Confectionery firm reveals magic of marzipan – in pictures

Richard Shepherdson took over from father and company founder Michael in 1994, and over the years has been steadily growing sales of marzipan confectionery to complement Shepcote’s ingredients business.

Last month, Shepherdson invited Food Manufacture​ to see how marzipan is made at Shepcote’s factory in Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire.

In this exclusive gallery of images taken while on a tour of the operation, you can learn about the level of work that goes into making the intricate marzipan fruit and speciality cake decoration pieces, how Shepcote has branched out into other confectionery manufacture, and Shepherdson’s business aspirations.

Fourth generation of his family​

Shepherdson is the fourth generation of his family to be involved in sugar. Both his grandfather and great-grandfather worked for The Old White’s Sugar Mill, which relocated to Driffield after both its factories in Liverpool and Hull were bombed during the war.

“My father joined the company after the war, and in 1969 he decided to start on his own,”​ Shepherdson explained.

To read more about why Shepherdson believes moving the company to its current site a decade ago was his greatest achievement – part of our Me and My Factory series of profiles – order your copy of the August issue of ​Food Manufacture magazine​​.

Clipper Teas photogallery​

Meanwhile, Food Manufacture​ was fortunate enough to visit Clipper Teas for a Me and My Factory profile earlier this year.

The organic and Fairtrade tea specialist is forecast to produce 1.2bn teabags this year from its production facility in Beaminster, Dorset.

In this exclusive gallery​ of images taken while on a tour of the operation, you can learn about the tea-making process and the ongoing site redevelopment plans that will result in production capacity increasing almost five-fold.