SSU Cluster
- Aug 31, 2022
- 4 min read

SSU Cluster Newsletter - August 2022

Introduction

It’s been encouraging to see so many key events taking place over the summer for the first time in three years. It was great to see so many of our members busy trading in the foodhall at the Royal Welsh last month, amongst many other events.

The Sustainable Scale Up Cluster team is now busy preparing to hit the road with our Scale Up Surgeries – your opportunity to book confidential 1:1s for expert advice, see the article and links below how the team can help you. As we’re facing some challenging months ahead, make sure you also read our Regional Custer Manager, Wyn Jones’s blog on what steps you can take now to manage risk in your food or drink business.

This month we welcomed Alison Haselgrove to the team. Alison has over 35 years’ experience in NPD and supermarket buying and is looking to work with Cluster members on their product strategies and new product development plans. Alison will be joining the Scale Up Surgeries in September and October – make sure to pre-book your appointment with Alison to learn more about NPD.

Scale Up Surgeries

Our team is hitting the road with our Scale Up Surgeries. Join us for a confidential 1:1 chat with our scale up specialists about your growth plans and how we can help you turn them into a reality.

Managing Risk in your Food or Drink Business

It’s hard to avoid the current headlines about rising costs which are hitting both businesses and consumers alike. The Bank of England’s report for August indicates that we still have some challenging months ahead, so it is important now more than ever to plan ahead and be prepared. Wyn Jones, our Regional Cluster Manager in North Wales, has spent over 37 years working in the banking industry and has weathered a few recessions in his career! We asked Wyn what steps Welsh food or drink businesses should take now to manage risk over the coming months.

Read more HERE

Guidance: How To Employ People From Ukraine

The Welsh Government supports the employment of people who have been displaced from Ukraine following the Russian invasion. Access to employment is important for people from Ukraine in building new lives in Wales. Employing people from Ukraine also provides employers in Wales with access to talent, skills, and experience to support their organisations.

Find out more information HERE.

Guest blog: FareShare Cymru - Preventing good food from going to waste & cutting Wales’ carbon footprint

FareShare Cymru wants to speak with food and drink businesses that experience issues with food surplus and want to tackle their carbon footprint.

Read more HERE

How can product strategy & NPD help my business scale up?

Innovation in new or reformulated products can play a pivotal role in driving growth in a food or drink business. While some businesses might be pulling back from innovation and product development to save money in these turbulent times, they run the risk of not adapting to new market conditions. The spending patterns of consumers are likely to be changing, and, more importantly, your competitors might already be adopting new and more cost effective ways of working and launching more appealing products.

Read more HERE

What’s Hot, What’s Not in Finance

The Scale Up Institute Wants To Hear From You

The ScaleUp Institute works to make the UK the best place in the world for a business to scale up and grow. This year’s ScaleUp Survey is being conducted at a pivotal time for the country, therefore as a leader of a scaling business, playing a vital role in the UK’s economy and being a driver of its future, your voice needs to be heard.

Read more HERE

Grant Thornton’s Q2 Food and Beverage Insights

Widely-reported challenges have impacted Q2 food and beverage (F&B) deal volumes. Read on for Grant Thornton’s explanation of what’s happened. Read more HERE

New Iteration of the Recovery Loan Scheme Announced

The new iteration of the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) is designed to support access to finance for UK businesses as they look to invest and grow. Businesses can use the finance for any legitimate business purpose – including managing cashflow, investment and growth and can choose from term loans, overdrafts, asset finance and invoice finance, although not all lenders will be able to offer all products. Accredited lenders include: Bank of Scotland, BCRS Business Loans, Coventry & Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRS), Genesis Asset Finance, HSBC UK, Lloyds Bank, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland.

Read on HERE.

Let's talk about NEDs

And that’s exactly what we did at our recent event for the Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) who have signed up for the new Sustainable Scale Up Cluster NED Programme. Hosted by Capital Law at their Cardiff offices, eleven NEDs attended the workshop to discuss the role of a NED and how their experience and skills can support a growing food or drink business through the NED Programme.

Read on HERE

Improve Your Digital Platform

Gwynedd Council have launched a new project for hospitality and food and drink businesses in the county to take advantage of specialist training to improve their digital skills and upgrade their digital platform.

Read on for more detail.