News: Mr Whippy preps new £15m Rotherham facility

The Mr Whippy food brand is making rapid progress in creating one of the UK’s most advanced luxury doughnut manufacturing facility, here in Rotherham.

A £15m manufacturing facility will enable the brand to introduce doughnuts to its sweet treats portfolio that already includes ice cream flavour cupcakes.

Mr Whippy signed a new lease last year for a 23,355 sq ft unit at Woodhouse Link, which is near Fence on the Rotherham side of the border with Sheffield. Unit 4 was previously used as a distribution hub by Amazon.

Specialist food production fit out was completed last month and went live with test doughnut production. The new facility uses end-to-end automation, modern layouts and direct distribution allowing Mr Whippy to manufacture, pack and dispatch under one roof.

As full production nears, it is expected that more than 50 new jobs will be created on site. A ten-strong senior team is already in place.

Michael Corrado Jackson, founder and CEO at Mr Whippy, told Food & Drink International: “A project of this calibre would normally take two to three years to realise, but we are here in just 13 months.

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“This new, amazing production site for Mr Whippy Doughnuts will allow us to get our extensive product range into stores and then homes, while staying true to quality, that will set us apart.

“The full factory test launch was a complete success and production will start later this year. This facility is a vital part of achieving our ambition to make superior products more accessible to people, and set the bar for product consistency, operational efficiency and food hygiene.”

Joe Sealey, chief revenue officer at Mr Whippy paid testament to the work that has gone in to, what the firm believes, is "one of the UK’s most advanced luxury doughnut manufacturing facilities."

He added: "This project has never just been about increasing sales. It’s been about challenging what’s possible in FMCG bakery manufacturing through innovation, automation and an unwavering commitment to quality."

The brand is not part of Wall's, the producers of the Mr Whippy soft ice cream mix used in ice cream vans and cafes, and overcame a legal challenge from parent company, Unilver, to use the Mr Whippy logo on other goods and services.

The Mr Whippy cupcakes launched in 2024 and are available in Iceland, Co-op, Home Bargains and Heron Foods stores.

Mr Whippy website

Images: Joe Sealey / instagram

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News: instantprint installs new Canon press as part of £12m programme

Online printing company instantprint has installed a new high-speed Canon printing press as part of a major £12m investment in its Rotherham production facility, increasing capacity and helping the business deliver fast, affordable and professional-quality print for UK SMEs.

The Canon varioPRINT iX3200 High Speed Inkjet Press can produce up to 9,120 double-sided SRA3 sheets every hour, enabling instantprint to process more customer orders efficiently while maintaining consistent quality and fast turnaround times.

Operating from its 300,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Manvers, the investment forms part of instantprint’s ongoing commitment to making professional print faster, easier and more accessible to UK businesses.

The new Canon press gives instantprint additional capacity to keep more orders moving through production at once. It can also switch quickly between different paper types and products, reducing downtime between jobs and helping orders move through the factory more efficiently.

That increased efficiency supports instantprint’s ability to offer the fast turnaround times and competitive pricing its business customers rely on.

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The investment is not only about speed. The new technology uses water-based inks and automated quality controls to produce sharper text, smoother images and vibrant, consistent colours.

It also delivers improved results across uncoated and textured paper stocks, giving businesses more choice when they want their marketing materials to have a distinctive, premium look and feel.

The additional capacity and flexibility will also support instantprint as it develops its product range.

Laura Mucklow, Head of instantprint, said: “When we invest in new technology, what matters most is what it means for our customers.

“Businesses need print that looks professional, arrives quickly and works within their budget. The new Canon press gives us more capacity, greater flexibility and consistently high-quality results, helping us deliver on the speed, affordability and quality our customers expect.

“It also gives us the technology to keep expanding our offering as our customers’ needs evolve, making brilliant print as accessible and straightforward as possible.”

instantprint website

Images:

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News: Council hopes new advisers will help boost Rotherham's high streets

A new team of advisers has been deployed on Rotherham’s high streets in a bid to give local businesses more hands on support and help town centres thrive.

Rotherham Council's three advisers are acting as a familiar face for traders, working with them on a range of issues from street safety and cleanliness to promotion, footfall and access to grants.

Rather than focusing on a single issue, the advisers will have oversight of what is happening in each area, coordinating activity around events, crime prevention and wider business support.

Providing a local presence, identifying issues of concern, and signposting to other council services for assistance, they provide visible and routine engagement and are becoming known faces to businesses and local ward members, providing regular updates on activity and working to solve problems as they arise. The advisers are providing initial business advice, helping to co-ordinate local promotions, signposting to other grant opportunities and co-ordinating with other council departments.

The advisers are also playing a key role in delivering the popular Shopfront Grants scheme, which has secured a further year of funding for 2026/27 through the Local Growth Fund, worth around £600,000. The oversubscribed scheme has already helped around 50 businesses improve the appearance of their premises.

In addition, the team will work with ward councillors, residents and traders to decide how £25,000 activity budgets in each area are spent, ensuring local priorities shape the projects on the ground. This could include marketing campaigns, seasonal events or joint promotions aimed at increasing footfall.

Cllr. John Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, said: "We've made a big investment to create and establish a new High Street Advisor team, and they'll be a single point of contact for our high streets across the borough to provide business support, advice, guidance, help to access grants and financial support. They're going to be a real practical source of help for our high streets in Maltby, Dinnington, Swinton, Wath, and in Rotherham town centre.

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"Our new High Street Advisors will provide support to our traders and to our high street shops and businesses to help tackle those everyday challenges and to provide that business support and help to access the support that's available through the council on a wide range of issues.

"We recognise that our high streets are the real heart of our communities, and this council is committed to supporting our high streets and supporting our centres across the borough."

Rothbiz reported on Rotherham Cuncil's investment in its latest budget as part of a wider push to strengthen Rotherham’s high streets. A £304,000 figure was included in the council's budget for Supporting the High Street along with further cash to continue the authority's Shop Unit Business Grant Project that was oversubscribed.

The latest round of funding has two aspects to enhance the exterior of business premises in eligible High Street locations - one for existing businesses and one to help bring empty units back into use.

Existing businesses have been applying for up to £10,000 for their projects, with entrepreneurs funding anything above this level. This can be for things like exterior re-painting, new windows, doors and shop frontage, improved access and new signage.

Priority sites are: Rotherham town centre; Parkgate / Rawmarsh (From the bottom of Rawmarsh Hill and not the retail parks); Dinnington; Maltby; Swinton; Thurcroft; Wath; and Dalton.

Rotherham Council said that applications outside of these areas will be considered on a case-by-case basis but priority will be given to the areas.

Empty Shops will have priority, then external works, then internal works to the fabric of the building.

RiDO website

Images: Armitage Sorby

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News: Huge Rotherham warehouse development now fully let

80,000 sq ft of prime logistics space at Panattoni Park Rotherham has been let to Alliance Automotive Group (AAG), the leading distributor of passenger and commercial vehicle parts that already occupies the large Hellaby development.

Panattoni secured planning permission for two facilities adjacent to junction 1 of the M18, one of 630,000 sq ft, which was one of the largest-ever speculative logistics buildings in the north of England, and a smaller 80,000 sq ft facility.

AAG signed a 25-year lease for the large facility in 2022 and has now comitted to the remaining unit on a long-term lease, expanding AAG’s existing presence to more than 710,000 sq ft and bringing the overall asset to 100% occupancy.

AAG UK, acquired by the American Genuine Parts Company in 2017, supply light and commercial vehicle parts to over 36,000 independent garages, franchise networks and public services throughout the UK. It is supported by a top-tier logistics network comprising over 850 outlets and distribution centres.

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Scott Meakin, Development Surveyor at Panattoni, said: “AAG taking the final unit is a strong conclusion to the development at Panattoni Park Rotherham. Having initially committed to the adjacent 630,000 sq ft building, their decision to expand into Rotherham 80 means AAG will now occupy the entire park. This reflects the continued growth of its UK operations, giving the business the scale and flexibility to support rising order volumes and deliver faster service to its customers across the UK.

“One of the strengths of our development platform is our ability to deliver across both the mid-box and big-box sectors. This gives our customers the opportunity to grow within the Panattoni portfolio as their requirements evolve, whether through larger facilities, additional neighbouring space, or a combination of the two.

“We remain committed to developing a range of unit sizes in the UK’s strongest logistics locations, giving occupiers the flexibility to expand, consolidate, and adapt their property requirements as their businesses grow.”

Steve Richardson, Managing Director AAG Group UK & Ireland, said: “AAG are pleased to have worked with Panattoni to expand our presence at the Rotherham location, securing additional capacity for the continued growth of our distribution operations. Taking the full campus helps us further strengthen our network efficiency and expands our future growth capabilities.

“Most importantly, this investment reinforces our commitment to customers. By increasing capacity and streamlining our distribution network, we will be better positioned to offer market leading product availability, support dependable deliveries and provide the high level of service our customers rely on.”

In July, Europa, the pan-European real estate investment manager, secured an £89.1m green loan from HSBC UK to finance two recently developed and stabilised UK logistics assets in prime locations along the M1 distribution corridor - Panattoni Park Rotherham and Panattoni Park South Normanton.

James Keast, Director at Europa, said: “AAG’s further expansion at Panattoni Park Rotherham is a strong endorsement of the asset, its location and the quality of the occupier experience we seek to provide across the portfolio. It is encouraging to see an existing customer commit to additional space, and ultimately the entire park, demonstrating the long-term appeal of well-specified logistics assets which reinforces our conviction in the sector as a key driver of sustainable income growth for the Fund.”

AAG UK website
Panattoni website
Euopra Capital website

Images: Europa / AAG

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News: £50m Leger MBO completes

The Rotherham-based Leger Shearings Group, the UK’s largest escorted coach touring holidays operator, has passed into the sole ownership of chief executive Liam Race and chief financial officer Andrew Oldfield, following a management buy-out (MBO) that sees the pair acquire the remaining shares in the business.

The deal, valued in excess of £50m completes a journey the pair began in 2019, when Race, Oldfield and colleague Chris Plummer acquired an initial 30% stake in escorted coach tours company Leger Holidays from Ian Henry who had led the company for over 35 years.

2020 saw the company acquire the assets of iconic coach holiday brand Shearings, following the collapse of former owner Specialist Leisure Group and the Leger Shearings Group was formed.

Race, Oldfield and Plummer increased their holding to a majority stake in 2024, at which point Ian Henry moved to non-executive chairman. The latest transaction sees Race and Oldfield acquire the remaining interests held by the Henry family, taking the two executives to full ownership of the group. The MBO is funded by NatWest, which continues its long-standing relationship with the business.

Ian Henry, exits the business and chief product officer Chris Plummer, a fellow participant in the 2019 buy-out, who has just celebrated 20 years with the business, retires from the group as part of the transaction. Race and Oldfield paid warm tribute to both, crediting them with a central role in the group’s growth and transformation.

Since the initial MBO in 2019, the Canklow company has more than doubled in size. The acquisition of former competitor Shearings is credited with driving that growth and the 2022 acquisition of Arena Travel broadened the product range further, adding its specialist-interest brands.

The buy-out follows a sustained period of growth for the group, which has now delivered 20 consecutive months of growth, with sales and forward bookings both ahead of any previous year at this stage.

In recent years, Leger Shearings Group has been at the forefront of reinventing coach touring, redefining it as a premium experience, often combining luxury, convenience and sustainability while offering travellers an increasingly attractive alternative to flying. Race and Oldfield take ownership with a clear agenda for the next phase, centred on the premiumisation of the Leger brand. This includes Lumina, the group’s new flagship touring experience, which departs for its first tour in April 2027.

Leger Shearings Group carries holidaymakers across the UK, Europe and beyond, combining large-scale escorted coach touring with a growing portfolio of specialist-interest travel. Its brands include the well-known Leger Holidays and Shearings names, alongside crafting-holidays specialist Stitchtopia and bridge-holidays specialist First for Bridge. The group employs around 170 people and carries approximately 100,000 passengers each year.

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Liam Race, chief executive, said: “This is a hugely proud moment for Andy and me, and the natural next step in a journey we started in 2019. Ian built something remarkable over more than 30 years and taking full ownership of Leger Shearings Group is both a privilege and a responsibility we don’t take lightly.

“The business is in the strongest shape it has ever been. We’ve delivered 20 consecutive months of growth, forward bookings are ahead of where we have ever been at this point, and we have ambitious plans to build on that. We’re premiumising the Leger brand, and our new flagship experience, Lumina, sets off on its first departures this April, with more exciting developments still to come. Through all of it our focus stays exactly where it has always been — on the customer, and on the repeat business that great service earns us.”

Race added a personal tribute to his outgoing colleagues: “Ian and Chris have been instrumental in everything we have achieved. Ian leaves an extraordinary legacy, and we wish Chris a long and happy retirement. We are proud to carry the business they helped build into its next chapter.”

Andrew Oldfield, chief financial officer, said: “Completing this buy-out puts the business on the firmest footing it has ever had, and we’re doing it from a position of real strength — record forward bookings, sustained growth and the continued backing of NatWest, who have been alongside us every step of the way. It gives Liam and me the platform to keep investing in our product, our brand and our people, and to pursue the growth opportunities we can clearly see ahead.”

Chris Plummer, who retires from the business, said: “It has been one of the great privileges of my career to help build Leger Shearings Group alongside Liam, Andy and the team. I retire immensely proud of what we have achieved together and completely confident in the future of the business. I’ll be cheering them on.”

Ian Henry said: “Liam and Andy have been at the heart of this company’s growth and transformation. They led the business through the challenges of the Covid era and on through recovery and impressive growth, and they have built a great team of talent around them. It has been the privilege of my career to build this business, and I leave it in excellent hands. I wish them every success.”

Relationship director Andy Croasdell of NatWest, said: “We've worked alongside Leger Shearings Group through several significant milestones in its journey and have seen first-hand the ambition and capability of Liam, Andy and the wider team.

"This latest transaction is the culmination of a long-term succession plan and reflects the confidence we have in the business, its leadership and its future growth prospects. We are delighted to continue supporting the company as it enters this exciting new chapter.”

Shakespeare Martineau (legal) and KPMG (tax) advised the company, and Browne Jacobson advised the Henry family and Chris Plummer with NatWest providing the debt facility to support the transaction.

Leger Shearings website

Images: Leger Shearings

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