snapped-up premises at the Whitefriars Business Park, off High Street, where they are launching the Lincoln Seafood Centre, on Tuesday, November 17.
Both have many years of experience as fish traders, sourcing stock from the Grimsby Fish Market and coastal companies and offering wholesale deliveries across the UK and overseas.
Kevin previously ran a fresh fish shop in Wembley, supplemented by three vans selling fresh fish door-to-door, while Mark spent many years deep sea fishing before moving into management at a larger wholesale fish processing company distributing all over Europe.
The majority of fish on sale at their new shop will be frozen, and will include anything from breaded fish fingers to smoked salmon.
Kevin said: “Lincoln has changed vastly in recent years and has a very diverse market.
“We felt there was a great opportunity to offer everyone from housewives to students a wide range of fish products at very competitive prices.
“We looked around for about a year before signing-up for this shop, after Harriet Hatcher at Banks Long & Co alerted us to the fact that it was vacant. Naturally it was attractive from a financial point of view.
“Ninety per-cent of what we will be selling will be quality frozen fish lines, but we will also be offering fresh fish. The nature of our business means that customers will enjoy a changing choice, according to what’s available.”
The move marks Banks Long & Co’s second successful letting at Whitefriars, following the Demon Barber of Lincoln, Phil Walters, moving into the unit next door in April 2015.
Banks Long & Co Surveyor Harriet Hatcher added: “We are pleased to have assisted Kevin and Mark with their search for premises in Lincoln.
“The Whitefriars Business Park is in a busy location and is ideally placed to attract passing trade.”
Three Lincoln businesses are celebrating after being recognised as top of their class at the Lincolnshire Life magazine ‘Taste of Excellence’ Food and Drink Awards, held at the Oaklands Hall Hotel.
The 18th annual awards on November 12 celebrated the elite providers of food and drink businesses across the county.
Nominations were accepted over five months from Lincolnshire Life readers as well as the general public for their favourite eateries and hospitality venues.
Bunty’s Tea Room in Lincoln won the Lincolnshire Tearoom/Coffee Shop of the Year award and The Reform at The Castle Hotel in the city was proud to be awarded Lincolnshire Restaurant of the Year.
Washingborough Hall Hotel, near Lincoln, also walked away with Lincolnshire Wedding Venue of the Year.
This year, a special Long Service Award was made to Malcolm Waller of Washingborough Hall Hotel, who has worked at the business for nearly 37 years.
Owners Lucy and Edward Herring, wanted to show their appreciation for “all the invaluable support and knowledge Malcolm has given them during their seven years of ownership, for which they are eternally grateful.”
Paul Catlow, owner of The Castle Hotel and winner of Lincolnshire Restaurant of the Year, said: “We are delighted and honoured to have received the award. It’s the third time we have been nominated in the top three and the second time that we’ve won.
“It just shows consistency. We strive to deliver what customers want and the best recognition is happy customers. It is recognition of a complete team effort from everyone in the kitchen and front of house.”
Matt Felgate and Jenny Lock, Co-owners of Bunty’s Tearooms, said: “We were delighted to win Lincolnshire Tearoom of the Year, there was some stiff competition. It was nice to get recognition in our industry and we hope that we can continue to make the county proud, as well as our customers. It’s big year for us and we have some big news coming soon.”
Winners at the awards also included:
Lincolnshire Young Chef of the Year
Winner: Tom Kerridge, Grimsby College
Finalist: Brandon Moody, Grantham College
Lincolnshire New Business of the Year
Winner: Boston Sausage at Abbey Parks, East Heckington
Finalist: Woodhall Spa Manor, Woodhall Spa
Finalist: Ingoldmells Holidays, Ingoldmells
Most Innovative Lincolnshire Product of the Year
Winner: The Dip Society, Wold Newton
Finalist: Batemans Brewery for Law of the Land, Wainfleet
Finalist: Percy’s Iced Vodka Tea, Boston
Lincolnshire Wedding Venue of the Year
Winner: Washingborough Hall Hotel, Washingborough
Finalist: Hemswell Court, Hemswell Cliff
Finalist: Stoke Rochford Hall, Stoke Rochford
Lincolnshire Accommodation of the Year
Winner: Elms Farm Cottages, Hubberts Bridge
Finalist: Caxton House, Skegness
Finalist: White Hart, Lincoln
Lincolnshire Farm Shop of the Year
Winner: Manor Farm Shop, Swineshead
Finalist: Minting Park Farm, Gautby
Finalist: Abbey Parks, East Heckington
Lincolnshire Tearoom/Coffee Shop of the Year
Winner: Bunty’s Tearoom, Lincoln
Finalist: Sylv’s, Heckington
Finalist: The Old Pottery, Wrangle
Lincolnshire Pub of the Year
Winner – The Blue Bell, Belchford
Finalist: The Sebastopol, Minting
Finalist: The Queen’s Head, Kirkby La Thorpe
Lincolnshire Restaurant of the Year – sponsored by House of Townend
Winner: The Reform at The Castle Hotel, Lincoln
Finalist: The Comfy Duck at Oaklands Hall Hotel, Laceby
Finalist: The Black Swan, Beckingham
Lincolnshire Chef of the Year – sponsored by Freshtime
Winner: Rosie Dicker of The Livesey Arms, Ludborough
Finalist: Adrian Roj, ISS Defence RAF College Cranwell
Finalist: John Clark, Queen’s head, Kirkby La Thorpe
Finalist: Nick Reed, Sebastopol Inn, Minting
Finalist: Marc Harvey, Oaklands Hall Hotel, Laceby
Most people will have eaten produce from Freshtime without even realising it. Many supermarkets own-brand, freshly prepared and packaged vegetables or takeaway salads, including pasta salads, even deli fillers, are all cooked and packaged in Boston at the Freshtime factory. Since becoming the Managing Director for fresh produce supplier Freshtime UK, Mark Newton has taken on a new challenge and is pushing the company to new heights.
Two years under his watch, the company has already seen growth and introduced new products. With last year’s turnover at £50 million and expected to rise to £60 million next year, Mark’s strategy is paying off. The driver for the business has been about growth for some time, but since Mark joined in 2013, he has been a vital part in the expansion.
“We wanted to take the business to the next level,” Mark said. “We never really put a number to that but it was about taking Freshtime from where it was, which was very successful. It was a profitable growth business, but we wanted to expand it. So we started looking at new product areas, new customers.
“As you grow a business you need more people, you expand in terms of production capacity that you have available. That’s really what our strategy is, we just want to grow. We have to do it in a sustainable way, we’ve got to do it a way that ensures that everyday we are still supplying our customers 100% of the time in full. So we are doing it in a controlled way, but even so in the last two years it’s been quite meteoric.”
Over the last five years, around £12 million has been invested into the site with £2 million of that providing new machinery in the last year alone. The company has seen around 10 new senior level positions filled in the last two years and the whole site encompasses some 350 staff, with the majority working in the factory, making sure that everything is perfect.
“I think it’s fair to say that virtually every penny has gone into the factory. We don’t spend money on huge marble staircases and ivory towers, it’s all about developing the capabilities within the factory.”
Mark Newton, Managing Director of Freshtime UK is proud to have launched its own brand. Photo: Steve Smailes
Finding recognition
Mark, 48, knew it was time for a change when he realised that his MD role at Florette UK had taken him away from doing what he loved – getting right in the middle of things and becoming part of the process.
“I had been at Florette for 12 and a half years and I started off as Commercial Director of the UK then became MD for the UK,” Mark said. “Then I spent the last two and half years as Group Chief Exec.
“In that kind of role you spend a lot of time in meetings, sat around a big boardroom table and not a lot of time doing all of the interesting stuff which throughout my career had always been about new products, new customers, new opportunities and actually growing things and developing things.
“It got to a point where five days a week I would just be sat in a meeting, looking at a spreadsheet or a report, which is all right once in a while, but it’s not much fun when it’s your be all and end all.”
With his passion for getting back into the heart of a business, Mark became Managing Director of Freshtime in Boston. He was given the challenge to expand the company and help it to make a name for itself that will be something that other companies in the industry would compare themselves against.
A warning has been issued after 11 shops in Lincoln and North Hykeham were found to be selling e-liquids and e-cigarettes to under 18s.
In an undercover test purchasing operation in Lincoln and North Hykeham last week, Lincolnshire Trading Standards found over half the shops it visited sold vape liquids to a 17-year-old.
Officers tested 20 retail outlets, including supermarkets, Vape shops, petrol stations and newsagents. Eleven of these outlets, including all the Vape shops, sold the underage test purchaser e-liquids containing nicotine.
Where retailers refused a sale, a range of reasons were given including: refusal following a proof of age request or outright refusal to serve a young person.
The ban on sales to under 18s came into force on October 1, 2015. Officers at Trading Standards have made the decision on this initial occasion to issue a warning without penalties.
Dan Brown, senior trading standards officer at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “The new laws came into force on October 1, making e-cigarettes and its components, including e-liquids and the atomiser which turns the solution into a vapour, illegal to be sold to under 18s.
“We wanted to use this operation to ensure that retailers knew, understood and were following this new law and not selling to young people. Sadly, we found that more than half the retailers we tested sold e-liquids containing nicotine to our underage person.
“In this case, as it is new legislation and as so many businesses failed, we decided to give a warning and issue guidance to help the retailers understand the current legislation.
“We will be retesting these retail outlets and others in the area in the near future, and if they fail the test again they will face fines of up to £2,500.
“The message to retailers selling any age restricted product is, if you are not sure how old someone is – ask for identification i.e. passport, driver’s licence or any proof of age card displaying the pass hologram. We would encourage all retailers to adopt the Challenge 25 scheme to prevent illegal sales.”
The first phase of the new Riseholme College campus at the Lincolnshire Showground has been officially opened after an investment of £13 million.
The new 10-acre campus welcomed its first cohort of students in September as an addition to Bishop Burton College’s current Riseholme campus.
As work steams ahead on phase two of the project, special guests, staff and students celebrated the first of many milestones and a plaque commemorating the opening was unveiled by Member of Parliament for Gainsborough Sir Edward Leigh on Friday, November 20.
The college’s £24.5 million vision is expected to reach completion in time for September 2016.
Part of East Yorkshire-based Bishop Burton, the development is the first new agriculture college to be built in 50 years, and will play a key role in the continued development of land-based studies in the county and beyond.
Around 350 further education students are making the most of facilities at both the Riseholme and the Showground campus, with a shuttle bus transporting them between sites as required.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The phase one build began in October. It includes an innovation centre featuring state-of-the-art teaching resources and precision technology, an animal management unit and engineering workshops.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
It was made possible after a bid for £6 million of grant funding was secured from the Skills Funding Agency Capital Investment Fund.
Together with phase two, the scheme will house labs, workshops, animal units, a farm and halls of residence for students, taking up around 3,500 square metres of land.
Combined, the two campuses will engage over 450 local businesses in skills training within two years.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Jeanette Dawson OBE is the chief executive and principal of Riseholme College.
She said: “When the students came here in September they were really excited and there was a real buzz.
“The next few years are about securing the future sustainability for agricultural education in the county.
“It’s important to supply the industry with the next generation of skilled workers, and do that locally. I think we have to build that up a bit.
“It’s also really important we continue our work in applied research and play on a national stage. We need to bring Lincolnshire into the national frame again. It’s a modest county.”
Sir Edward Leigh, MP for Gainsborough, said: “It’s a very exciting project and it’s going to be one of the premier agriculture colleges in the country.
“We are the premier agricultural county. Some 85% of our output is driven by agriculture, therefore we should have a premier agriculture college – and this is what we’ve got here.
“It’s going to add a huge amount to our local economy. The buildings we’re sitting in are absolutely fantastic and it’s not often in Lincolnshire you’d get such an amazing development.”
Proposed masterplan & site layout plan phase two
Question mark over Riseholme Park
The college plans to continue its educational provision and facilities at the current Riseholme campus until at least 2020, when its lease with landowners the University of Lincoln expires.
A local farming trust and the Skills Funding Agency have raised concerns over the potential loss of land and a farm on the site.
Principal Jeanette Dawson, said: “We’ve only ever had an eight year lease as tenants of the university. Everybody who knows that campus know it needs investment, it’s not fit for purpose for young people to be learning.
“We wanted the freehold or a longer lease, but the university turned that down. It was unclear why. Of course it’s in the public domain now.
“There is none the less dispute over whether they are entitled to do that, but the dispute is not with us. It is with the Skills Funding Agency of England, who believe it’s a further education asset, and local landowners who are part of something called the Riseholme College Farm Trust.
“They want to safeguard parts of it including the farm. I understand the need for new housing but I think we need to remember one thing – never again in this country will there be funding for any college to buy a farm.
“There will never be that opportunity again. The way I see it, once it’s lost, it’s lost for good.”
Gainsborough MP Sir Edward Leigh. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Sir Edward Leigh added: “Riseholme Park is a complex negotiation which is ongoing with the university. I’ve always supported Jeanette here. The college is in my constituency, the university is not.
“I’m not against the university, I think the university is fantastic but I think it needs to take a broad mind.
“They are in the public sector, they work for the public and they should not be building little empires, they should be doing what’s right for the county and what’s right for the county is this county has a farm.
“Farms are incredibly expensive to buy. Nobody in the treasury is suddenly going to allow you to spend three or four million pounds on buying a farm in five years time.
“There’s nothing wrong with new housing, but if you got a well-established agriculture college which is part of an industry which creates 85% of the output of the county, you can’t have a college without a farm. You can’t learn about farming in a schoolroom.
“I will support the college but ultimately government will have to arbitrate. I hope there’ll be a way forward and this college has a farm.”
Businesses in Lincolnshire need to seek new markets opened up by the internet if they are to flourish according to Lincoln-based experts in eCommerce Spiral Media.
New figures produced by the global information services company, Experian, in conjunction with the UK’s industry association for online retail, IRMG, predict rising sales online this Christmas.
Spiral Media believes that there is still a lot of potential in online trading as figures predict online sales to increase even further this year with UK retailers expecting to take more than £1 billion on Black Friday alone.
Phil Kelsey, Managing Director for Spiral Media believes the drive towards online retailing can be crucial for businesses, particularly those in rural areas.
The research predicts that on Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined, sales will reach over £2 billion pounds, which is more than £500 million more than last year.
Manic Monday (December 7) is also expected to see a 10% increase from last year.
Online shopping on Christmas Day is anticipated to rise 11% to £728 million with the largest increase in sales expected on New Years Day at a 33% raise.
The Centre for Retail Research, based in Newark, reports suggests that online retailing in 2015 will be worth £52.24 billion – up 16.2% on the previous year with online sales predicted to be worth more than 15% of overall sales by the end of the year.
Stats released by the Office for National Statistics in October revealed that 20% of UK business revenue in 2013 came from ecommerce compared to 16% in 2009.
Phil Kelsey said: “There are many businesses and retailers, particularly in rural areas, still relying on traditional methods for selling their services or goods.
“The success of shops and physical premises rely so much on forces beyond your control. Parking charges, traffic jams, weather – all of these can dissuade a shopper from accessing your business. eCommerce removes these barriers.
“If, as a county, we do not join this revolution we will be left behind as businesses from across the rest of the UK begin to grab the market.”
After a shaky start, James Mitchell built up the biggest online motorcycle accessory store in the UK with a current turnover of £14 million. It all started in a friend’s spare bedroom and now SportsBikeShop Ltd is aiming for a £30 million turnover by 2018. To top off his success, James is celebrating the signing of a new deal where he will build up a second empire in Germany over the next three years.
Having always been competitive, even with himself, the 35-year-old Managing Director of SportsBikeShop Ltd knew that he wanted to go out on his own and follow his path to success. As becoming a triathlete and an Iron Man didn’t pan out due to a knee injury, when he was introduced to web design in 2000 at the age of 20 he did everything he could to learn all about it.
Whilst working at Tong Engineering, web design started off as a hobby. He bought book after book and mastered design skills until he was in a position to start thinking that he could create a business out of it.
In 2003, James left his job to run his own web design company. “I was just a one man band, building websites for local businesses,” James explained. “My time was limited by how many hours there were in a day and how many websites I could build. So I decided I wanted to build a website that made money while I slept, rather than me sitting at my desk all hours.
“I thought, ‘Right, I’m going to start selling something online. I’ve got a motorbike, I’m going to get into bike sales’. But then my bike went because of the business. The first website launched in 2004 – and it was awful,” James laughed. “When I look back at our competitors, which there weren’t many of at the time, they all look horrible now but that’s just down to fashion and the way that things move on.”
Determined that he was going to do it his own way, James wrote the coding for SportsBikeShop.co.uk from scratch. “I was told by someone that I was reinventing the wheel, quite condescendingly so. I said, ‘No. I want to do it on my own. I want full control over it’. It was a bit of a challenge but I did it.”
James Mitchell, Owner of SportsBikeShop, is proud to be the largest motorcycle accessory provider in the UK. Photo: Steve Smailes
Stuck in a jam
Starting a business that makes money while you sleep is no easy task and when James first started calling suppliers, he met no end of problems. “No one wants to supply someone sat in a spare bedroom operating a website who can afford to sell things for a few pound on top of the cost price. This was never our intention, but that’s how they assumed it was going to be operated.”
James approached a local motorcycle accessory shop to try and get a foot through the door. They worked together with James providing the website for online sales and an address so that he would be able to sell suppliers’ products, splitting the profit 50/50.
By 2007 he realised the potential that SportBikeShop had to really succeed. James decided he wanted to focus solely on the site, giving up his business in website design for other companies. He entered into a discussion with his partner to take the business in a new direction but was met with opposition.
“My business partner had his own shop that he didn’t want to quit. I said, ‘Look, I’m going to give up everything here to run this business full time’.” James discussed with his partner that they needed to look at the possibility of amalgamating the business or look to go their separate ways in order to grow their businesses separately.
Hostilities persuaded after the mention of a buyout for James’ partner. This ended up becoming part of a lawsuit and James buying his partner out for much less than was originally offered.
“It was horrible. You’ve got lawyers prompting us to do ruthless things, you’ve got to send all of these letters, we had meetings, we had a fight! It was horrible. It detracted from the business, it’s not who I am. I like to get on with people. I don’t like confrontation and we had to work in the same building while all of this was going on.
“When I look back on it now it was a blessing because I didn’t have to have a business partner, meaning that I got full control, which was great. I put my full efforts into it again and I got my passion back for it. But that year was horrible. It was a very flat year for sales as well because it just completely detracted from the business.”
Two Lincoln charities have shared almost £2,000 from the first fundraising venture by the LN6 Business Network.
Learning disability charity, Linkage, and the Nomad Trust, which supports homeless people, were chosen as the beneficiaries of a quiz night held last month at The Showroom on Tritton Road.
Both organisations received cheques for £971 each, which were handed over at a Business Network meeting at Doddington Hall.
Some of the money donated to Linkage will go towards its £3.7 million Boultham Park restoration project in partnership with City of Lincoln Council, which is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund Parks for People initiative.
In addition to the quiz, funds were also generated through an auction organised by Unique Auctions of Whisby Road, and a raffle.
Chris Trigg, Chairman of the LN6 Business Network, said: “This level of fundraising went beyond our expectations and we’re very proud to be supporting two great local causes in LN6.
“Linkage is investing heavily in this area of Lincoln with new services for people with learning disabilities and the Nomad Trust constantly needs help to support homeless people especially as the winter approaches.”
Outline applications are now being accepted for programmes designed to support businesses and community projects in Lincolnshire.
Local Action Groups were invited to bid for LEADER funds, aimed at boosting economic growth in rural areas, for projects for the period 2014-2020.
In Lincolnshire, four bids were developed by Lincolnshire County Council:
The Coastal Action Zone area was awarded £1.28m
The Kestevens area was awarded £1.53m
The Lindsey Action Zone was awarded £1.75m
The Wash Fens Rural Development Programme was awarded £1.42m
LEADER is a European Union fund managed through the Rural Payments Agency on behalf of DEFRA in England, as part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) to improve agriculture, the environment and rural life.
Applications for funds must contribute to one or more of six national priorities, which include supporting micro and small businesses, farm diversification, and increasing farm and forestry productivity.
All LEADER funded activities must also make a contribution to growing the rural economy, such as creating new jobs, growing businesses, improving productivity and efficiency, increasing tourism visitors or providing new services.
Grants can be accessed by businesses, farmers, foresters and those involved in tourism, heritage and community initiatives.
For commercial projects, the grant available is 40%, with private funds needed to cover the remaining 60%.
For non-profit-making projects the available grant is 80%, with private funds needed to cover the other 20%.
The minimum grant is £2,500 and the maximum that can be applied for is £141,302.
Councillor Colin Davie, Executive Councillor for Economic Development & Tourism at Lincolnshire County Council said: “Local jobs and prosperity depend upon investment, which has always been a real priority for this council.
“One important way of investing for the future in rural areas is through the LEADER programme and I am absolutely delighted to announce that our Local Action Groups are now ready to accept outline applications.
“This programme will mainly assist private sector projects and rural services which will support our ambitions for growth and productivity in our rural areas.”
Details on how to apply for a grant and for further information can be found on Lincolnshire County Council’s website or by emailing LincsLEADER@lincolnshire.gov.uk
Lincolnshire Co-op members who hold dividend cards will share a total of £1.56 million after the organisation saw an 11% rise in profits.
The bonus will be paid out from December 1 and was approved by those who came to the Co-op’s annual members’ meetings, held across the trading area.
Dividend card holders will receive an extra 85p per £1 of dividend collected during the year.
The bonus of £1.56 million is on top of the £1.83m already paid out – a total of £3.39 million in dividends for members this year.
Lincolnshire Co-op’s dividend and dividend bonus are one of the ways the society shares profits with its 244,000 members, who own the business.
During the year, the Co-op’s net assets grew to £282 million, with the organisation also paying two profit share bonuses to its 2,800 staff, totalling an extra week and a half’s wages.
Ursula Lidbetter. Photo: Steve Smailes for Lincolnshire Business magazine
Chief Executive of Lincolnshire Co-op Ursula Lidbetter said: “We’re proud to be a co-operative and our continued success enables us to pay our members a good dividend, which is their share of the profits.
“We’re really delighted that more people are joining Lincolnshire Co-op too – this year we welcomed more than 19,700 new Dividend Card holders, bringing our total membership to over 244,000 local people.
“A positive performance also means we can reinvest in our services and in our communities. Trading conditions are tough out there. To record such a good result despite that is exceptional and I’d like to thank all of our hard working staff and our members and customers, who continue to support their local co-op.”
Consultations have closed for the Central Lincolnshire Draft Local Plan and responses will now be considered for the proposals which could see nearly 37,000 new homes built in and around the city over the next 20 years.
More than 20 public information events have been held over the last six weeks across the areas where the plan looks to be enacted, totalling 122.7 hectares.
The new phase of the draft plan sets out targets for 36,960 new homes in 20 years’ time, along with additional amenities and business opportunities.
Feedback received will now be considered by officers and members, with amendments made to the Local Plan if necessary, before another round of consultation takes place early next year.
It is estimated that the Local Plan will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in spring 2016 for an examination in public in the summer.
Councillor Jeff Summers, Chair of the CLJSPC and Leader of West Lindsey District Council, said: “We are highly delighted with the response to our emerging Local Plan. The consultation events were a great success providing an opportunity for all to be involved.
“Our goal is to produce a document which will guide everyone through the development process, ensuring we establish communities where people can live in harmony with the built environment.
“Health, education, employment and access to all social needs as well as the wider world are vital considerations for our plan.”
Lincolnshire’s vibrant food and drink scene is being celebrated with the launch of a special cook book, featuring more than 35 recipes from independent restaurants, cafes, pubs, shops, producers and suppliers.
The 128-page full colour cook book features guest recipes from a few well-known local faces such as TV chef Rachel Green and twice Great British Menu winner Colin McGurran of Winteringham Fields.
Inside, the publication offers recipes, stories and anecdotes from well-established businesses, newcomers and the personalities behind some of the most popular county kitchens.
Local recipes featured in the book.
The Lincolnshire Cook Book retails at £14.95 and will be available in all of the businesses featured in the book as well as select local gift shops, book shops including Waterstones and online at Amazon.
Recipes were submitted by restaurants such as Doddington Hall, Lincoln restaurant Jews House, Bunty’s Tearoom and farm shop Uncle Henry’s.
San Pietro, Scunthorpe-based fine dining restaurant, is featured in The Good Food Guide and has produced three recipes for the book, including a liquorice panna cotta.
Producers say the carefully curated recipes are achievable by everyone, from novice cooks to more experienced at-home culinary enthusiasts.
The collection is diverse; from Rachel Green’s venison cutlets, Harrisons Restaurant smoked haddock chowder, Stokes Coffee scones, The Livesey Arms lamb rack and RJ Hirst Butchers Lincolnshire sausage and onion marmalade plait.
Colin McGurran of Winteringham Fields said: “I am more creative in the kitchen because of this special place, and judging from the rest of the dishes in this book, so too are the other chefs, foodies and people of this county.”
Why not get a flavour for some of the recipes featured?
The following recipe is from Bunty’s Tea Room in Lincoln:
Bunty’s Pimm’s Cake
Bunny’s Pimm’s Cake by Bunty’s Tea Room in Lincoln. (As found in the Lincolnshire Cook Book)
Ingredients:
For the cake:
450g caster sugar
450g self raising flour
450g softened butter
2 tsp baking powder
8 large eggs
8 large strawberries, chopped
16 fresh mint leaves, chopped
3 tbsp Pimms
For the buttercream:
250g softened butter
500g icing sugar
3tbsp Pimms
For decoration:
8 large strawberries
10 fresh mint leaves
½ cucumber, sliced with peeler
3 tbsp strawberry jam
Method:
Heat your oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and line two 10 inch cake tins. Cream the butter and sugar together until light in texture and colour.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, eggs, baking powder and Pimms and mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in the mint and strawberries, transfer mixture to sandwich tins and bake for 30 minutes.
For the buttercream, mix icing sugar, butter and Pimms and mix until pale. Once the cake has completely cooled spoon the jam onto the top of one sponge.
Spread the buttercream on bottom of second sponge and carefully place one on top of the other. Spread the remaining buttercream onto top of cake (with optional piping). Decorate with cucumber, mint leaves and strawberries.
The following recipe is from the Doddington Hall restaurant in Lincoln:
Rabbit Scotch Egg with Pickled Carrot, Chard Puree and Black Pudding Soil
Doddington Hall’s rabbit scotch egg (as featured in the Lincolnshire Cook Book).
Ingredients (serves 4):
Scotch egg:
4 large free-range eggs
200g Lincolnshire sausage meat
200g minced rabbit and/or other game such as Partridge, pheasant or pigeon.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
125g plain flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 free-range eggs, beaten
400g breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
Black Pudding Soil:
150g black pudding – cooked
Pickled Carrot:
6 baby carrots
400ml water
200ml olive oil
200ml white wine vinegar
100g sugar
2 sprigs thyme
Chard Purée:
Handful of washed chard
20g butter
50ml cream
Method:
Place the eggs, still in their shells, in a pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 6 mins. Drain and cool the eggs under cold running water, then peel. Mix the rabbit mince with the black pudding in a bowl and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Divide the mixture into four and flatten each section out on a 40cm x 40cm squared piece of cling film, shaping into ovals which are about 12.5cm long and 7.5cm wide. Place each egg onto a sausage meat oval, then pick the cling film square up by its corners, using it to wrap the sausage meat around each egg.
Make sure the coating is smooth and completely covers the egg. Roll each one in flour, then in the beaten egg, rolling to coat completely before rolling in the breadcrumbs to completely cover.
Repeat this process with each egg. Put all the pickling liquor ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for three minutes. Add carrots to the liquor and simmer for two minutes, then remove and reserve before refrigerating for later.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the chard for one minute; then refresh in cold water. Heat up the butter and cream on a low heat taking care not to boil, then add the chard and cook for two minutes. Use a hand blender and turn into a purée.
Heat the oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan. Check for the correct temperature by dropping in a breadcrumb to see if it sizzles and turns brown. Carefully place each scotch egg into the hot oil and deep-fry for 7-8 mins, until golden and crisp and sausage meat is completely cooked.
Carefully remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Scatter the broken up pieces of black pudding on a plate to resemble soil and place the scotch egg on top of the chard purée with the pickled carrots on top of the soil to garnish.
The following recipe is from Jews House in Lincoln:
Roast Turbot, Smoked Mussels, Capers, Wild Mushrooms and Yukon Gold Foam (as featured in the Lincolnshire Cook Book. ).
Ingredients:
4 150g portions of turbot or cod if preferred
600g of fresh Scottish mussels, cleaned
100g of risotto rice
50g of Earl Grey tea leaves
100ml white wine
Bunch of fresh dill
100g of cucumber
200g of wild mushrooms
1 tsp grape seed oil
1 tsp butter
For the Potato Foam:
200g of Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
100ml potato water
100ml of milk
100ml of double cream
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 cream whipper, optional
Method:
Start by chopping the potatoes into even sizes and boil in salted water until cooked. Drain and set aside 150ml of the water. Place the potatoes and 100ml of the water back into the pan, and add the milk and double cream.
Bring the ingredients to the boil and blend using a hand blender until the mixture reaches a smooth, velvety texture. Add more water if the mixture appears too thick. Pass the now fully blended mixture through a fine sieve and pour into a cream whipper and charge with two gas chargers.
Keep the mixture warm and set aside. For the mussels, place a deep tray on the stove and add the rice and tea leaves. When the tray starts smoking, place a cooling rack on top of the tray and add the mussels, covering with foil and smoking for around 5 minutes.
Take the tray off the heat and replace with a sauce pan, adding the cooked mussels and white wine. Place a lid on top of the saucepan and cook the mussels for a further 2 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and pour the white wine and mussels into a deep bowl, covering with cling film to keep warm. Begin cooking the fish by placing a non stick pan on the stove.
Add 1 tbsp of grape seed oil and place the turbot into the pan, Season with salt and pepper. After 2 minutes, add a tsp of butter and place into the oven for 4 minutes.
Take the fish out the oven and place on a warm plate. Place the pan back onto the stove and add the wild mushrooms, sautéing for 1 minute before adding in the smoked mussels, cucumber, capers and chopped dill.
Spoon the mixture over the fish. If using the whipper, expel the potato foam and pour over the fish. If you are using a hand-blender, froth the sauce before pouring. Finish with a few leaves of dill and serve.
Lovers of American dining can tuck into a brand new menu after a former Lincoln pub was transformed into an authentic smokehouse bar and grill.
Huckleberry’s on Clasketgate, formerly Ye Olde Crown pub, has already welcomed its first customers after a number of soft openings, and is celebrating its official launch from 6pm on Monday, November 30.
The business move has seen 21 new jobs created and an undisclosed investment has completely reinvented the building, including eclectic decor and bar stocked with interesting spirits and beers.
Business owners Di Fuller and her partner, who did not wish to be named, have previous experience in the food industry and projects across the UK and North and South America.
Di explained the focus of the restaurant is on quality food, with much praise for the specially crafted menu options being given to head chef Tom Rose, who has previously worked at restaurants across America.
Head chef Tom Rose. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
He said: “American food has increased in popularity across the UK and Lincoln, and we are offering the finest, traditional dishes.
“Every element of the menu features home-made and locally-sourced ingredients. We have an authentic smoker, in which we change the timber every month to get different flavours and aromas.
“All the meat is butchered in-house, and our focus is scratch-cooking, our fresh bread and even our sauces are made from scratch.
“All the produce we use is sourced within 20 miles and from the best suppliers.”
Di Fuller added: “Some of the highlights include St Louis cut and baby back ribs, which are cooked for 24 hours in the smoker after being marinated for 48 hours. The brisket is also a favourite, cooked for 32 hours.
“We have handmade burgers and our mac and cheese balls and bacon popcorn are a must-try.”
For more information, visit the Huckleberry’s website here.
Through seven generations, W Crowder & Sons Ltd had its ups and downs, changing tactics and focus over the years in a bid to survive. Then, Rob Crowder was thrown into the family business at the early age of 21 after his father unexpectedly died. On a steep learning curve, he took the horticulture company and grew it into the 21st century.
Starting off growing forestry trees, which were heavily subsidised at the time, and a retail nursery, the business is now flourishing with its own garden centre. The company can also boast that they beautified the capital in time for the 2012 Olympics as well as Wimbledon and the Channel Tunnel.
In 1977, Rob was all set to jet off to Canada to gain real world experience after completing his horticulture training in preparation to take over the family business. He was looking forward to the challenge of a new culture whilst skiing down the Canadian slopes. It came as a huge shock when he was given the news that his father had passed away and that he was now in charge of the family business, which had been founded in 1798.
“The benefit of being that young when you take on a huge responsibility like this is the confidence of youth. You think you know everything but realise you know nothing,” said Rob. “It was that that really got me through. Plus the support of those people who had been really loyal employees to my father and really wanted to help me in the situation to which I found myself in. Somehow, we muddled through.”
Rob always planned to enter the family business, but only once he had gained experience in other companies and cultures so that he would be able to bring back new ideas to help the business grow. But when he was “thrown into the deep end”, he put his heart and soul into the business to keep it alive.
Rob Crowder, Owner of seventh generation family business Crowder & Sons
A big crash
The company was expanding fast in the late 70s and early 80s as new towns like Peterborough and Milton Keynes started growing at an exponential rate. W Crowder & Sons Ltd supplied the towns with the foliage that had been drawn into the development plans. Business was blooming.
“I wanted to grow the business and I was lucky in many respects because there was this rapidly increasing demand in the late 70s and early 80s. It was relatively easy to expand the business. We expanded rapidly between 77 and 87. The business grew two or three times in that period.
“In 1988 there was a real economic boom and I used to go down to London for meetings. After the meeting, in the afternoon, people were piling into champagne bars in the middle of the week and it was nuts. Of course it couldn’t last,” said Rob.
The country saw a crash, the first that Rob was to experience. “Up until then it had been relatively easy. We had a double whammy because not only were we supplying plants to the consumer market, but we were also supplying plants to local authorities and development corporations and we also had a forest nursery, growing forest trees.”
Up until this point, there had been huge tax breaks for investing in forestry and it provided the company with a lot of work which took three years to prepare.
“We were shipping two million forest trees a year up to Scotland for investment forestry. But in the budget of that year, the then-Chancellor stopped that benefit of investing in forestry and the market just collapsed.
“We had three years worth of production in the fields to supply that market and suddenly it stopped overnight. We had a massive shock from that.”
Work is complete on a £500k refurbishment of Lincolnshire Co-op’s food store, post office and pharmacy in the centre of North Hykeham.
The revamp means the food store on Lincoln Road now has extended hours on a Sunday and is open from 7am until 10pm seven days a week.
Shoppers are also benefitting from a new in-store bakery and a chilled beer and wine section.
There are new fixtures and fittings throughout and a brand new entrance has been built to separate the food store and post office from the pharmacy.
The pharmacy now has its own entrance and is more spacious. It has also been transformed into a healthy living pharmacy with more emphasis on health advice.
The dispensary and consultation room have been made larger, there is extra seating and more space for prescriptions.
Lincolnshire Co-op’s Store Development Manager Matt Wilkinson said: “We have 7,078 members in North Hykeham so we’re pleased to be able to invest in our range of services and improve what we offer in this community.
“We hope extending the food store’s opening hours on a Sunday will make shopping more convenient for local people and they’ll enjoy their new look food store, post office and pharmacy.”
Being passionate about the sport was never going to be enough to turn Tim Bradford into a professional cricketer, so he did the sensible thing and went off to be a bank clerk.
However, after joining Lloyds at its “Above Hill” branch in Lincoln, it didn’t take Tim too long to figure out this wasn’t going to be his ideal long-term career – but it proved an excellent match (for romance) because that’s where he met his wife of 24 years, Kim.
Pondering his next move, Tim decided the career chosen by his late brother Stephen had serious potential: plenty of challenges, the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and a way of avoiding hours spent scrunched over a desk.
There was just one obstacle, the prospect of knuckling down to some serious studying, in addition to “on the job” training. It was a tough call, but Tim had found his true niche.
Within a decade he was shaking hands on a very attractive deal, the chance to become a partner and managing director of Lincoln-based Banks Long & Co.
Since joining the firm in 1999 and taking over from Peter in 2011 – who has “retired” but who remains a consultant to the firm – the professional practice has more than doubled in size to employ 23 people and offer a wider range of services than ever.
Banks Long & Co’s “for sale/to let signs” can be spotted everywhere. Numerous private negotiations and development discussions are also going on behind the scenes, involving the full commercial property spectrum.
“I went to Branston School and Community College and played a lot of cricket. I dreamed of playing professionally but, by the age of 17, with a few injuries in the bag, I decided I wasn’t going to make the grade. I left when I was 18 and got a good job in a bank,” said Tim.
Tim Bradford, partner at Banks Long & Co found his ideal job and loves every minute of it. Photo: Steve Smailes
A change of pace
“After a while, I took a tip from my older brother Stephen. I thought his career as a chartered surveyor was much more interesting and in the late 1980s the property market was booming. I joined J H Walter as an assistant trainee surveyor, took a 50% cut in salary, and immersed myself in the world of property. At that time, the market crashed.
“I wasn’t particularly academic, but now I faced five years of day release study at Nottingham Trent University alongside doing my job. I became very ambitious, very focused and determined to gain my professional qualification.
“One of my early deals involved assembling, developing and letting premises in Lincoln High Street to Pizza Express, in the mid-nineties, and then selling the created investment,” said Tim.
“I still get a real buzz from every deal. It doesn’t matter if it is large or small. It’s all about the journey, the challenge, from the first introduction through to closing the deal. That kind of satisfaction sticks with you.
“After three years with J H Walter, I spent 7 years with FHP (Fisher Hargreaves Proctor) which had offices in Newark and Nottingham.
“Agents in Nottingham, working East of the A1, tend to see Lincolnshire as foreign territory. It’s like another, unknown world. That job involved me in lots of driving and dealing with regional and national clients, including well-known names, such as Boots, Schuh, Bass Taverns, Allied London and Capital Shopping Centres.
“It was excellent experience and I believe that all surveyors need to gain experience of the wider market, rather than simply working locally where they are apt to get a bit insular.”
Tim and Kim have two sons, Benjamin (20) and Oliver (16), and it was around this time that Benjamin was born. Tim’s long days involved daily commuting to Nottinghamshire.
More events and speakers have been announced for the first Lincolnshire Business Expo on January 21 at The Lincolnshire Showground, with over 100 people already pre-registered to attend on the day.
Visit the Lincolnshire Business Expo website to sign up for the seminars, workshops and networking that interests you.
The event, which is being organised by Lincolnshire Business magazine, will bring established, growing and new businesses together to show the county’s diverse range of products and services as part of one of Lincolnshire’s biggest B2B events.
So far, 13 speakers have been confirmed on the day for a range of subjects that will suit all business levels.
Speakers include Ron Lynch, Regional Director at Institute of Directors, Russell Copley from the Lincolnshire Investment Network, Mark Wearden from the University of Lincoln School of Business, and Dean Graham, Managing Director of Code and Co-Publisher of Lincolnshire Business, will who will be hosting a seminar on the impact of Bitcoin on the business world.
Six networking sessions are taking palce throughout the day, from breakfast speed networking with the Chamber of Commerce, to North Lincolnshire and Business Women’s Link groups, and a special edition of the Exec Club by Streets Chartered Accountants and Langleys Solicitors, with two Lincolnshire Business magazine cover stars speaking.
All events are free to attend, with limited spaces, so pre-booking is advised. General admission to the expo area is also free, with pre-registration reccomended.
Ample free parking space and cafe and networking area will be available on the day.
The company in the running to acquire The Lawn in Lincoln has revealed a first draft vision for the 19th century building’s transformation into a coffee roasting headquarters and attraction.
RW Stokes & Sons, who were in November 2014 selected as the preferred bidder for the sale of the Grade II listed building, are consulting with local residents and businesses on their outline proposals for the site.
The Lawn off Union Road in Lincoln.
Their vision for the iconic building would see it taking on the role of the company’s HQ, housing a roastery, packaging, storage, offices, a viewing area and a cafe and restaurant.
Events space would be used for themed evenings such as jazz nights, live music and educational performance space.
The new city attraction would also be a training hub for the company, as well as creating a number of jobs with additional retail shops and a new restaurant encompassed in the plans.
An artist’s impression of how the East Wing of The Lawn would look under the proposals.
Working with agents Banks Long & Co, Stokes are hosting a public consultation session on Wednesday, December 16 with local residents and neighbouring businesses, prior to finalising the planning application for the site.
Those attending will be able to view large-scale plans and have their say on the proposals between 4pm until 7pm at The Lawn’s currently empty shop unit, off Union Road.
Stokes are also asking those who wish to submit a response to the initial proposals to email their views in to admin@stokes-coffee.co.uk.
The proposed site plan, ahead of a finalised planning application.
Owners of the asset, the City of Lincoln Council, put the building out to tender at the beginning of 2014. The sale to Stokes, of an undisclosed value, has not yet been finalised.
The Lawn site totals around 1.62 hectares, and includes three main buildings: the main Lawn complex, the conservatory and Charlotte House, as well as the south lawn and car parking.
The Joseph Banks Conservatory at The Lawn in Lincoln. Photo: Richard Croft
The city council agreed that the conservatory was in poor condition and ‘not commercially viable’.
A possible site has been outlined in the Dawber Gardens for a new conservatory. The Joseph Banks Society is looking into ways to raise funds for a new build but no plans have yet been outlined.
With the love and support of his wife Sarah Louise, Daniel Fairburn, Managing Director of one of the UK’s largest egg producers LJ Fairburn & Son, had to act fast to reinvent the business before the company got into serious financial trouble. Due to a change in the law on caged chickens, the third generation family firm made huge investments, financed through bank loans. But shortly after, the cost of eggs went down and the price of chicken feed went up and there wasn’t enough money coming in to pay off the loans.
Now, the company has expanded to have over two million chickens and is expecting a £60 million turnover at the end of the year, whilst Daniel and Sarah Louise look forward to a fourth child which is due any moment now.
Always destined for the Alford-based family business, Daniel had been going down to his grandfather’s chicken farm since the age of three. “I was born into it basically,” he said. “My grandfather started the business and my father took it on after. I came into the business working as a boy all the way through to now. I was given options to do other things in life, but I have always had a passion for what I am doing.”
Daniel was proud to take on the history of his family. “It all started in 1951, when my grandfather, who just recently passed away at 89 years old, worked as a labourer on the farm that we are in today. He saved up enough money to buy 150 chickens. He worked seven days a week on this farm and looked after his own chickens before he went to work and after he came home from work. We have a saying of ‘feed the chickens before you feed yourself.'”
Daniel’s grandfather had put everything back into the business to help it grow and expand and that is something he has continued into the third generation. The company is now in its fourth year of continuous growth, moving from a turnover of £12 million in 2011 to a prediction of £60 million by the end of the year. Some £19 million has been invested over the last few years to keep the business growing in a very competitive market.
Demand is also on the rise with a 12% increase from last year. LJ Fairburn and Son is now selling between 13 and 14 million eggs a week and staff numbers have grown to around 200 from only 65 in 2011.
But it has been a long, bumpy road to get to where it is now.
Daniel and Sarah Louise Fairburn have worked day and night to make the rebrand of the business a success. Photo: Steve Smailes
Running the show
With his father taking a back seat, but still owning the company with 50% of the shares, his mother as Chairman and his two sisters with 10% of the shares each, Daniel took up the position of Managing Director with a 23% share in the business.
When his father became ill, and although still heavily involved in the business today, Daniel moved up the pecking order. The company did everything up to putting the eggs in the box, which were then distributed and sold through a third party. But when the law changed, the businesses needed a big overhaul.
“The business went through a massive transformation in 2011/12,” said Daniel. “The conventional cage ban came into effect and we invested heavily into the new enriched chicken colonies in multi-tiered sheds. Where as the existing battery cages were a small confined space, now it’s like an avery. It’s got perches in it and nest boxes. The room is more than double per bird.
“At that point we borrowed a lot of money for the new systems. We found that very challenging because egg prices actually dropped and the feed price went up.
“This put us into an uncomfortable situation with the bank. They came back and gave us two options. We either had to stay with the third party and try and maximise what we earned from them, or we looked to market our own eggs. We took plan B.”
The move to market their own brand was drastic but required. Daniel enlisted his wife Sarah Louise to come in a few days a week to help organise the office in preparation. As a business in the digital age, they had very little in place to build up a presence in the market on their own.
The couple became used to the idea of sleepless nights while they tried to enact the change and get back on track. It was a mission in itself, never mind trying to raise three children to be the next generation of LJ Fairburn and Sons at the same time.
“We had nothing,” said Sarah Louise. “We had one phone line coming into the office. We didn’t have a proper email address, didn’t have a website, none of us had a business card. It was just family in here running it. We had no other staff in the office. Everything was run on a shoestring because the money that we were taking in wasn’t enough to pay all our staff and for all the eggs that we were selling.”
Sarah Louise very quickly became a key part in the running of the business and assumed the full time role of Brand Director to help set up the new brand. The couple teamed up to make the company a success, putting into place their own distribution lorries for eggs and even setting up the company with its own feed mill so that they can cater to each client’s individual needs.
The change over to becoming their own distributor and finding new clients to supply was a big challenge. Daniel said: “We had, at one point, over 200 pallets of eggs on the floor with no home to go to. On a pallet there are 8,640 – it was horrible.”
