Member News

2020 has been a year unlike any other. For most of us, it has meant time away from our family and loved ones. We could all do with a bit of cheer right now surely?

Here at The Black Swan, we are pleased to be able to offer all of our customers a reason of encouragement for you and your staff to visit our wonderful establishment.

Over the next month, we are offering you the opportunity to come and eat, drink and stay with us with some attractive offers. We see small and medium sized businesses in the local vicinity of Horsham St. Faith as our natural partners to benefit from the services available at The Black Swan and we would be delighted to welcome you here to sample both our wonderful menu and the welcoming atmosphere.

We are currently running three unique offers here at The Black Swan to entice you to visit. Firstly, why not join us for a drink to see what it’s like here and the measures we have put in place for COVID. With plenty of sanitization areas and all staff with PPI, we have lots of space for socially distancing in a warm and relaxed atmosphere. We also use the NHS Test and Trace app here. Our ‘Buy One Get One Free‘ voucher is for you and/or your staff to use for the purchase of beers, wines, or other beverages in our comfy lounge bar, or on our outside patios if the weather allows.

Our second offer is our own extension of the ‘Eat Out To Help Out‘ scheme which allows you to try our amazing and varied menu for yourself. Book a table today and take advantage of up to 50% off your bill (max £10.00 per person)

Or why not treat yourself to ‘Sunday lunch and an overnight stay‘ for you and a guest. Relax in our restaurant and select from our a la carte menu then retire to one of our individually appointed en-suite bedrooms for only £99.00 per couple.

Simply download the attached .pdf file for your vouchers today and come and visit us or contact us on 01603 897787 or email us at info@blackswaninn.co.uk to see how we can help accommodate you.

The Black Swan is an attractive, recently refurbished, 18th Century building on the picturesque village green at Horsham St. Faith; tucked discreetly away but conveniently located just by (but not too close to) the airport. With plenty of off-road parking for our guests, we look forward to welcoming you soon.

Please click onto the document to read this week’s Market Summary.

BDH Tullford is delighted to announce that has recently started work on a major rebranding project, manufacturing and installing signage at more than 250 locations across the UK.   Having won the contract in a competitive pitch over the summer, work on the project commenced during October and is due to be completed by the end of February 2021.    The project required careful planning and flexibility, given the ongoing pandemic and lockdown restrictions. Since winning the tender, the company has worked closely with the client to implement safe working practices and social-distancing measures, while ensuring an average of 25 site completions per week.    The first site, located in Coventry, is already completec and the client is delighted with the results. Now it’s full steam ahead with the rest of the project!   Stay tuned for more updates and photos as the project nears completion.

A respected British food processing equipment manufacturer has continued its global expansion plans by appointing an agent in the Indian snacks market.

Fabcon Food Systems (FFS) has appointed SM Food Engineering as its official representative in India, with the Indore-based company set to play a key role in growing’s the manufacturer’s presence across India by adding FFS products to its existing range.

Marking its fifth anniversary this year, the new agreement will help build on the 100-strong customer base FFS has created, which is spread across the UK, mainland Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Africa.

The partnership is effective immediately and will bring a new portfolio of food processing products to SM Food Engineering’s existing range.

Trevor Howard, managing director of Fabcon Food Systems said: “SM Food Engineering is a prominent player in the snack market equipment sector and have excellent long-term relationships across India and Asia. We feel those relationships and their credentials will benefit us as we continue to meet the demand for our products in all corners of the world.

“I have worked closely with the team at SM Food Engineering on and off for many years and it’s great to be renewing old partnerships with our Indian colleagues. It is an agreement which has hit the ground running and already we are working closely on some exciting projects.

“Overall, I know they will help us increase our presence in the Indian market and promote our track record and expertise. It is a win-win partnership.”

Vinod Dodia from SM Food Engineering added: “To be linking up with Trevor and the team at Fabcon is an exciting partnership for us”

“Fabcon Food Systems is known for its quality, British-built products and adding those to our own offering is an important step forward for us. We are certain the partnership will help us ensure we both take a firmer footing in the growing Indian market.”

Fabcon Food Systems design, manufacture and install handling and processing equipment for the food industry – including frying, distribution and seasoning systems, all built at the company’s British factory and design hub, the FFS team of 25 supply systems and machinery to customers in the UK, mainland Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Africa.

Espaze has launched PRACTICAL guides to boost your procurement function.

Managing your supply chain has become more important than ever, as we strive to be competitive and deliver what our customers need.

I believe every company should have access to an effective supply chain, so I’ve launched these easy to follow guides so that you can make improvements in your own business.

The first two guides are:

• Supplier Appraisal – How To Choose The Right Suppliers
• Managing Your Tail Spend – A Practical Guide To Reduce Your Supply Chain Costs

Choosing The Right Supplier

This includes a supplier appraisal form that you can use with your own suppliers!

Choosing the wrong supplier can go REALLY wrong: Carillion’s collapse, G4S’s catastrophic failure at the Olympics and Apple’s reputational damage from Foxconn. Whatever happens, you don’t want those disasters in your own supply chain.

Managing Your Tail Spend

There’s LOADS of value to be had in tackling bits of the supply chain that we usually ignore. This can be the source of a lot of our supply chain headaches – dealing with late deliveries, incorrect invoices and difficult order processes for small-value items. This 19-page guide is full of PRACTICAL advice to get this spend under control, save time and money.

It also has a sample spreadsheet with the calculations you need to assess your spend as quickly as possible.

Visit the shop here

You can get these practical guides at 50% off with the code WeGotHereFirst! until 30th November. That makes these guides ONLY £4.99 each!

Is there something else you’d like to see in a guide? Drop me an email at beth@espaze.co.uk and let me know!

Norfolk sustainability experts are calling on the government to publish an urgent roadmap with greater clarity on new plans to boost UK wind power and help East Anglia become a flagbearer in low-cost clean power generation.

Ingleton Wood has backed the government’s revamped green energy ambition to power all UK homes from offshore wind by 2030 but raised questions over the national grid’s ability to cope with future electricity demand, particularly in rural areas. Electric vehicle charging and electric heat pumps are set to add substantial strain on local distribution networks.

The firm, which has played key roles in green energy projects such as the £1.5bn Galloper Wind Farm off Harwich coast in Essex, also insists the region’s energy sector can match the innovation shown during the Covid-19 pandemic with the mass production of ventilators to drive growing demand for offshore projects in the North Sea.

It comes after prime minister Boris Johnson pledged to invest £160 million to upgrade infrastructure in ports and factories to manufacture the next generation of wind turbines for offshore windfarms, announced at the virtual Conservative Party 2020 conference.

The target to power all homes from wind energy, first revealed in the Conservative Party 2019 manifesto, would mean installing 260 new turbines every year for five years on average, Aurora Energy Research found.

Rob Diamond, a sustainability expert at Ingleton Wood, based at Norwich Business Park in Whiting Road, said the target was realistic “with the government’s full backing including incentives and rebates on renewable technologies, and a pull-back from fossil fuel energy generation”.

He said: “We need a mix of power because we can’t just use wind – there will be peaks and troughs – so we’ll need large power stations to pick up the slack when the wind isn’t blowing. But most, if not all, of our power stations are coming to the end of their lives, and we want to get rid of fossil fuels, so we need more detail on what will replace them.”

A doubling in electricity demand across Norfolk is expected with the upcoming mass uptake of electric vehicle charging and use of air source heat pumps to replace boiler heating. This could put local grids under huge strain, so more infrastructure investment could be needed.

“We’re wasting a lot of surplus wind energy, so we also need to revisit storage. It’s currently very expensive and a complex problem,” Mr Diamond said.

“The technology needs to be smarter and more aligned. For example, we could use so-called ‘vehicle to grid’ technology to temporarily store surplus electricity in electric vehicle batteries until it’s needed by the grid.”

Britain’s 24 gigawatts (GW) of installed wind capacity is one of the largest in the world and enough to power 18 million homes – around 60% of the total – according to industry trade body Renewable UK. Mr Johnson also raised the UK annual target from 30 to 40GW.

Nicol Perryman, an associate and planner at Ingleton Wood, who has worked in renewable energy planning for 15 years, said: “While Boris’ announcements are big steps in the right direction it is important not to confuse electricity with energy: two thirds of the UK’s electricity will still be generated from nuclear, gas and other sources in 2030. We need more clarity from the Government on meeting the climate challenge in the Energy White Paper.”

The Energy White Paper is set to be published next month after being delayed five times, stretching back to summer 2019. It will outline key policy details on how the UK will achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Mr Diamond said: “We need a clear roadmap in the eagerly-awaited Energy White Paper. We need to know what the plan is. We need to see the bigger picture – a large-scale innovative strategy to tackle climate change, showing exactly where everything fits in.

“When we talk about adding a certain number of wind turbines, the Government is quick to say how many cups of tea this will boil, but we need something more definitive. What will be the direct effect on greenhouse gases for example?”

Mr Diamond questioned how parts of the rural region’s “old patchy infrastructure will cope”, with increasingly complex turbines, cables and substations requiring connection to the grid.

But he added: “We’ve seen how innovative we can be when really pushed. Just look at the phenomenal manufacturing of ventilators for Covid-19 this year. That’s how we need to treat climate change now. We need to see it as a cliff-edge – a point of no return – to tackle it with urgency and innovation.”

Ingleton Wood is one of the largest property and construction consultancies covering Central England, East Anglia, London and the South East, with offices in Colchester, Norwich, Cambridge, Billericay, Oxford and London. Its services include architecture, building surveying, building services engineering, planning, interior design, civil and structural engineering, quantity surveying, project management and health and safety.

This is the first of a new weekly media bulletin on the latest Covid-19 information and statistics for Norfolk. A weekly press conference will also take place every Thursday to provide an update on the latest situation in the county.

Latest statistics for Norfolk show cases are continuing to rise

Covid-19 rates across Norfolk have continued to rise this week, with people across the county being advised to be extra careful over the half-term break.

The seven-day incidence for Norfolk between October 10 and 16 was 58.94 per 100,000, compared with 51.11 for the same period the previous week. This compares with 75.37 for the East of England and 171.75 for England.

Norwich continues to have the highest rate of infection, with 107.42 cases per 100,000, followed by Great Yarmouth (93.62); Breckland (56.44); South Norfolk (49.69); Broadland (39.00); North Norfolk (36.25) and King’s Lynn and West Norfolk (35.01).

As of Wednesday, 21 October, there were 46 people in hospital in the county with coronavirus.

Cllr Andrew Proctor, Chair of the Norfolk Engagement Board and Leader of Norfolk County Council, said: “The people of Norfolk continue to pull together and have been doing a great job of protecting themselves and each other but our rates of the virus are continuing to climb.

“It’s vital that we continue to protect ourselves and others. The advice remains the same, keep washing our hands, keeping our distance, wearing a face covering and sticking to the rule of six. It’s a county-wide effort and every one of us needs to continue to play our part to protect Norfolk.”

Half-term travel and tourism advice

As more people travel and socialise over the school holidays, Norfolk County Council is urging people to continue to follow the public health advice – keep to the rule of six and keep washing hands, socially distancing and covering faces where needed.

Cllr Andrew Proctor, Chair of the Norfolk Engagement Board and Leader of Norfolk County Council, said: “Norfolk is very much open for business particularly over half-term and I hope that families will be able to get out and safely enjoy the many places and attractions our county has to offer.

“Rates of the virus here are increasing but they still remain lower than those nationally – so I’d urge people to be extra careful if they are travelling to and from Norfolk and to continue to follow the public health advice. It’s sensible to avoid crowded areas, where social distancing is more difficult, and to check if you need to pre-book days out with the family.

“With different areas of the United Kingdom facing different restrictions, you wouldn’t expect people to be leaving areas in Tier 3 (very high risk). It’s vital that everyone checks the status of local areas before travelling. Details on the tiers for each area are available at www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions.

“The virus thrives on human contact, so the more we can do to minimise that by following the guidelines, they are there for a good reason, the more we can prevent its spread.”

Reminder on when and how to isolate

With rates of coronavirus in the county continuing to increase, it remains crucial that people follow the guidance around when and how to isolate to prevent spreading the virus.

People should self-isolate immediately if:

• You have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste)
• You’ve tested positive for coronavirus
• You live with someone who has symptoms or tested positive
• Someone in your support bubble has symptoms or has tested positive for the virus
• You’re told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, the app, or local test and trace teams
• You arrive in the UK from a country on the government’s quarantine list

People who are isolating must stay at home and not have any visitors to their home or garden for the duration of the isolation period (unless for essential care).

Dr Louise Smith, Director of Public Health for Norfolk said: “We completely understand that isolating is difficult, particularly after such a long period of restrictions. However, it can literally save lives by preventing the spread of the virus.

“Isolation means staying away from everyone outside of your immediate household – please don’t go to the shops, go to stay with family or have visitors. There is financial help available and support to get supplies. Agencies across Norfolk are here to help – we need to all work together to prevent the spread of the virus.”

Those who need support with accessing food and medicine can also contact the council for help on 0344 800 8020. Details on the Isolation Support Payment are available here.

Appeal for young Covid Champions to help share and shape public health messages

Norfolk County Council and Mancroft Advice Project are urging young people to come forward to be Covid Champions to help share and shape public health messages during the pandemic.

The council wants to create a network of champions that can help shape young people-facing campaigns and promote messages via their schools and social networks.

The council is already working closely with schools to provide advice and support and has a range of Covid-19 materials aimed at children and young people.

MAP will be working with the Covid Champions to provide advice and support.

Young people who are interested can email marketing@norfolk.gov.uk

New local testing site for Great Yarmouth

A new local testing site is currently being built in Great Yarmouth to help create more testing capacity in the borough.

The site at Nelson Road car park will be operational from tomorrow.

Norfolk’s Health Protection Board applied to the Department for Health and Social Care to create the additional capacity in the county.

People are encouraged to book a test for the new centre online at https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119. The tests are a walk-through service only and are in addition to permanent and mobile testing sites that are already in operation.

Home testing kits remain the most convenient way to access a test and mean that people do not need to travel for a test. This can be booked via the same route as test centres.

Cllr Proctor added: “We’re pleased to be working with the government to bring this extra testing site to the county. It means those living in Great Yarmouth have another way to access tests, helping us to track the virus and prevent the spread.”

Those working at sites are provided with personal protective equipment to protect themselves from the virus and to ensure the safety of the wider community. Those attending the site must wear a face covering with the exception of those under three. Everyone must maintain social distancing.

Make The Right Decisions – I’m not indecisive… am I?  

The decisions we make every day, whether big or small, help to shape our lives and our businesses. In this episode, Mark and James share their thoughts and some trusted tools to help improve our decision-making skills. To help bring their tips to life, they refer back to Dr Susan Jeffers, Steven Spielberg and the late, great David Bowie. 

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or listen here!

Green Duck is proud to have achieved Microsoft Gold Partner status. By awarding Green Duck with Gold partner status, Microsoft recognises that Green Duck delivers best-in-class solutions in Cloud Productivity.

Gold Status is the highest level a partner can obtain from Microsoft.

The partnership demonstrates Green Duck’s expertise in building, integrating, and extending quality solutions into the cloud using Microsoft’s platform.

Mathew Green, Chief Technical Officer and Co-Founder at Green Duck says “Achieving Gold partnership status is not an easy task, our team have undergone extensive training in multiple disciplines, this has been independently examined to meet Microsoft’s high standards. As a business, we’ve proven competencies in implementation, customer satisfaction and team performance.

“For our customers, it shows that we provide quality solutions that meet their needs. The additional access and support we receive as a Gold Partner opens up doors for those we support in future-proofing their businesses and implementing new technologies.

“We will continue to offer the very best customer support with the assurance of commitment and value for our customers by offering superior expertise in IT Support”.

If you would like to talk to us about Microsoft services or anything else IT related, please get in touch! 

After the success of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme in August, we are delighted to launch our own Scheme this November … ‘Take £5’. 

Dine with us on a Monday – Thursday during November and claim £5 off your meal for Breakfast, our Light Bites lunch, Afternoon Tea and Dinner. Minimum spend £10 per person.

James Holliday, Owner of The Norfolk Mead commented: “We were absolutely bowled away by how much the local community supported us during the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme. Now we are moving into the autumn and winter season, with coronavirus still here and times remaining uncertain, we wanted to launch a new offer to give people a reason to head out for a delicious meal with their close friends or family. Our premises have been certified as Covid-secure including by the AA and VisitEngland. Guests can be assured of a warm welcome, and can enjoy a delicious meal from our 2 Star AA Rosette awarded-team in our cosy restaurant and lounges.” 

Call 01603 737 531 or email info@norfolkmead.co.uk to make a booking. Mention the ‘Take £5’ offer at the time of booking. Valid for new bookings only after 24th October 2020. Not applicable to any existing promotions or member discounts. 

Find out more about our food offer and view our menus on the Dine page of the website here: https://www.norfolkmead.co.uk/dine

Please click onto the document to read this week’s Markets in a Minute. 

TOP performing businesses took to the virtual stage on Friday at the Spirit of Enterprise Awards, the most prestigious annual celebration of business excellence in the Great Yarmouth borough.

Organised by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, the popular awards aim to recognise and raise the profile of the area’s top-performing businesses, while boosting investor confidence in the strength of the local economy.

While it was not possible this year to hold the usual gala dinner at the Town Hall, the finalists enjoyed an interactive online awards ceremony to find out the winners in each category, who were invited to make a live acceptance speech via the online platform. 

The ceremony, hosted by award-winning presenter Lee Derbyshire, saw the King’s Arms in Fleggburgh crowned as 2020 Business of the Year. They were chosen from among the category winners by main sponsor API Microelectronics Ltd, which was the 2018 Business of the Year.

The other award sponsors were P&S Personnel, Norse Group, Barclays PLC, Itron (UK) Ltd, ASCO World, Potters Friends Foundation, GYTABIA, Equinox Enterprises Ltd, and Great Yarmouth Borough Council, plus multi-media sponsor Shaun Lawson Video.

Special crystal trophies were delivered this week to all winners to enable socially-distanced photos to take place. The category winners and sponsors are:

• Employer of the Year – John G. Plummer & Associates – sponsored by P&S Personnel
• Great Customer Service – Branford’s Limited – sponsored by Norse Group
• Director/Business Owner of the Year – Mark Dixon of the King’s Arms Fleggburgh – sponsored by Barclays PLC
• Investing in Future Growth – En-Gen Diesel Products Limited – sponsored by Itron (U.K.) Limited
• SME (Small or Medium Enterprise) of the Year – En-Gen Diesel Products Limited – sponsored by Equinox Enterprises Ltd
• Large Business of the Year – Haven Seashore Holiday Park – sponsored by ASCO World
• Great Community Contribution – The Island Cafe & Boating Lake (Access Community Trust) – sponsored by Potters Friends Foundation
• Great Family Owned – King’s Arm Fleggburgh – sponsored by Great Yarmouth Borough Council
• Leisure and Tourism Business of the Year – Haven Seashore Holiday Park – sponsored by GYTABIA

Mark Dixon, of the King’s Arms, said: “Winning the awards means the world to us. It shows that commitment, hard work and working as a team pays off. I could not be prouder of the King’s Arms family and am looking forward to what the future brings.”

Cllr Carl Smith, the council leader, said: “In addition to boosting investor confidence, the Spirit of Enterprise Awards encourages businesses to be aspirational and proud of the role they play in the local business community.

“After months of anticipation, it was great to see the winners revealed. I would like to again congratulate all the finalists and winners: you are all ambassadors of the many excellent businesses of different sizes and sectors across our borough.

“In a year that has brought additional challenges for everyone, businesses included, it was great to celebrate business success. The virtual awards ceremony ran very well, and I’d like to praise the sponsors and everyone involved in organising this.”