A FAMILY owned bakery business is enjoying significant growth since relocating to new premises in Honiton.
Devonvale Ltd is reporting a surge in orders, both for its own-brand products and a recently launched brand called UNCH, as well as from national and international own-label customers.
Sales so far in 2014 are around 200 per cent up on three years ago, resulting in more employment in the East Devon area.
Devonvale is a traditional family bakery using quality ingredients and original recipes and owned by husband and wife directors Keith and Trudy Upham. It was started around 15 years ago after the success of their retail business in Ottery St Mary.
Growing demand from trade customers who wanted to buy their cakes wrapped and in significant quantities meant they outgrew the Ottery premises. Moving to a purpose built unit on the Heathpark Industrial Estate in Honiton allowed Devonvale to expand in this sector.
"From a modest start in 1999, Devonvale will be close to making 5.5 million sweet snack products this year and has just changed its bakery production to be able to cope with the larger demands on the business," said Martin Loader, who teamed up with his old school friend Keith three years ago to help grow the business.
"Investing in new machinery has also been necessary to accommodate this growth."
Devonvale has a portfolio of more than 40 products, including a range of flapjacks, cake and crumble bars, shortbread slices, oat cookies and other sweet snacks.
Devonvale's sales growth in recent years follows a chance meeting between Keith and Martin, who lived near each other in Ottery when they were children and teenagers but then lost contact for around 25 years.
Since meeting again around three years ago, Martin has been assisting Devonvale part-time with sales and marketing expertise. Within a short space of time significant customers and orders were gained. Martin has his own business and also assists another local business, Italia Formaggi in Exeter, as well as advising and managing celebrity chef Aldo Zilli with food brand opportunities.
Devonvale customers past and present include national companies such as Compass, Shell, Costcutter, Palmer and Harvey and Boots, as well as regional listings with Waitrose.
They also service a number of smaller independent customers and many wholesalers in the Westcountry.
Opportunities abroad have led to the company supplying customers in Germany, France and Austria.
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