Rutland bakery seeks to expand production, shop and cafe
Hambleton Bakery is looking to expand its production facilities and cafe.
The Exton-based company, which was founded in 2008 by Tim Hart and Julian Carter, has gained planning approval from Rutland County council to expand its Exton site on Cottesmore Road.
The company also hopes to gain approval for a new breadmaking plant by the Ram Jam Inn at Stretton. This is due to come before Rutland’s planning committee on November 19.
Owner Tim Hart said the proposals, costing ‘in excess’ of £1.5million, were ‘very exciting.’
“We developed on a higgledy-piggledy site. We are trying to move some of our breadmaking to the Ram Jam. If we are able to do that, we will create a new cafe for clients who visit the existing shop at Exton.”
“We will have a bigger shop. That shop was an afterthought but it’s actually our most successful shop, which is extraordinary.”
The Exton site will continue to make cakes and savouries, with the Ram Jam site making the artisan bread.
Hambleton Bakery currently has shops at its Exton site, Stamford, Oakham, Oundle, West Bridgford and Market Harborough.
Tim said: “Our new site by the A1 will put us in a great position to expand east, north and south. We are looking for new sites for shops, like Cambridge and Newark. Sites not too far, within an hour away.
He added: “This is good news for Rutland. It keeps a growing firm in Rutland. We hope to start work on both sites in the spring.”
Hambleton Bakery currently employs 46 staff and numbers would increase once both schemes are approved.
The business has told Rutland County Council that “for some time become increasingly constrained by the existing site and buildings” and it “cannot expand any further” on the existing Exton site.
Head baker Julian Carter confirmed: “”Hopefully (our plans) will make the business bigger and better.
“We would be able to employ more staff. At the moment, we are turning people away. We are turning work down because we are too busy. We are looking to take on more customers and open more shops.”
He added: “We are going to open a coffee shop at Exton and open a much bigger retail shop there.”
