Real Patisserie Ltd a scratch bakery based in Brighton, works within the wholesale and retail market. Delivering to approximately 200 wholesale customers via a fleet of 5 vans and three of their own shops, they pride themselves on providing a mouthful of pleasure for customers in the local community, within a friendly atmosphere.

Modelled on French patisseries their wholesale goods comprise 85% bread but include traditional English breads such as tinned sliced bread for the sandwich market and burger buns and baps. In their shops, they sell primarily stone-baked breads, morning goods (such as croissants, danishes, brioches), tarts, choux-based products, mousses, brownies, some English style cakes, savoury items (such as quiches, croques, filled croissants) lots of sandwiches and lots of hot drinks. They complement this range with a small amount of resale (mainly crisps and cold drinks). Their wholesale customers include independent retail shops, sandwich bars, cafes, restaurants and hotels.

Applying for the Grant

Alastair Gourlay, Managing Director of Real Patisserie sought business advice from The Business Hothouse to successfully grow their bakery. Their primary task was to move the central production unit which had become too small. The company made an application for a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant through the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership and the partners operating in that framework, notably The Business Hothouse, the Invest 4 team at Brighton and Hove council and Chichester University. Alastair explains that they were given invaluable input from WSX Enterprise who helped steer them through the challenges of making the application,

“Once contact had been made we were allocated a consultant who gave detailed advice on how to structure the application to provide a maximum chance of success. We were also helped in the collation of the various appendices to the main grant application.”

Alastair Gourlay, Managing Director of Real Patisserie

The Benefit of the Funding

Alastair sees huge benefits of receiving the funding,

“By far the biggest single impact of the grant is that without it, we may not have made the decision to move the bakery. It has been a huge project, the largest we have ever carried out. The money was key. Also important was the message the grant availability exudes i.e, showing that our business is thriving. Ultimately it is enabling us to undertake something that society wants, our company’s growth is a positive thing. I believe this was influential in our taking the plunge.”

Although they are still in the early stages of this major change and the bakery has not moved to the new production unit yet, the works associated with it have been significant as it has created employment in its own right. Additionally, once the new bakery is up and running, more jobs will be created.

To find out more about Real Pattiserie’s amazing food, visit their website or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.