J Tomlinson’s head of business development wins Female Executive of the Year Award

The head of business development at contractor J Tomlinson, Nikki Foreman, has been named as Female Executive of the Year at the Nottingham Post Women in Business Awards 2015.

Nikki, who joined the construction company three years ago, took the title after becoming a crucial member of the team delivering business growth for J Tomlinson over the last 12 months and for the future, which has resulted in the greatest level of turnover and profit (last financial year) that the business has ever had.

The awards, which celebrate the outstanding achievements of female entrepreneurs and professionals, fly the flag for women in business and create female role models to inspire future generations of women.

“I am so excited to have won the title of Female Executive of the Year at the Nottingham Post Women in Business Awards,” said Nikki. “The standard of nominations and entries in all categories was amazingly high and I’d like to congratulate all the shortlisted contenders. Their stories and achievements illustrate the brilliant female talent that we have in Nottinghamshire.

“At J Tomlinson, I work alongside a strong team of supportive professionals, and this recognition in the Women in Business Awards is just as much about them, as it is about me. I hope this award will encourage and inspire women to consider a career in construction, which is a sector where women are still under-represented.”

A member of Women In Property, to promote more women into the construction industry, and a council member for Nottingham City Business Club, to make Nottingham a world class city for business and trade, Nikki is also a volunteer for Inspiring the Future Campaign – a campaign to coach, mentor and inspire the next generation.

Hundreds of people attended the Nottingham Post Women in Business Awards 2015 ceremony at the Crowne Plaza in Nottingham, where 12 awards were presented.
J Tomlinson, which has its head office in Beeston near Nottingham, offers services in construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical engineering, and facilities management, and works across a range of sectors including social housing, emergency services, healthcare, education, retail and commercial property.

The firm operates across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire, employs 383 people, and has been named in Deloitte’s Businesses Leading Britain 2014 report, which provides insights into the UK’s 1,000 fastest-growing businesses with annual revenues between £30 million and £1 billion.

J Tomlinson Executive Chairman David Adams said: “Many congratulations to Nikki. This award is very well deserved and the team at J Tomlinson couldn’t be more proud of her achievements.”

For more information visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Industrial park scheme role for Focus Consultants

Experts at Focus Consultants are playing a key role in a £2m development to build 19 new industrial units, which have scope to create or safeguard almost 300 jobs in coming years.

The company is providing a number of services for the North Kesteven District Council Blackwood Court development on North Hykeham’s Teal Park in Lincolnshire, including support project management, employer’s agent, principal designer/CDM advisor and BREEAM assessor.

Lindum Construction is building the scheme for North Kesteven District Council, which is part of the council’s commitment to attracting and supporting start-up businesses. The units will range in size from 500 sq ft to 2,000 sq ft and will be used for a wide range of uses from storage and distribution to general industrial premises.

Trevor Newton, partner at the Boston office of Focus, said: “Focus Consultants is very pleased to have been appointed by North Kesteven District Council to be a member of the team building Teal Park, which should prove very important to the economic development of the area.

“As a company, we provide a number of different services that are relevant for such developments, and professionals from both our Lincolnshire offices and our Leicester office are involved with this scheme.”

The units are due to be completed by mid-February, with lettings likely to start around the New Year.

Focus, which is based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and has offices at Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, and in Leicester and at Holborn in London, offers services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, contract administration, party wall surveying, clerk of works, quantity surveying, project management, CDM services and BREEAM assessments and energy calculations and modelling. 

The company also specialises in funding and economic development including area regeneration strategies, funding applications, economic impact appraisals, business plans, and research and evaluation.  Since 1994 Focus has secured for clients more than £953 million of grants for projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.3 billion worth of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful businesses of its kind in the country.

Teal Park is a strategic allocated employment site, granted outline planning permission in 2011 for a total of 133,720m2 of employment floor space, a hotel, public house, leisure and trade showrooms. It is home to Siemens’ industrial gas turbine service business which occupies around a third of the space.

Under the GrowLN6 project, the wider LN6 area is a focus for coordinated partnership work by NKDC, City of Lincoln Council and the County Council to attract new inward business investment and expansion.

The photo shows partners lined up to mark the official start on site.

For more information visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Do yourself a flavour – new Cherizena flavoured coffees launched

Coffee specialist Cherizena is launching three new flavours in time for the festive season.

To accompany this year’s limited edition Christmas Coffee, the Leicestershire-based family business has also created Viennese Flavoured Coffee, Cognac Flavoured Coffee and Malt Whisky Flavoured Coffee.

The new flavours are the latest in around 30 flavours of coffee created by the company, which has its headquarters on the Wartnaby Estate near Melton Mowbray.

“We’ve been experimenting and trialling new flavours and blends, and are delighted with the latest batch of flavoured coffee that we’ve developed. The flavours are stunning and we think they are a really welcome addition to the extensive range Cherizena already offers,” said Kate Jones, who runs the mail order coffee supplier, which is also a regular at events, markets and food fairs across the East Midlands.

All of Cherizena’s flavoured coffees are produced in-house in small batches and use the Colombian medium roasted bean as the base coffee. The blends contain no added sugars, syrups or coatings – they are just finest quality beans infused with flavours. 

Available as regular or decaffeinated, beans or ground coffee, the new flavoured coffees sit alongside popular and unusual Cherizena blends such as Banoffee Pie Flavoured Coffee, Chocolate and Coconut Flavoured Coffee and Sticky Gingerbread Flavoured Coffee. 

Its limited edition Christmas Coffee - with a delicious aroma reminiscent of plum pudding – is the company’s most popular flavoured coffee.

The new Viennese Coffee blend incorporates the creamy flavour and aroma of fig married with the Colombian bean and is based on the coffee traditionally served in Austrian coffee houses.

Perfect for after dinner, the Cognac coffee blends French Cognac aromas and flavour with Cherizena’s Colombian medium roasted coffee, while the Malt Whisky Flavoured Coffee has a delicious warming hint of peaty whisky flavour.

The new flavours cost £3 for a 115g pack and will become permanent additions to the Cherizena range. Christmas Coffee is priced at £3.25 for a 115g pack and is available until Christmas, with final orders taken on 21^st December 2015.

All the coffees are available from www.cherizena.co.uk. 

Cherizena is a specialist supplier of premium, speciality and flavoured coffees, and supplies coffee mail order across the UK and abroad. Its Twitter handle is @CherizenaCoffee

Press release issued by Nottingham based pr company Perfect 10 pr www.perfect10pr.co.uk  

New group finance director for expanding contractor J Tomlinson

Mel Sowter and Mark Davis

Contractor J Tomlinson has appointed a new group finance director as part of the company’s expansion plans.

Mel Sowter is the first female director to join the Nottingham-based firm since it was founded in the 1950s.

A results driven, commercially astute and strategic finance director with demonstrable success in business growth, Mel joins J Tomlinson as the company expects to see its turnover increase from £54 million in 2014 to £67 million this year, with a forecast to rise again next year.

The firm, which operates across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire, employs 383 people, and has been named in Deloitte’s Businesses Leading Britain 2014 report, which provides insights into the UK’s 1,000 fastest-growing businesses with annual revenues between £30 million and £1 billion.

J Tomlinson CEO Mark Davis said: “The team at J Tomlinson is very pleased to announce the appointment of Mel Sowter as our new group finance director, at a time when the company is going through a significant period of growth.

“She has experience of both the construction sector and the service business, bringing a valuable set of skills to the company.”

Mel is responsible for the financial and management accounts of J Tomlinson, as well as the human resources and information technology support services. Her position is a newly created post.

“I am delighted to have joined J Tomlinson, a well-known company with a good reputation in the market place,” she said. “The company’s expansion plans are very exciting and the company values are very people focused. I relish the opportunity to join the team, add value and make a difference.”

Mel has previously worked for organisations including Xylem Water Solutions, a global market leader in water and wastewater transport and treatment for municipal and industrial customers, where she was also the first female to join the board in the UK, housebuilder Westbury Homes, and Leicester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust.

J Tomlinson, which has its head office in Beeston near Nottingham, offers services in construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical engineering, energy efficiency, renewables, and facilities management, and works across a range of sectors including social housing, emergency services, healthcare, education, retail and commercial property.

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk 

Croots Farm Shop raises over £100 from Rugby World Cup charity sausages

Steve Croot with his Croots Scrummy Sausages

Sausage loving customers have raised £153 for charity after buying special sausages created to mark the Rugby World Cup.

Derbyshire farm shop Croots will donate the funds to the ongoing fundraising effort for its adopted charity, the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre. The charity provides disadvantaged children with holidays in Skegness, helping to boost the children’s confidence and self-esteem.

Croots Scrummy sausage and Croots Scrumpy sausage were created by the farm shop near Duffield for the Rugby World Cup continuing from the success of its ‘Olympig’ and ‘Bangerooney’ sausages, which have been created previously for sporting occasions.

The farm shop donated 20% of sales of the sausages to the charity, which offers 450 holiday places per season.

“Our customers are always very supportive of our charity fundraising efforts and Croots is delighted to be able to donate the £153 raised to the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre,” said Steve Croot, who runs Croots Farm Shop at Farnah House Farm on Wirksworth Road.

The farm shop is also starting its annual festive charity fundraising in November and December supporting the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, which celebrates its 125^th birthday next year. It is staging a raffle with the chance to win a tasty hamper packed with food and drink, worth £80.

Derbyshire-based Croots is popular for its wide range of sausage flavours and local food. Croots Farm Shop has won numerous awards, from the Great Taste Awards to meat industry awards, all judged by meat and fine food experts.

Croots Farm Shop is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm) and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Croots runs Fresh Fish Thursdays between 9am and 1pm on Thursdays.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

Find Croots on Twitter @crootsfarm_shop or on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Croots-Farm-shop-127012538821/

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Haughton Honey buzzing with appearance at top food and drink show

Cheshire-based honey producer Haughton Honey is joining the cream of the crop at one of the UK’s most popular food and drink events.

Bee farmer Crispin Reeves will be taking his Haughton Honey brand to the BBC Good Food Show at the NEC, Birmingham, from 26^th to 29^th November 2015.  

The honey is currently on sale at more than 60 stores across the North West and the Midlands, with plans to expand further afield after a recent partnership with a food distribution service Bikold Foodservice. However, exhibiting at the BBC Good Food Show will be great exposure for Haughton Honey, said Crispin. 

Based at Radmore Farm, Haughton, in Cheshire, the English honey brand has gone from strength to strength since launching in 2014. 

Probably the most unadulterated honey that you can buy, it is the sweet essential for everyone’s kitchen cupboard, being perfect in puddings, flavoursome in casseroles, sauces and dressings, and the ideal substitute for sugar.

Haughton Honey now has more than 1,600 hives in the cooperative, stretching across the North West and the Midlands regions, including Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire.

Haughton Honey is raw honey which comes straight from the hive, is cold extracted and never pasteurised which means that it retains all of the natural enzymes and proteins that make English honey so special. It is also 100% natural and pure and features traces of dandelion, chestnut, blackberry, clover and other wildflowers.

It’s also popular with many hay fever sufferers who swear by using raw honey as a natural remedy for streaming eyes and runny noses, saying that it has helped to ease their symptoms and transform their lives. The principle behind the theory is that the tiny amounts of pollen found in raw honey helps to desensitise the body - preventing a reaction to pollen in the atmosphere during spring and early summer.

Haughton Honey is exhibiting on stand H104 in the Guild of Fine Food Great Taste section of the BBC Good Food Show from 26-29 November 2015 at the NEC, Birmingham.

Haughton Honey is available from more than 60 stores, currently across the North West and the Midlands and also through food distribution company Bikold Foodservice (www.bikold.co.uk) based in Ludlow, with plans to expand throughout the UK. It is also available online, priced £5.25 for a 340g jar, via www.haughtonhoney.com

Press release issued by Nottingham-based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk  

Derbyshire farm shop Croots launches annual festive charity fundraising

Croots Farm Shop is launching its annual festive fundraising effort in aid of Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre with a special event on Thursday 12^th November.

The farm shop, based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, near Duffield, will be staging a Christmas taster evening, with a range of producer demonstrations and sampling sessions.

The event, which runs from 5pm until 8pm, is free to attend and will also kick start a festive charity appeal in aid of Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, which has been the farm shop’s adopted charity for a number of years.

Customers and staff have raised hundreds of pounds in support of the charity, which provides disadvantaged Derbyshire children with holidays in Skegness.

Steve Croot, who runs Croots Farm Shop with wife Kay, said: “We’re delighted to once again be raising money for such a good cause and would like to thank our customers in advance for the support that I know they will be happy to give. Hopefully we can raise a nice sum and present Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre with a really good Christmas gift of their own.

“The event will also be the chance for customers to meet producers and to find out more and taste some of the products we sell at Croots, as well as benefiting from a 10 per cent discount on their shopping basket.”

Among those lined up to take part are Duffield Dairy, Luke Evans Bakery, cattle farmer Margaret Heath, who supplies beef to Croots, Darley Abbey Wines, Sloemotion and Hartington Cheese. There will be a ten per cent discount on shopping during the evening. Croots will run two further late night Christmas shopping evenings on Friday 11^th and Friday 18^th December until 8pm.

Other festive events lined up include a cheese and wine evening on Friday 4^th December from 6pm to 9pm, when Andy Little from Darley Abbey Wines will deliver an entertaining talk on wines to complement the Christmas cheese board. Tickets are £5.

Croots will also be running breakfast with Santa sessions on Sunday 6^th, Saturday 12^th and Saturday 19^th December from 8.30am, with pre-booking required, at £12 per child.

This year’s charity effort for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, which next year celebrates its 125 birthday, and which offers 450 holiday places per season, features a raffle with the chance to win a tasty hamper packed with food and drink worth £80.

Croots Farm Shop is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm) and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Croots runs Fresh Fish Thursdays between 9am and 1pm on Thursdays.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

Find Croots on Twitter @crootsfarm_shop or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Croots-Farm-shop-127012538821/ 

Press release issued by Nottingham based pr company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk