by Maxine Howe | May 19, 2016 | BID Buzz Blogs
A Word from Mary!
Over the bank holiday I had the chance to hear from none other than Mary Portas – Britain’s very own ‘Shop Girl’.
I count myself among the many who have both enjoyed and appreciated the focus that Mary has brought back onto the high street. Hearing her in person, I was immediately struck by her warmth, honesty and genuine enthusiasm for helping Britain’s businesses thrive. She generously tackled some big questions about the fate of BHS, the EU election, the growth of charity shops (her own chain included) as well as the launch of her new book ‘Shop Girl’ (which is actually what she was there to talk about!).
Below are a few sound-bites that I took away and thought you might enjoy …
On decision making… “When you are in the moment you feel it – you have to be instinctive and you have to have vision. If it feels like the right thing to do then trust that it is – once you do something from an instinctual place, it builds”.
On your vision … “you need to be visionary from the beginning”.
On getting noticed … “make fashion fun” and think about “how do I get this business talked about?”.
On ethics… “have a moral compass – what’s good for me is good for the world” … “my advice is think ethical and experience together … and think about your values”.
On towns … “Clone towns will change because we don’t need to live like we have in the past. People will be spending more on experiences, social spaces, creativity, connection, niche, mixed with health and wellbeing”.
On consumerism … “Greed and gain is moving to a more ethical society. People want experiences to feed their soul. We are going into a much better era!”. “We want tactile, physical experience that we can’t get online …”
On connectivity … “People are craving connectivity – the ones that have this at the heart of their business are the ones we will see in the future”.
On change … “it is very hard to make change happen unless you have people who understand what the end goal is …people then make the choice”. “It is better to look out than in – the greater good is people coming together to make change happen”.
In her own words … “The more you do it (talk openly), the more free you are” … “stay ahead by not thinking you know it all” … “be inspired by the people you work with” … “I have ‘no hierarchy in my business” … “Let people be who they are and they give you so much” …
By Stephanie Kerr
02 May 2016
by Maxine Howe | May 19, 2016 | BID Buzz Blogs
Marching On in The Face of Change
We have been doing lots of reflection and planning over the last few months, so we wanted to draw your attention to some of the things we have been thinking about.
The town centre has seen significant change as it has shifted to a retail and leisure destination. This is evident by the number of new restaurants and cafes that have opened and refurbished so we’re aware that there is now far more choice and competition. Among other things, this has resulted in a change in footfall patterns, both in terms of why people visit, where people go and the times of the day the town is most active.
In the wider landscape, shoppers in the UK are now leading the charge internationally with respect to the percentage (per head of population) who shop online. We know one of the towns USP’s is the ‘independent retail’ sector, so Love Leamington was launched largely to showcase our ‘indie businesses online’ but this is just the start. We have also seen a huge increase in the amount of engagement we have had with our digital marketing and over the Christmas period posted material for more than 400 businesses, products or events.
Supporting businesses at a time of change is very important to us. This is pushing us to consider how we can support and showcase our sectors further. Other changes have also prompted us to question things like trading hours; ‘click & collect’ parking bays; a ‘Taste Leamington’ web presence; town centre WIFI; supporting the ‘digital high street’ and collective costs saving initiatives. To help us gauge your interest we invite you to complete a short survey in the ‘toolbox’.
Looking to the local newspapers, changes at a local government level are creating both opportunities and challenges. While the localism agenda aims to bring decision making back into the hands of communities, this sits alongside funding cuts forcing local authorities to look at their priorities.
This has already resulted in changes to the way car parking is delivered and looking forward there are a number of development proposals being discussed for both the Pump Rooms & Spencer’s Yard and the Covent Garden Carpark. While there are no easy answers, we are certain the business community needs to be involved in decision making and shaping future changes.
These are among the many things that the BID team and partner organisations are working on so please get in touch if you would like to find out more…
By Stephanie Kerr
01 April 2016
by Maxine Howe | May 19, 2016 | BID Buzz Blogs
The Tricky Question of Business Rates
The recent budget announcement (March 2016) on changes to business rates relief for small businesses was welcomed by many, but it has left many asking about ‘what this means for them?’
The first thing that you will need to know is the rateable value (RV) of your property. This can be found using your postcode, on the VOA website at the link here.
The changes are set out in the following table and will be applied automatically by the local authority on the 1 April 2017. In summary:
Small Business Rate Relief:
- Small Business Rate Relief will be doubled (from 50% to 100%)
- Businesses with a property with a rateable value of £11,999 and below will receive 100% relief
- Businesses with a property with a rateable value between £12,000-£15,000 will receive tapered relief
Business Rates Multiplier
The threshold for the standard business rates multiplier will be increased to a rateable value of £51,000. Therefore, businesses with properties with a rateable value below £51,000 will pay lower rates.
* This table is provided courtesy of the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses).
For more information, please contact Warwick District Council Finance Team on:
Head of Service: Mike Snow: finance@warwickdc.gov.uk or 01926 456 056
Council tax – counciltax@warwickdc.gov.uk
Business rates – nndr@warwickdc.gov.uk
By Stephanie Kerr
18 March 2016
by Maxine Howe | May 19, 2016 | BID Buzz Blogs
Mind the Gap – Living Wage & Pensions
Overall, the changes to business rates are good news for many, but you need to mind the gap as there are other changes you need to factor. This includes the increase in the living wage from the 1st April 2016 and the introduction of compulsory pensions.
To find out more about the living wage please click here.To prepare for the changes to pensions, you firstly need to be aware of your ‘staging date’. Then we recommend you get advice from your accountant, financial advisor or attend a seminar to find out what’s next. The FSB has advice on this here.
Please get in touch if you need any additional help with these things.
For more information, please contact Warwick District Council Finance Team on:
Head of Service: Mike Snow –finance@warwickdc.gov.uk or 01926 456 056
- Council tax – counciltax@warwickdc.gov.uk
- Business rates – nndr@warwickdc.gov.uk
By Stephanie Kerr
18 March 2016
by Maxine Howe | May 19, 2016 | BID Buzz Blogs
Food & Drink Festival – Applications & Call for Ideas
Applications for BID Levy paying businesses to take a stall or pitch at the Food & Drink Festival are open on the 1st January until the 1st March. On the 1st March applications open to outside traders with a priority first given to local businesses.
Spaces for stalls and pitches sell out within a week of the 1st March deadline so we encourage you to speak to Alison early.
Alongside the festival we are also exploring ideas to further promote this sector and attract return visitors after the weekend of the event. Current ideas we would like your thoughts on are:
- The launch of the ‘Taste Leamington’ brand including website & digital presence.
- A ‘Taste Leamington’ map and guide.
- Take part in our ‘Dine for £20’ voucher offer valid for the month following the festival.
- Demonstrate on the Live Kitchen at the event.
- Give us 1000 of your own flyers to go in the goodie bags and to distribute at the festival Information Tent.
If you are interested in taking part or like the sound of these ideas, please contact Alison on 01926 470 634 or alison@bidleamington2022.mystagingwebsite.com. For more information on the Food & Drink Festival please see here.
By Alison Shaw
11 January 2016
by Maxine Howe | May 19, 2016 | BID Buzz Blogs
Welcome to ‘BID Buzz’
Kicking off the New Year we are pleased to welcome you to ‘BID Buzz’ … reflections on issues that will impact you, your business or the town centre.
Combined with a simplified newsletter and regular e-shots, we hope that this will be a helpful way to keep you up to date with a variety of different things that may interest you or be relevant to your business.
Please don’t hesitate to email us with your thoughts and comments.
Thank You,
Stephanie, Alison & Saoirse
By Stephanie Kerr
11 January 2016
by Maxine Howe | Oct 8, 2015 | Latest News
With Christmas only 11 weeks away (thanks for the reminder Steph), businesses at the BID Leamington Open Meeting last night, held at Ginger Ace, were encouraged to come up with creative ways to help promote themselves and the town.
There were ideas shared about making Christmas wrapping materials available to customers inside Leamington’s wonderful cafes and bistros, along with installing a festive advent calendar window at the Royal Priors.
Titan Storage Solutions made a generous offer of free storage space to Leamington businesses on the run up to Christmas – very handy if your stock levels are set to increase during the festive period.
Reminding us all of lively summer days to come, Jo Cameron invited businesses to become involved with next year’s Leamington Summer Carnival – either as sponsors or volunteers. Afterwards, business owners networked with a glass of wine in hand, and admired the stunning artwork on loan from Deasil.
by Maxine Howe | Sep 6, 2015 | Latest News
The sun came out to the delight of thousands of foodies who poured into the Pump Room Gardens for this year’s Royal Leamington Spa Food and Drink Festival.
The annual two-day event, which is estimated to have attracted at least 25,000 visitors yet again making it one of the largest free food and drink festivals in the UK, was organised by BID Leamington with the support of local businesses over the weekend.
It was the festival’s eighth year and saw more than 150 local retailers and food vendors showcase a diverse range of food and drink from a vast array of exotic cuisines, including the Caribbean and Asia.
The icing on the cake for this year’s festivities was the first ever Leamington Bake Off, which was hosted by Sweet As Cake Emporium and attracted 19 entrants who entered 30 cakes and traybake goodies between them.
The prestigious Bake Off title was awarded to Zoe Eardley, aged 24 who lives in Leamington. She was delighted to have been crowned the winner after she entered a fishing themed lemon cream celebration cake which wowed the judges.
“It feels great to have won the contest, I saw some of the other entries and there was definitely some stiff competition!” she said.
“I have a real passion for decorating cakes, which is what I spent most of last night up doing! My boyfriend originally encouraged me to enter a cake into the contest and having never competed in anything like this before it feels like a great achievement.”
Both celebration cakes and traybakes were entered by participants – including a husband and wife who competed against each other – with entries marked on presentation, taste and texture.
Contestants as young as five were judged by three highly regarded local chefs; Jenny Hudson of Sweet As Cake Emporium, Peter Knibb of Restaurant 23 and Laura Hamilton, of Queans Restaurant.
Jenny Hudson said: “We’ve been hosting our own exhibit at the festival for six years now and this year wanted to do something a bit different.
“And with the Great British Bake Off airing on TV and there being a real passion for baking at the moment, we saw the festival as a great opportunity for local amateur bakers to showcase their talent. “We’ve tried 30 cakes today and they have all been really amazing, we’ve been so impressed with the calibre of entries.”
Now in its second year, the Aubrey Allen ‘Home Cook of the Year’ competition was won by Jonathan Carter who bowled over judges and spectators alike in a live cook-off to present a delectable three course menu based around lamb loin wrapped in pancetta.
Judges included Michelin chefs Martyn Pearn, from Oscar’s French Bistro in Leamington, and Adam Bennett from The Cross at Kenilworth, as well as last year’s winner Kate Reddington and Warwick and Leamington Spa MP Chris White.
Live music from local favourites featuring Thom Kirkpatric, Jazulou Jazz Trio, The Rock Bottom, Gebby Eaton and more provided a relaxing backdrop and entertained the crowds. Other popular attractions over the two days included the Taste Trail, the Kids Cookery School and tastings and demonstrations on the BBQ Masterclass and Live Kitchen.
Stephanie Kerr, of BID Leamington which organises the festival with the support of local businesses, said: “Every year the festival gets more popular and this year has been no exception.
“It has a great reputation amongst traders and visitors come from far and wide each year which is testament to the high standard of produce and entertainment on offer as well as the hard work from staff and volunteers.”
Alison Shaw, also of BID Leamington, added: “The event is a fantastic way to showcase the town and local economy and we would like to say a big thank you to everyone who supports the festival each year, including the traders, local businesses, volunteers and visitors who make it an exciting, fun and resounding success every year.”
by Maxine Howe | Aug 26, 2015 | Latest News
Last month, Leamington welcomed the opening of Swirls Authentic Gelato – a truly Italian ice cream experience! This delightful newly-refurbished space boasts a sumptuous gelato counter offering 20 varieties of delicious, mouth-watering ice cream and sorbets – all homemade on the premises from seasonal, fresh ingredients, with flavours such as Salted Caramel, Cookies & Cream, Mint Chocolate and tempting fruit ice creams.
Swirls also offers crepes, strawberry waffles, smoothies and gelato milkshakes, which are all freshly made to order. As you enter Swirls, the inviting aroma of its new Kimbo range of Italian roasted coffee also greets you, leaving you wondering what to order first.
With a passion for all things Italian, Swirls’ owner Clair Edwards was determined to establish a really authentic brand of Italian ice cream here in Leamington – and one that is made solely on the Warwick Street premises. In what has been a labour of love for Clair and her team, sourcing the right machinery and thoroughly researching the market has been critical.
“It’s so important to us that we make and sell genuinely Italian gelato. It has to have a certain texture that can only be achieved by making the ice cream ourselves in small batches using the traditional “malcazione” Italian slow churning process. This creates a creamier and beautifully velvety texture. Where possible we also source ingredients locally and seasonally, we really believe this intensifies the flavour of our ice cream. We have also crafted our own gelato cakes – delicious layers of strawberry and vanilla ice cream. Perfect for sharing with friends over a cappuccino!”.
In a recent comparison of local ice cream parlours from blogger BooLovesBaking, Swirls was rated the tastiest ice cream in Leamington and Warwick – offering “magical, creamy gelato and generous one-scoop sized servings” plus the look and feel of the store and the outside seating area were considered a real bonus. You can also be assured of a very warm welcome from Manager, Paul Deavall and the Swirls team.
by Maxine Howe | Aug 8, 2015 | Latest News
Entries are rolling in for the first ever Leamington Bake Off as judges prepare to get their teeth into tasty treats being made by local amateur bakers.
BID Leamington, which organises the Royal Leamington Spa Food and Drink Festival with the support of local businesses, has teamed up with Sweet As Cake Emporium to launch the contest.
Stephanie Kerr, executive director of BID Leamington, said: “We’ve had such a great response to the Leamington Bake Off and we want to give everyone a chance to enter so we will accept entries on the day, however we appreciate any entries emailed in advance so we can plan for the arrival of so many delicious goodies.
“There are categories for five to 11-year-olds, 12 to 16-year-olds and over 16s with some fantastic prizes up for grabs as well as the honour of being named the town’s best amateur baker for your age group.
“Those who enter should bring their baking to the Festival Information Tent by noon on Saturday, September 5.”
The competition will be judged by three local chefs including Laura Hamilton from Queans Restaurant, Peter Knibb from Restaurant 23 and Jenny Hudson from Sweet-as Cakes as pictured.
Entry criteria and forms for the Leamington Bake Off are available from www.leamingtonfoodfestival.co.uk or www.sweet-as.co.uk
Full details for the free-to-attend festival taking place on Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6, from 10am to 6pm, at the Royal Pump Room Gardens can be found at www.leamingtonfoodfestival.co.uk
