Gourmet sausage roll maker secures £77k grant

By Gwen Ridler

- Last updated on GMT

Marches Building Investment Grant's Caroline Cattle (left) with Coopers founder Ivan Watkiss
Marches Building Investment Grant's Caroline Cattle (left) with Coopers founder Ivan Watkiss
Premium sausage roll maker Coopers Gourmet Foods has secured a £77,000 grant to help fund the expansion of its manufacturing base and product range.

The funding, provided by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) through its Building Investment Grant, has allowed significant expansion work to be completed at Coopers’ headquarters in Roden near Shrewsbury.

Founder Ivan Watkiss had secured funding in the past to help facilitate the company’s move from the Shropshire Food Enterprise Centre to its current site.

Commenting on the application process for the Marches grant, Watkiss said: “Applying for this latest funding was relatively straightforward given we’d previously gone through a similar application process. That said, the support we received from Caroline Cattle and her team was exceptional and has made a tangible difference to our business.

‘Consider alternatives’

“The simple reality is that, without this grant, we’d have needed to consider alternative funding streams and it’s unlikely that we’d have been able to progress before another three to five years.”

Coopers has used the funding to create a temperature-controlled packing area and frozen storage facilities, as well as increase its headcount.

Marches LEP director Gill Hamer added: “Coopers Gourmet Foods is a truly local success story.  That they’ve already exceeded their targets for increased employment bodes well for continued growth and I don’t doubt that their vision to increase turnover by 10% annually will soon be realised.”

£2.5m in grants

The Marches Building Investment Grant totals £2.5m and is open to businesses across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin that need to fund extensions, renovations or reconfigurations of commercial premises. Projects receiving funding through the scheme must be completed by August 2019.   

Open to businesses trading with other businesses, the scheme awards grants of up to 45% of the total project costs – to a maximum of £100,000. The scheme is expected to attract up to £3m in private sector investment in the region and lead to the creation of 130 jobs.

Meanwhile, 15 projects in Scotland are to receive £65,000​ in the first round of grants to promote Scottish produce.

Related topics Meat, poultry & seafood

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