October 2025 Newsletter

30 Oct

October updates from The Food Works SW

October Newsletter 2025

Another successful Open Day welcomes dozens of new faces to The Food Works SW.

Thank you to all of those who attended our open day last week, it was lovely to meet so many motivated and inspired business owners.

Our second thank you has to go to all of our experts who came and hosted 1-1 clinics.

Thank you to Blossom HR, SALSA, Westcotts Accountants, Fountains Labels and Packaging, RW PR, Weathered Oak Photography, Tidy, Tentamus, FW Capital, Stephens Scown, Notazone and The Hive.

Planning has already begun for our next big event in February 2026 so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, there are a few more industry events lined up that you may like to check out below.

Funded support continues to deliver for businesses across the South West.

Below, read about Root & Ember who have just received 8 hours of free compliance support with our technical manager, Beth.

A luxury deli and smoker lies in Clifton, Bristol, run by a mother-and-son duo, Jane and Freddie Jago. Known for their ethically made cured meats, smoked fish and locally sourced pantry staples, Root & Ember have championed artisan quality from day one.

What inspired you to start the business?
We’re a mother and son partnership. Initially, we were just looking for a space to set up a curing and smoking business - but when we found a site at Three Bruton Place in Clifton, we saw the opportunity to build something more. We wanted to create not only high-quality food but also a space that celebrates local, ethical producers.

What challenges were you facing before joining the programme?
As first-time food entrepreneurs, the compliance side was daunting - especially around food safety. We didn’t have the knowledge or resources to confidently meet the necessary standards on our own.

What support or services did you access through The Food Works SW?
Through the West of England Food and Drink Support Initiative, we received fully funded technical guidance from Beth at The Food Works SW. She helped us understand HACCP, reviewed our documentation and made sure everything was set up to meet compliance requirements. It was exactly what we needed, right when we needed it.

Would you recommend the programme to others?
Yes - 100%. The support was friendly, expert and totally practical. It’s made a huge difference to our ability to grow with confidence.

What’s next for Root & Ember?
We’re focusing on refining our offering and growing our local network of producers. Eventually, we’d love to expand into a second site or an event space - always keeping quality and sustainability at the core.

Root & Ember’s launch wasn’t just about great products - it was about getting the fundamentals right. With The Food Works SW funded support, they were able to build a compliant, sustainable and values-led business from the ground up. For new ventures navigating complex food standards, this kind of support isn’t just helpful, it’s game-changing.

You can read about more of the businesses we’ve worked with here

If you’d like to find out if you’re eligible for free support through the FDSI project, click here - West of England - Funded Support

A new business has brought their majic to site…

This month we have welcomed our newest tenant to The Food Works SW.

Majic Protein are only 18 months old but are making waves amongst the health conscious, gym community. Ben and Aidan are so enthusiastic, have lots of big plans and we can’t wait to watch them grow here on site with us.

Production has already resumed in their unit and they’ve also been making use of our development kitchens - working with Zoe to run product trials.

Welcome to the family, Majic Protein!

Photography workshop is a big success for small businesses

Becky Craven hosted a brilliant workshop with us earlier this month.

Attendees learnt how to take high quality stills and videos using just your smartphone.

One guest, Angela said “It’s nice to be amongst and learn with others as well as gain more confidence”

A visit to Thatchers

Some of the team were lucky enough to have a tour of the local superpower that is Thatchers.

Guided by Operations Director, Gary Delafield we were shown around everything from the original warehouse where it all began to their brand new fully automated warehouse. The warehouse can store up to 18,000 pallets and move 700 an hour, operating 24/7. Their new canning line will help keep this warehouse stocked as it will allow them to can up to 24 cans every single second.

Watching Thatchers evolve into such an immense operation over the years has been so exciting, forever progressing and growing to be the top cider brand!

We also learnt about their apprenticeship programme and the opportunities that are developed with the apprentices in mind. At Thatchers, they are passionate about bringing out the best of their staff and equipping them with the skills to develop their careers.

Their tours are also available to public, we’d really recommend going along for a tour or booking yourself into the pub!

Events

8th and 9th October - Zoe, our NPD and Innovation Manager will be attending Food Matters Live, Ascot

22nd October - The final event in our ‘The Food Works SW on tour’ series, our technical team will be at Komedia, Bath, ready to meet those of you who are unable to get to our site in North Somerset

4th November - Boosting your resilience to Food Fraud Crime with the FSA - a hands on workshop at The Food Works SW HQ

13th November - Shop Cotswolds are bringing their audience to us for a networking afternoon.