Member Article

Leeds-based ice cream entrepreneurs invest £100k in new space

Entrepreneurs Josh Lee and Dirk Mischendahl have invested over £100k in their ice cream manufacturing business, Northern Bloc.

With new customers coming on board every week, the duo have increased their production and storage capacity to counter heightened demand.

A total of £350k has been invested to date in setting up and developing the business, with £107k recently invested in additional cold storage facilities and automated filling equipment to boost production capacity by 300%.

A further round of investment and a move to larger premises is now on the cards as the enterprising pair bid to build a £15 million turnover business within the next five years.

A winner of the 2011 World Gelato Championships, Italian chef Manolo Imperatori lectures at the ‘gelato university’ in Italy and is a third generation ice cream master from the town of Civitanova on Italy’s Eastern coast. His father, grandfather and other members of his family have all owned successful ice cream businesses.

“Manolo has developed a unique natural ingredient that we use in our ice creams. It means we can make the highest quality, pure ice creams with absolutely no artificial flavourings, additives or synthetic syrups. It also allows us to make an ice cream that’s easy to scoop straight from the freezer and has a super smooth texture,” explained director Josh Lee.

“We make ice creams and sorbets in traditional flavours but with a unique Northern Bloc twist. So, vanilla, strawberry and chocolate are still the best selling flavours on the market but we make our own versions of these – strawberry and black pepper, chocolate and sea salt, Madagascan bourbon vanilla – all combined with Manolo’s secret know.”

LEP Support

Over 20% of the firm’s recent investment came from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Northern Bloc are one of over 1700 businesses who have been supported to grow since the launch of the LEP’s growth service in July 2015. The impact of the service is being felt across the City Region with 71% of businesses that received LEP support feeling more likely to meet their growth aspirations.

The LEP’s growth service can help businesses find the right support to help them grow and to date 1,000 businesses have enquired about access to finance with other popular requests including support for skills and recruitment and business planning and development.

Co-director Dirk Mischendhal, commented: “With the support from the LEP, for which we are very thankful,we’re confident that we can challenge perceptions and build a great business.”

Roger Marsh OBE, LEP chair added: “Northern Bloc is a great example of an ambitious SME who can accelerate their growth by working with the LEP. Having spoken to businesses, we understand finding time to sift through all of the business support offers can be a real issue for SME owners.

“This is why we created the Growth Service and already it is paying dividends. I encourage businesses owners to pick up the phone and talk to us.”

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