News
Earning bread – Steve Welch and son Rory have started selling directly to the public after the successful launch of their Sunderland business .
INSIGHT
Father and son bakers rise to a new challenge
A
new small-batch bakery that already supplies bread to some of the region ’ s best-loved restaurants and cafes has started selling directly to the public since opening its doors in Sunderland .
The company , called Bread &, began baking its popular sourdoughs and sweet treats at new riverside premises at the North East Business and Innovation Centre ( BIC ) earlier this year .
Now , the business has launched a click and collect service via its new website so customers can get an artisan bread fix during lockdown .
Run by Castle Eden family Steve Welch and son Rory , together with their wives Jen and Helen , Bread & already provides loaves , handmade cakes and pastries to well-respected eateries including Träkol and Backyard Bike Shop at the By the River Brewing Co container village in Gateshead , as well as the Bridge Tavern in Newcastle and The Urban Kitchen in Sunderland .
The bakery ’ s move to a unit at the BIC and investment in new equipment means the business can increase its capacity and explore new opportunities to sell directly to the public as well as to other venues .
Bread & was born from Steve and Rory ’ s experience as professional chefs .
Steve has headed kitchens for the likes of Wynyard Hall , Sunderland AFC and Newcastle Falcons and it was while working as executive chef for Newcastle United that he discovered a passion for baking .
Son Rory , a winner of North East Chef of the Year and head chef at criticallyacclaimed Träkol , introduced the bread to the restaurant menu where it quickly earned its own fan base .
Word soon spread to other chefs who began placing orders too .
Steve said : “ There ’ s been an explosion in interest in artisan bread in recent years because people now care more about where their food comes from .
“ As a small batch bakery , our whole ethos is different to that of big commercial bakers who want to make bread as big as possible and as cheaply as possible .”
The father and son team have quickly become popular with neighbours at the BIC site , with orders coming in from nearby businesses and new recipes being tested .
Popular sourdoughs include plain white , seeded and five seed , while sweet treats include chocolate tarts , frangipane tarts , chocolate chip and marshmallow cookies and orange and hazelnut sticky buns .
Donna Surtees , centre manager at the North East BIC , said : “ Bread & has been an exciting addition to the BIC family and our ever-evolving site of skilled local businesses .
“ The pandemic is promising to change the way we work and the BIC is well prepared to service its tenants for whatever flexible workspace and support they ' ll need in the future .
“ While remote working has its many benefits , such as a reduced carbon footprint and increased productivity , the key lesson we ’ ve learned from this experiment is that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to workplace culture .
“ The solution for many will undoubtedly be a hybrid model – a mix of flexible office space and remote working that allows employees to tailor their working patterns to their individual needs .
“ The traditional office environment will continue to play a pivotal role for the majority , just not necessarily in the same manner as it has in years gone by .” Find out more about the office accommodation available at the BIC at nebic . co . uk .
ALWAYS CHECK THE SMALL PRINT !
The government ’ s furlough scheme
has been widely acknowledged as a lifeline to businesses big and small .
But our strong advice to Wear businesses is : ‘ Check the small print and make sure you ’ re compliant !’
The furlough scheme was simple on the surface but complex underneath and was rushed out by the government .
Now , HMRC are in the process of making sure that those who took part have followed all the correct procedures and there could be some painful penalties for those who have not .
For example , did you realise that if you haven ’ t sent a written statement to staff saying you are putting them on furlough and they haven ’ t sent a written statement back saying that they accept , you are breaching the furlough compliance rules and that might breach your furlough claim ?
This is likely to be just one of many technical breaches that dozens , if not hundreds , of companies across Wearside and the North-East have fallen foul of without realising .
The Furlough Compliance Check letter dropping through the doors of selected businesses asks some pretty searching questions and requests quite a lot of detailed information .
So our advice to every business in the North-East which has been involved in the furlough scheme is to get advice and ensure they don ’ t fall foul of HMRC ’ s very strict compliance scheme .
For some , it could lead to potentially very expensive and painful consequences .
Rico Liverani Managing director at DCS Payroll
wear . business – the voice of business for the Wear region
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