Business Action | Spring 2022
Spring 2022 issue of the independent North Devon-based business magazine covering news on business and enterprise in the area. This issue includes profiles of the finalists in our North Devon Business Awards 2022, features on the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere, business support programmes and more.
Spring 2022 issue of the independent North Devon-based business magazine covering news on business and enterprise in the area. This issue includes profiles of the finalists in our North Devon Business Awards 2022, features on the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere, business support programmes and more.
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<strong>2022</strong> HEADER AWARDS<br />
THE CLOVELLY SOAP CO<br />
TheClovellySoapCompany<br />
wasestablishedin2011and<br />
openeditsoriginalshopin<br />
2014,movingtoitscurrent<br />
shopin2015.<br />
Itisbasedinaunique<br />
touristvillageatthetopofthe<br />
famousClovellyCobblesand<br />
alsooperatesanonlinestore<br />
andaclick-and-collectservice.<br />
Theshopnotonlyprovides<br />
anamazingimmersiveand<br />
aromaticshoppingexperience<br />
forvisitorsfromalloverthe<br />
worldwithallbudgets,butalso<br />
supportsthelocalcommunity<br />
andlocalcharitiesbyproviding<br />
jobsandregulardonations<br />
frompurchases.<br />
■ theclovellysoapcompany.co.uk<br />
Best Retailer finalists<br />
COUNTRY COTTAGE BAKERY<br />
CountryCottageBakerywas<br />
establishedin1990andnow<br />
runstwostoresinBideford<br />
andoneinWestwardHo!<br />
Customersdependedonthe<br />
bakerythroughoutlockdowns<br />
andmanyreliedonitsdelivery<br />
service.Itcreatedaunique<br />
rangeofbakeryboxeswhich<br />
includebest-sellingproducts.<br />
Witharangeof200+<br />
products,staffcanprovideupto-dateinformationon<br />
allergens.Thebakeryalso<br />
operatesanin-housesystemto<br />
passoncustomers’feedbackto<br />
theproductionteam.<br />
■ countrycottagebakery.co.uk<br />
HAPPY WHOLEFOODS<br />
HappyWholefoodsin<br />
IlfracombeHighStreetserves<br />
anall-yearcustomerbaseof<br />
Ilfracombeandnearby<br />
residentsaswellasvisitors.<br />
Agesrangefrom0to90s.<br />
Itstocksanextensiverange<br />
ofethicallyandsympathetically<br />
sourcedwholefoods,dried<br />
fruit,pulses,grains,cereals,<br />
flour,pasta,organicandnonorganic,veganandvegetarian<br />
ingredients.Itcatersforarange<br />
ofdietaryrequirements<br />
includingglutenfree,sugar<br />
free,dairyfreeandGMOfree.<br />
■ Instagram&Facebook:<br />
@happywholefoods<br />
THE ILAB<br />
TheilabopenedinBarnstaple<br />
HighStreetin2011when<br />
iPhoneswerehittingthe<br />
mainstreamandiPadshadjust<br />
beenlaunched.Almost11<br />
yearson,theilabhas<br />
establisheditselfasthego-to<br />
placeinNorthDevonforall<br />
smartphoneandtabletsales<br />
andrepairs.<br />
Theilab’sclose-knitteam<br />
compriseseightstaff<br />
members,acoupleofwhom<br />
havebeentherefromthevery<br />
beginning.Theteam’spassion<br />
anddedicationtothebusiness<br />
isalargepartofthereason<br />
whyitstilltradessuccessfully<br />
onthehighstreettoday.<br />
■ theilab.co.uk<br />
FITZGERALD HR<br />
FitzgeraldHRisafull-service<br />
HRconsultancyhelpingclients<br />
torecruit,developandretain<br />
greatpeople.ItsdedicatedHR<br />
consultantsandspecialists<br />
offerarangeofskillsand<br />
experiencetosupportclients.<br />
Specialismsinclude:<br />
resourcingandtalent<br />
planning;learningand<br />
development;organisation<br />
development;people<br />
management;payandbenefits;<br />
employeerelations;business<br />
change;andoccupational<br />
healthandsafety.<br />
Theseenablethebusinessto<br />
offerHRsolutionsacrossthe<br />
entireemployeelifecycle.<br />
■ fitzgeraldhr.co.uk<br />
<strong>Business</strong>-to-<strong>Business</strong><br />
Achievement finalists<br />
SMART MANUFACTURING<br />
SmartManufacturingwas<br />
foundedin1986andnow<br />
operatesa1,600+squaremetre<br />
factoryinBidefordequipped<br />
withthelatesttechnology.Its<br />
dedicatedworkforceisboth<br />
experiencedandcapable.<br />
Thefactoryhasrecently<br />
beenextendedtoaddafurther<br />
800squaremetrededicated<br />
‘clean’assemblyareawhichwill<br />
increaseproductivityand<br />
enhanceproductionquality.<br />
Itsphilosophyistoexceed<br />
clients’expectations.<br />
■ smart-manufacturing.co.uk<br />
SOUTHWEST FABRICATIONS<br />
SouthWestFabricationsisan<br />
expandingthirdgeneration<br />
familybusinesswith50+years’<br />
experienceinmetalworkand<br />
fabrication.Itprovidesexpert<br />
precisionengineeringservices<br />
acrossUKandEuropean<br />
industrial,commercialand<br />
retailsectors.It’saone-stop<br />
shopforallmetalworkneeds,<br />
withateamofaccomplished,<br />
dedicatedandtalentedinhouseengineerstoseeprojects<br />
throughfrominceptionto<br />
fabricationtoassembly.<br />
■ southwestfabrications.com<br />
TIME & TIDE PA<br />
TimeandTide<strong>Business</strong><br />
Solutionsprovidesvirtual<br />
assistancetootherbusinesses<br />
andcharities,helpingthemto<br />
developcampaigns,overall<br />
strategies,socialmedia,and<br />
customermanagementsystems.<br />
It’slikehavinganofficeangel!<br />
Thebusinesswasfounded<br />
byLornaEvanstomanage<br />
adminandback-office<br />
operations,freeingupbusiness<br />
ownerstospendmoreoftheir<br />
valuabletimeonlookingafter<br />
theircustomers.<br />
Servicesincludevirtual<br />
assistant,businessmentoring<br />
andcoaching,andonline<br />
businessmanagement.<br />
■ timeandtidepa.co.uk<br />
BRADDICKS & SHERBORNE<br />
BraddicksandSherborneare<br />
independentfuneraldirectors<br />
basedinIlfracombe.The<br />
BraddicksandSherborne<br />
familieshavemorethan100<br />
yearsofexperience,withLee<br />
Sherbornestartingthefamily<br />
businessinfuneralsaged14.<br />
TheIlfracombebranch<br />
openedin2015andemploys<br />
twofull-timestaff:funeral<br />
directorAndyPunchardand<br />
BrieStellintheoffice.The<br />
familiescaredforcomefromas<br />
farafieldasLyntonand<br />
Fremington.<br />
Sinceopening,thebusiness<br />
hascaredfor260+local<br />
familiesintheirtimeofneed.<br />
■ braddicksandsherborne.co.uk<br />
Consumer Service<br />
Excellence finalists<br />
THE HAIR LOUNGE<br />
VictoriaKiffopenedTheHair<br />
Loungein2014andisproud<br />
thatherlatemotherwasable<br />
towitnessthis.<br />
Asabusinesswomanand<br />
stylist,Victoriahasgrown<br />
fromstrengthtostrength.<br />
Withlittlesupportforher<br />
education,shepushedherself<br />
tolearnandbethebeststylist<br />
shecan,oftentravellingto<br />
Londonfortrainingcourses.<br />
Victoria’struelovelieswith<br />
curlsandsheisnowNorth<br />
Devon’sonlycurlspecialist.<br />
■ hairloungebarnstaple.co.uk<br />
NAKED DOG NUTRITION<br />
NakedDogNutritionCentreis<br />
adedicatedveterinarynutrition<br />
centreprovidingrawdogfood<br />
andtreats,professional<br />
nutritionconsultations,holistic<br />
vetappointmentsinpersonand<br />
online,andfunseminars.It<br />
providesfullsupportin<br />
improvingdogs’wellbeingvia<br />
dietandnaturaltherapies.<br />
Thebusinessisproudtobe<br />
thefirstdedicatedveterinary<br />
nutritioncentrebasedinthe<br />
SouthWestandoneofveryfew<br />
intheUK.<br />
■ nakeddog.co.uk/<br />
ROOTNOTES<br />
BeckiDriscollstarted<br />
RootNotestofocusonworking<br />
locallytoherBidefordhome<br />
andtoofferqualitymusic<br />
workshopstopeopleofallages<br />
andabilitiesinthearea.<br />
Duringthepandemic,she<br />
setupanonlinefolkensemble<br />
onZoomwhichwasvery<br />
successfulandattracted<br />
peoplefromacrosstheSouth<br />
West.Thisnowrunsasa<br />
hybridgroupwithalternate<br />
onlineandin-personsessions.<br />
Shehasalsosetupregular<br />
musicworkshopsforchildren,<br />
familiesandyoungpeople,<br />
providingweeklyservicesfor<br />
some65adultsand30children.<br />
■ rootnotes.org.uk<br />
@businessactionm | <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business action 15
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