WE'VE CLOSED OUR KENDAL FACTORY.
DON'T PANIC - THERE WILL STILL BE ULTIMATE PLUM PUDDINGS THIS CHRISTMAS.
This is a year of very significant change for us. After 32 years we have stopped tantalising the residents of Kendal with the aromas of Christmas. We have closed our Kendal factory. Production of the Ultimate Plum Pudding is moving from Cumbria to Merseyside.
Ian and Mairi Derbyshire have an established and successful wholesale bakery with a good accreditation. Their family business operates from spacious, open premises which we would have given our right arms for, having worked out of a rabbit warren of adjoining industrial units all these years. Admittedly their view of a huge cold store isn't in the same league as our view of the Kentmere fells, but you can't have everything.
We are working with Ian and Mairi to ensure continuity of recipe, quality and customer service before, sometime in the future, we fully retire and leave them to look after our baby.
Our steamers etc are already settled in their new home and we have made some lovely christmas puddings. This year Ian and Mairi want to concentrate on the Christmas puddings and not the sponges, which are considerably more temperamental.
Ian and Mairi are turning the clock back and going back to the basics of our business. So no Fortnums, no hampers, no retail customers with complex packaging. Just great Christmas puddings.
Our 'special label' fundraiser/corporate gift niche involved a great deal of administrative and warehouse time. We fully understand why Ian and Mairi regretfully feel that they do not have the resources to take on the elements of our business which involved in house label printing and complex order picking.
READ ON THOUGH - all is not lost. We CAN continue with some element of our 'special label' customer base. We have been set up to print the labels here in Cartmel. Freshfield can and will send out any orders on pallets via the carrier next door to them. This is so much simpler and quicker than preparing orders for parcel services. It does mean, however, that if you are not ordering at least 10-12 cases the delivery cost may become prohibitive. Also you will need delivery to be somewhere where there will be people to help take the cases off the pallet.
IN ADDITION, we may be able to find you another fundraiser nearby to share your delivery cost with. Even better, if you are lucky enough to live in the glorious north west of England, Freshfield have direct van delivery rounds from north Birmingham up to Lancaster and sideways into north Wales. They will be happy to deliver smaller orders if you are near one of their regular rounds.
Sadly, for many of our fundraisers this is the end of the line. We have loved working with you and have been really proud to do so. Some of you have been with us for more then 2 decades and have been using funds from puddings for some amazing projects. We wish you all the very best for the future.
Ah well. Onwards and Upwards. Going forward, these are the basics:
Bern is the sales contact for this year. You can call her on 07976 611582 or click here to email.
Only Christmas puddings in full cases will be available this year. Sorry no sponges, sauces or butters.
Minimum order quantity depends on where you are - you need to get in touch
Carole is dealing with all things label. Click here to contact Carole.
This year is flying past. Crack on and get in touch.