Yorkshire catering manufacturer secures national refurbishment contracts

After receiving a funding package from Llyods Bank Commercial Banking, a Pudsey-based commercial catering equipment firm has purchased new machinery and vehicles.

Hopkins Catering Equipment, which makes kitchen equipment for restaurants and catering businesses, was recently awarded with a national contract to supply the refurbishment of 14 Harry Ramsden’s restaurants at Welcome Break service stations across the country.

To help reach the demands of the contract, which includes producing and delivering 14 fish frying ranges, the manufacturing firm also invested in three new vehicles and a new £40,000 press brake for fabricating stainless steel catering products from sheet metal.

The growth in operations has seen the business hire an additional eight members of staff this year to join its team of 50, and now the company is wanting to take on five more in the next several months.

Victoria Hopkins, managing director of Hopkins Catering Equipment, said: “The new contract win is a huge boost for us, and will help us compete for much larger contracts in the future.

“Our cooking products are also in increasing demand in America and Australia. Over the past few years export sales have also taken off massively, rising from around one per cent of turnover in 2012 to 11 per cent last year.”

Hopkins seeked out support from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking for an asset finance facility to fund the purchase of the new vehicles and the press brake, as well as an increased overdraft facility to help with the extra working capital needs of the new contract.

Victoria added: “Lloyds Bank has been immensely supportive of our growth plans over the years, and has offered us a range of lending that has enabled us to take on new equipment and vehicles as and when we’ve needed them.”

Gary Whitaker, relationship manager for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, also commented: “Hopkins Catering Equipment is a great example of a family run business that has grown steadily in a highly competitive sector through exporting and through the high quality of its products and services.

“Our specialist manufacturing teams regularly work with firms like Hopkins to ensure that they have access to the support and guidance necessary to continue to drive their growth, and also receive training form the University of Warwick to ensure that they fully understand the issues faced by firms in the sector.”