Scottish News Start-up’s rebooting the Food and Drink scene In Inverclyde Andrew Bowman
Once the gateway for the finest ingredients, Inverclyde is once again set to be recognised for its food and drink industry thanks to the £1.8 million development of Scotland’s first incubator dedicated to the sector. The Greenock-based Baker Street Food & Drink Enterprises is a unique hub that aims to put Inverclyde back on Scotland’s food and drink map by attracting new and small businesses to guide them through their expansion. As Inverclyde is currently ranked 28th
out of the 32 Scottish Councils in terms of food & drink production, Riverside Inverclyde’s (RI) head of business investment and operations Andrew Bowman believes “the only way is up”.
The West of Scotland was once a bustling area renowned for its shipbuilding, fishing villages and harbours, through which the finest ingredients from across Scotland and the world would move. Andrew says: “Back in the day, we used to be world-famous for our food and drink in Inverclyde. Particularly in Greenock with all the sugar being imported from the Caribbean – there was a huge amount of export activity.” In recent years however, small businesses have been faced with financial barriers from having to invest in the refurbishment of empty industrial spaces, preventing new projects from taking off.
“We would have interest from food and drinks business coming into the area, but they did not have the capital investment required or want to put that level of investment into a building that they were only going to be leasing for a short period of time, which was understandable.”
Consequently, Riverside Inverclyde wanted to create something unique and pioneering that would generate a continuous flow of new firms and allow Inverclyde a second chance at success in the food and drink sector.
Until two years ago Bowman held the role of strategic executive assistant to the managing director of Zurich Insurance Group’s public arm in London, but jumped at the opportunity to return to his hometown to head up the Business Investment team with regeneration experts, Riverside Inverclyde. "Attracting new businesses while stimulating growth within the existing business community is an exciting challenge" says Bowman. The hub, due to be completed next May, will include six manufacturing units of between 350 and 750 square feet, each with a dedicated kitchen area. Shared hot-desk space, boardroom and storage for raw or finished materials is also on offer. It is hoped that the spaces will lead to collaboration between the businesses to create new ideas and to help each other learn and grow. What makes the hub pioneering is a food and drink growth accelerator programme that the companies will be part of. There will also be funding support towards SALSA [safe and local supplier approval] accreditation and grants will be available for equipment and machinery from Inverclyde Council. Bowman explains: “It is a package to try and get those individuals that are maybe doing the farmers’ markets or see food as a side job to what they do currently and just need that little bit of support and confidence to grow their dream into a reality.”
Small food and drink businesses will occupy the space for two to three years and from there, move into a larger space within Ri’s portfolio where support will be provided to find staff and apprentices, as well as funding. It all comes as part of a £3.5m regeneration project to improve a famous area of Greenock, known as Baker’s Brae.
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COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MONTHLY 2018
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