The Challenge:

Marshfield Bakery manufactures quality handmade cakes, snack bars, biscuits and seasonal goods that are distributed throughout the UK and Europe.

The company approached SWMAS for support as it looked to develop an innovation strategy to enter new markets.

SWMAS action:

“SWMAS helped us address fundamental issues of capacity and process planning, including making better use of floor space and identifying key process bottlenecks.

“The Innovation Expert Programme consultant worked with us over several months to develop our project plan. This included mapping out areas we could look to prioritise, and giving clarity over the future direction of the business for all the staff"

“We have also benefited from the workshops that SWMAS have run. They really encouraged us to take a step back from the day-to-day working environment and look at things from a different angle in terms of development of the business,” said Chris.

Results:

• Turnover increased by 155%

• Launched 13 new products

“The support we have received from SWMAS has been fundamental in taking us from a business that turned over £700k to £2m in under three years"

“This growth has created an additional 22 full time posts, providing much needed jobs for the surrounding rural community"

“Success is perhaps best measured by the fact that we have been able to accommodate rapid growth and increase our profitability. This in turn has allowed us to invest in much needed equipment to meet future customer demand,” said Chris

Overview:

Marshfield Bakery
Employees: 45
Turnover: £2m
Sector: Food and Drink
Location: Dyrham, Wiltshire

This project was delivered by a SWMAS Manufacturing Specialist through our contract with the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), now part of the Business Growth Service