News
BUSINESS BRIEFS
RECRUITER OPENS SEAHAM
OFFICE
SSK Recruitment is a global recruiter with
offices in the Netherlands and Iraq which has
recently opened an office in Seaham.
Speaking about the new office move, SSK
Recruitment’s managing director, Adam
Smith said: “Seaham, is my hometown, so
it makes me immensely proud that we can
continue to grow SSK here.
“We are perfectly situated just off the A19
at Byron House so it has excellent links to all
the major routes, making life a lot easier for
client visits and travelling.”
Distillery set to ‘transform’ city centre
I
everyone know where our new home will
t may be buried deep underground
be.
but a new £1m project to install
“Prince Bishops approached us earlier
Durham’s first distillery is set to
in the year as there were severe delays out
transform the city centre.
of our hands with the riverside location
Work has already started on Durham
we’d hoped to relocate to. Since signing
Distillery’s new headquarters in the Prince
the lease there has been a lot of work with
Bishops Shopping Centre of the city after
the company signed a ten-year lease for the our architects and designers to create
something really special for Durham, and
former Royal Bank of Scotland branch.
the fit out is well underway.
Covering several floors of the 5,000 sqm
“The new setting not only benefits from
site, the distillery, which is due to open
a central location with passing traffic to
in summer 2020, will see the production
and from the cathedral, it’s larger and
of the North-East’s first whisky, on top of
Durham Distillery’s existing gin and vodka means we can be really imaginative when
it comes to things like
products.
“We are actively
visitor experience and
The development
encouraging local and
scope for expansion
and relocation from
regional enterprises to join
in the future. We’re
their original base in
us at Prince Bishops which
bringing a completely
Langley Park, Durham,
is a great opportunity
new offering to the retail
will include a working
for jobs and the future
scene at Prince Bishops.”
distillery for the three
prosperity of the city
Richard Toynbee,
drinks, tours and
centre.”
centre manager at Prince
tastings areas, a shop,
Bishops Shopping Centre, added: “Durham
function spaces for parties, meetings and
Distillery will be a very welcome addition
team building days and once complete will
to the Prince Bishops line-up.
create jobs with roles including a distillery
“It is vitally important to the city centre
manager and distiller. The new project
that businesses offer our customers a
replaces the original plans to move to the
really good experience and together we
Riverwalk development in Durham city
show commitment to retail and leisure
centre.
investment for the future.
For the fourth Christmas running, the
“We are actively encouraging local and
distillery set up a pop-up shop in Prince
regional enterprises to join us at Prince
Bishops and a Crowdfunding campaign
Bishops which is a great opportunity for
has been launched which offers people
jobs and the future prosperity of the city
the chance to be a part of whisky history
centre.”
while helping to fund the new distillery.
Durham Distillery, which has recently
Cases and casks of Durham Whisky can
been rebranded as Durham Distillers, was
be purchased which will be ready to drink
the first emerging business to be invested
three years and one day after entering
in from the Finance Durham Fund,
production.
receiving a £250,000 investment to assist
Owner Jon Chadwick, who founded
its relocation and production of Durham
Durham Distillery five years ago, said:
Whisky.
“We are really excited to make this big
announcement and see signs up letting
STUDENT GROWTH PLANNED
Stephen Willis, chief financial planning
officer of Durham University, says expansion
plans could see thousands of new students
living in the city in future years.
Proposals in the draft County Durham
Plan aim to manage student growth outlined
in Durham University’s strategic plan until
2027.
Over the period, the student population
is expected to increase to 21,500 as the
institution moves forward with plans for new
facilities and student accommodation.
PATI CAKE LAUNCH
After weeks of extensive renovations costing
around £20,000, Pati Cake Patisserie has
opened in the former premises of The Fire
Place Shop on Tunstall Road in Sunderland.
It’s the brainchild of husband and wife
team Patrycja and Ariel Niesporek who have
expanded their Pati Cake Bakery to open the
patisserie, which is named after Patrycja’s
nickname.
The couple, who are originally from
Poland, say they are hoping to bring
something different to the area, which as well
as cakes, cookies, cheesecakes and scones
offers coffees, sandwiches and home-made
pizza slices.
ALL GROWTH AT GK
A family-run fabrications firm is aiming for
50 per cent growth after upgrading its factory
space and winning several international
contracts.
Sunderland-based GK Fabrications, a
provider of structural and architectural metal
and steel services, has swapped its 2,800 sq ft
former base for a 10,500 sq ft manufacturing
space at Pallion Industrial Estate.
The move aims to see the business
more than double its current capability,
provide new services to clients and grow its
workforce.
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