SBT Issue 432

SBT

ISSUE 432

FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

NETWORKING & EVENTS SBT TRAVEL

ROUND-UP FROM THE LET’S DO BUSINESS EXPO

RED7: IT’S NOT ALL WORK, WORK, WORK

MADE IN SUSSEX WHITEPINE VIDEO CO.

WE DISCOVER WHAT’S ON OFFER FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT VENUE IN SUSSEX. AS WELL AS EXPLORING THE COMPLEX, WE DISCOVER WHAT’S ON AT THIS ICONIC RACECOURSE.

SERVING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY SINCE 1975

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SBTWelcome Meet the team

Sam Thomas, Managing Director/ Publisher

Lee Mansfield Partner

Greg Carroll, Partner

James Morrison, Production

Welcome to our summer edition of the Sussex Business Times.

Things have been hotting up all round - and not just with the weather.

Following a keenly-fought Conservative party leadership contest, businesses will be looking for political security and an end to the Brexit uncertainty.

Our cover story this month focuses on the fabulous facilities at Brighton Racecourse. Suitable for a wide range of events, this venue has so much to offer.

We revisit the #share7 campaign and find out where the £20,000 raised went and, still on charity, we find out how Rockinghorse children’s charity got on with its recent golf event.

Stay up to date with legal news. We talk to SO Legal solicitors. On the accountancy front, we get a taste of what tax efficient employee benefits can do for staff retention.

Belinda Bennett, Editor/ Head of Social Media

Stephen Lawrence Photographer Snap it Now

Contributors

Our restaurant review takes us to the fabulous Pabellon in Brighton. Hotel du Vin is our destination for the hotel review.

There’s plenty for those interested in networking - from The Boundary Club and Cobb Lunch Club.

We also get to meet talented artist Joanna Myles, who is staging her first solo exhibition.

Mark Woolnough CEO - Logistically

David Glover, Managing Director Caremark Ltd

Lisa Seymour Managing Director Spoken

It wouldn’t be summer without mentioning holidays - that is why we’ve got some great ideas from Red 7 and a few of our own.

With features on the recent Let’s Do Business expo and company culture, not to mention our recipe and wines of the month, there is plenty for you to read - whether you are at home or away.

Sam Thomas, Managing Director

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 3

Issue 432

SBT

ISSUE 432

FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

NETWORKING & EVENTS SBT TRAVEL

ROUND-UP FROM THE LET’S DO BUSINESS EXPO

RED7: IT’S NOT ALL WORK, WORK, WORK

MADE IN SUSSEX WHITEPINE VIDEO CO.

WE DISCOVER WHAT’S ON OFFER FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT VENUE IN SUSSEX. AS WELL AS EXPLORING THE COMPLEX, WE DISCOVER WHAT’S ON AT THIS ICONIC RACECOURSE.

SERVING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY SINCE 1975

Cover 432 Brighton Racecourse Managing Director/Publisher Sam Thomas sam@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 012 Production James Morrison Web Designer/Developer Tom Alexander Accounts Clare Fermor accounts@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 016 Published by The Business Group Sussex Ltd. Unit 1a Swan Barn Business Centre, Swan Barn Road, Hailsham, BN27 2BY Printed by L&S Printing Limited Hazelwood Close Worthing BN14 8NP 01903 821005 www.ls-printing.com

All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in Sussex Business Times Magazine do not necessarily represent the view of The Business Group Sussex Ltd. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers of Sussex Business Times Magazine assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from the participation in any offers, competitions or advertisement contained within Sussex Business Times Magazine. All prices featured in Sussex Business Times Magazine are correct at the time of going to press.

Copyright The Business Group Sussex Ltd. 2019 ©

4 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

06 08 10 12 16 18 20 26 32 42 44 46 54 62

Local News

MHA Carpenter Box is coming home to Brighton after almost a century

National News

Confidence in financial system increases, according to a new survey by the Bank of England

Spending It

Happy Holidays! We offer a round-up of holiday essentials - and a few little luxuries

Legal

Become an employer of choice - MHA Carpenter Box on tax efficient employee benefits

Charity: Effloressence Exhibition

Emerging artist Joanna Myles launches her first solo exhibition

Q&A: Oasis Empire

Pre-press specialist Daniel Esmond is among those to talk about the company’s growth strategy

#share7: Six Months On

We discover where the £20,000 raised has gone

Cover Story: Summer On The Tracks

We catch up with the team at Brighton Racecourse to discover what makes this venue one of the best in Sussex

Travel

Take some time out with a city break. After all, life’s not just about work, work, work…

Lifestyle

Our restaurant review took us to Pabellon in Brighton

Hotel Review

We check in at Hotel Du Vin

Motoring Reviews Let’s Do Business

A round-up from the recent expo in Brighton

Made in Sussex

Whitepine Video Co.

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Founded by three passionate creatives.

whitespace.studio Studio 3, The Ironworks, 30 Cheapside, Brighton BN1 4GD 01273 258000 / hello@whitespace.studio

SBTLocal News Rare Town Centre Development Opportunity Launched to Market are less than 100 metres to the south, making it an ideal position for residents and retailers alike.

The Michael Jones Commercial team have reported an increase in demand for residential and commercial properties in Worthing with more investment coming from national and international developers.

A brand-new development opportunity in the heart of Worthing town centre, with planning consent granted for new residential and commercial use, has already attracted interest from developers following its recent launch by selling agent Michael Jones Commercial.

As part of the ambitious Adur and Worthing Growth Deal regeneration programme, this prime development site will be a welcome addition to the town. Making the best use of the available land, it will provide much needed housing to a popular central location, as well as brand new commercial space, supporting the

MHA Carpenter Box Coming Home to Brighton…after 95 Years!

Leading Sussex-based chartered accountants MHA Carpenter Box is going back to the future, re-establishing an office in Brighton which originally

6 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

overall vitality of Worthing Town Centre.

The 105-109 Montague Street redevelopment provides consent to demolish the existing 1960’s building and re-build with a brand-new mixeduse scheme totalling over 23,000 sq ft.

This comprise of 26 residential units; an excellent mix of 6 studios, 12 one beds, 6 two beds and 2 three beds. Plus, 4,025 sq ft of ground floor A1 retail space in the centre of the high street.

Located within the town’s principal shopping precinct of Montague Street, retailers close to the site include The Body Shop, Marks & Spencer, New Look, Clarks, Argos and River Island.

The beach and seafront promenade

saw the partnership come together in 1923/24.

That was the year that Robert Carpenter, who practised from Midland Bank Chambers in Brighton, went into partnership with Harold Box to form Carpenter Box and Co. Fast forward 95 years and the firm they created is back in the city, focused on providing Brighton’s growth sectors, including creative and media, construction and real estate, with advisory, investment and tax expertise.

The new office, in Ship Street, will be led

by Creative and New Media expert Sam Uwins, MHA Carpenter Box’s youngestever partner.

He said: “Brighton and Hove is such a dynamic city, full of entrepreneurs and exciting businesses with huge potential – and we are delighted to be coming ‘home’ to support them. We already work with many companies and individuals

Steve Berrett, Director of Michael Jones Commercial said: “We are thrilled that this triple aspect building has recently gained a planning consent to demolish the existing building and replace it with modern, sought after commercial and residential space. Poundland successfully traded from this building for years and offers an excellent pitch in Worthing’s principal shopping area.

“This is a rare and new development opportunity in the town. Improvements are coming to the heart of the town, including works to pedestrianize Portland Road to incorporate a new continental style boulevard and interactive art features. These public realm improvements, form part of the £12 million Growth Deal agreed by West Sussex County Council and WBC over the next five to ten years.”

in the city but having an office here will make it easier to help them meet today’s challenges and grab tomorrow’s opportunities, and to grow our customer base through our sector expertise.”

This latest development reflects the rapid growth of MHA Carpenter Box over recent years, which has seen the opening of a highly successful Gatwick office in addition to its Worthing base – and a rise in headcount to 16 partners and 170 staff.

The Brighton office was officially opened at a special reception attended by around 100 people including clients and leading business figures from Brighton and Hove.

Our picture shows members of the MHA Carpenter Box team at the Brighton office opening event. www.carpenterbox.com

SBTLocal News Join Glenn Murray to celebrate his 100 goals for Brighton This October, Brighton & Hove Albion’s top scorer, Glenn Murray, will be joining The Curry Club UK – a national business networking club – for a curry lunch at the Amex Stadium.

The lunch will be hosted by Pete Graves, television presenter and journalist for Sky Sports, and guests will have the opportunity to take part in a Q&A with Glenn Murray.

fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital.

Steve Kettle, The Curry Club’s Director, said: “It’s a real coup to have Glenn speak at our event and there’s nowhere better than his current hometown, Brighton.

“I am delighted that we’ll be able to celebrate his 100 goals for the Albion with him at this knock-out event and with Pete Graves from Sky Sports hosting, it’s set to be a fantastic day.”

Murray will also speak about his career to date, including when he scored his 100th Albion goal in a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 2018.

The event is on Thursday 17 October at the Amex Stadium and starts at 12 noon. Standard tickets include a twocourse curry meal whilst VIP tickets include a meet and greet with Glenn on arrival, complimentary wine, as well as a signed picture of Glenn.

There will be a silent auction throughout the event and the nominated charity is Rockinghorse – the Brighton-based children’s charity that is the official

Standard package tables of 10 are being sold at £550 or you can purchase an individual ticket for £60. VIP packages cost £600 for a table of 10, or

Hailsham based company, Aspen Pumps Group identified in London Stock Exchange Group’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ 2019 report Aspen Pumps Group recognised in sixth edition of London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain report.

Report identifies fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) across the UK. Aspen Pumps Group’s continued and notable growth has positioned it as one of the global market leaders in the HVAC/R sector [Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration] Local company, Aspen Pumps Group has been identified as one of London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain 2019. The report is a celebration of the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses (SMEs), with companies representing over 40 sectors and spanning every country and region across the UK. To be selected for the list, businesses had to demonstrate not only positive revenue growth over the last three years but also outperform their sector peers. The result is a unique and varied list of the UK’s most dynamic companies.

individual tickets are £65.

The Curry Club was set up more than 30 years ago when three Mancunian banking professionals decided that a monthly networking event with their peers over a curry was an excellent idea, fostering a relaxed, popular approach to discussing on-going business opportunities.

The club has now evolved and organises sporting curry lunches across the UK including a recent lunch with Brighton legend Bobby Zamora, and last year, a sell-out event with Chris Hughton. The club is the fastest growing professional services sporting lunch company in the UK with events held regularly around the UK. To book tickets to the event or for more information please call Steve on 07585002386, emailsteve@ thecurryclubuk.com or visit the website to book online at www.thecurryclubuk. com.

ancillaries business with a truly global reach, trades in over 100 countries worldwide.

Speaking of the company’s success, CEO Adrian Thompson said: “As a company, our focus has always been on a continual drive for innovation and excellent customer relations and it is this which has driven our success. Every facet of the business has contributed to get us where we are today and I look forward to the future as our Group evolves further.”

David Schwimmer, CEO, London Stock Exchange Group: “Congratulations to all the companies selected for inclusion in the sixth edition of London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain report, which identifies the UK’s most dynamic SMEs. SMEs drive growth, innovation and job creation and are the lifeblood of the British economy. We believe that supporting the growth of these businesses is critical to the UK economy and the creation of a society that works for everyone.”

Aspen’s feature in the ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ 2019 report can be found online here https://bit.ly/2ZI5JO4 as well as a fully searchable database of all of the companies and a downloadable pdf of the publication.

Based in Hailsham, East Sussex, the successful company started out in 1992 as a manufacturer of condensate removal pumps and now houses 6 brands, all designed with a focus on meeting the needs of the air conditioning engineer. Aspen employs over 100 people, many of whom are from the Hailsham / Eastbourne areas and as the only air conditioning

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 7

SBTNational News Confidence rises in UK’s financial system high or very high over the short term decreased notably from 67 per cent in 2018 to 52 per cent.

“UK political risk remained the most cited risk to the UK financial system (mentioned by 93 per cent of respondents),” the Bank of England said in a statement. “But the proportion of respondents who cited this risk decreased for the first time since the 2017 H2 survey.

Business leaders are more confident about the stability of the UK’s financial system than they were a year ago.

That is what a new survey suggests. It looked at confidence for the next three years and was undertaken by the Bank of England.

The Systemic Risk Survey (H1) was carried out from April 22 to May 16.

The results were published earlier this month.

Respondents were more likely to

True cost of no-deal Brexit spelt out by Business Secretary Thousands of jobs will be lost if the UK leaves the European Union with no deal.

That is what Business Secretary Greg Clark has gone on the record as saying.

8 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

judge themselves as being completely confident or very confident. They were less likely to judge themselves fairly confident.

UK political risk remains the biggest cited source of risk (mentioned by 69 per cent of respondents) However, the perceived probabilities of a high-impact event in the UK financial system over both the short and medium term have decreased.

The percentage of respondents judging the probability of such an event to be

When pressed by Sky News just how many jobs could go, he indicated ‘many thousands’.

Conservative party leadership candidates, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, have not ruled out a no deal if push comes to shove.

Mr Clark told a Sky News reporter: “It’s many thousands of jobs. Everyone knows that.”

He added: “I think that every person who considers the evidence that companies have given, whether it’s in the automotive sector, whether it’s in the food sector, whether it’s in aerospace, whether it’s in industries up and down the country.

“UK political risk also remains, by a considerable margin, the most frequently cited number one source of risk (mentioned by 69 per cent of respondents).

“Geopolitical risk (62 per cent, unchanged) and cyber-attack (60 per cent) were the second and third most cited risks respectively.

“The proportion of respondents that cited cyber-attack decreased for the first time since the 2016 H2 survey.”

A slightly larger proportion of respondents cited either the risk of a global/overseas economic downturn or the risk of financial market disruption/ dislocation than in the previous survey.

“You know, if you become less efficient and your ability to trade is impeded then, of course, losing your competitiveness means that there will be jobs that will be lost.”

Mr Clark is urging Conservative MPs to do all they can to prevent a no deal.

Currently, the UK is set to exit the EU on October 31.

MPs are being urged by Mr Clark to do everything they can to ensure the country leaves with a deal.

In the City, analysts said Project Fear could well turn into Project Reality.

SBTNational News Boots to close 200 stores

First ‘smart factory’ centre opens Sheffield University has launched its much-anticipated Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

The aim is to create a ‘smart factory’.

Rolls Royce and others will make tech available to SMEs to ‘de-risk’ investment in digital technologies.

Boots is to close almost 10 per cent of its stores in the next 18 months, the chemist has revealed.

200, principally local pharmacy, stores where we have a large number within close proximity.

A total of 200 stores are set to close, but the pharmacy giant, owned by Wallgreen Boots Alliance, has not yet revealed which ones are at risk.

“We believe this is the right thing to do as it means that we can invest more in staffing those stores while not reducing our 90 percent coverage within a 10-minute drive of a Boots.

Communities with more than one Boots could see one go.

Managing director Sebastian James said: “WBA has now approved an outline plan to consolidate around

“We do not anticipate a significant effect from this activity to colleagues as we will redeploy the overwhelming majority to neighbouring stores.”

William Hill to close 700 shops Bookies William Hill has announced plans to close around 700 betting shops. It is currently in consultation with staff and says the measure follows restrictions on fixed odds gambling.

The government has reduced the maximum bet.

Up to 4,500 jobs are potentially at risk.

Regulator clamps down on financial services The Financial Conduct Authority has dished out more fines on businesses in the first half of 2019 than in the previous three years put together.

Ten of this year’s fines totalled £319.2m – five times more than the annual total for 2018 of £60.5m.

The biggest fine so far this year amounted to £102m and was imposed on Standard Chartered in April for anti-money laundering failings that breached sanctions against Iran.

Other fines included £45.5m for the Bank of Scotland’s failure to disclose a £245m fraud at its Reading branch and £29m for Carphone Warehouse’s misselling of insurance linked to its Geek Squad service.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 9

Happy Holidays

Now is the time many of us are packing our bags for a well-earned holiday.

Here’s some great ideas to make organising a trip at home or abroad a breeze.

Sitting Comfortably This portable chair is perfect for fish trips or camping. It includes pockets to keeps sun cream and other little essentials, and a table

£39.

99

Pool for Pets

www.amazon.co.uk

£39.

99

Hold Onto Your Passport Keep everything safe with the travel folio. It holds 2 passports, 4 to 8 banks cards, cash and boarding passes.It includes a micro pen, and space for a full size pen. A leather divider organises documents and keeps cash hidden. www.bellroy.com

Don’t forget to keep your dog cool this summer. Here’s a great way to keep your pet clean and happy on holiday.

This folding bathing pool is just 12 inches deep and ideal if you want to keep mucky paws outdoors.

£119

www.amazon.co.uk

Carry On Camping If you are a fan of camping or would like to give it a go, take the whole family with this Aerodome III Pro eight-person tent. Quick and easy to pitch with adaptable internal space for total comfort. Very large internal sleeping area. www.gooutdoors.co.uk

£1800

On The Right Road If you are driving to your destination, this TomTom VIA 52 5in Traffic Western EU Lifetime Maps Sat Nav886/4255 will keep you on track. It benefits from realtime traffic up-dates, hands-free calling and much more. www.argos.co.uk

£99.

99

Picture Perfect

Sail Away Go yachting with a hands-on, half-day of sailing lesson. This experience is ideal for someone taking a breaking but with no time away planning. Better still, this great opportunity is on your doorstep

£99

www.buyagift.co.uk

Don’t forget to take a decent camera with you on holiday. This Canon EOS 4000D DSLR offers 18 megapixels, APS-C / 22.3 x 14.9 mm, CMOS sensor, built-in WiFi, 2.7” LCD screen, and a 3 fps in continuous shooting mode. www.currys.co.uk

£249

Loads of Luggage This Samsonite Firelite 4-Wheel 55cm Cabin Case in charcoal is lightweight yet strong. It is roomy enough for all your essentials. It has a 2-way, waterresistant zip and TSA combination lock. This type of lock allows airport authorities to search your suitcase without having to break it open.

www.johnlewis.com

£244

Fancy Kayaking Take to the water with this portable kayak. Ideal for beginners it seats two and includes ergonomic seats.

This product inflates in just 10 minutes and comes with a handy holdall. www.decathlon.co.uk

£279.

99

Finance

Become an employer of choice Stuart Noakes, Partner and Head of Tax Services at Finance MHA Carpenter Box, explains how taxefficient employee benefits can retain valued staff and help your business at the same time.

In these days of low unemployment, recruitment (and perhaps more importantly, retainment) is a common complaint amongst business owners.

By using tax efficient, flexible employee benefits you can deliver greater value to your employees without necessarily increasing your costs. This can help you to keep up with the competition for both attracting and retaining your top talent.

Benefits packages In addition to considering the usual benefits, employers can design benefits packages which provide what employees really want. And they don’t need to cost the employer a fortune.

These can include: • diversifying the reward structure to include other forms of remuneration such as shares, securities or options; •

Using salary sacrifice for pension contributions and other tax or National Insurance Contributions (NIC) favoured benefits;

• Introducing voluntary benefits where employers can use their purchasing power to obtain reduced rates for benefits.

Reward structure Long term reward structures are also effective in attracting and retaining talent. Employees can be offered shares, or the option to acquire shares at a future date. Other types of incentive awards may be structured with the

12 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

gains taxed at the lower capital gains tax rates, giving the employees more money in their pocket.

In addition to motivating the workforce, some plans can have monetary benefits for the company by having no requirement to pay employer’s NIC on rewards. Some equity-based rewards can also offer further valuable corporation tax savings for companies.

Enterprise Management Incentive A popular tax-efficient scheme for smaller entrepreneurial companies is the Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) share option scheme. EMI options can be granted to employees on a discretionary basis. This gives the employee the right to purchase shares in the company in the future at a price which is agreed at the time the options are granted.

EMI plans have no tax charge for the company and the company will often be entitled to a corporation tax deduction for the growth in value of the underlying shares. For the employee, the growth in the share value, above the value when they were granted the option, will be subject to the lower rates of capital gains tax. This is instead of income tax and any potential NIC when they ultimately sell the shares.

Salary sacrifice Although in most cases there is income tax relief for pension contributions, there is no relief for NICs. However, NIC savings can be achieved via salary sacrifice arrangements whereby the employee agrees to take a reduction in salary and the employer makes an equivalent contribution to the pension scheme.

Salary sacrifice arrangements for other tax-favoured benefits can also achieve both tax and/or NIC savings. Approval should be sought from HMRC to ensure that the relevant conditions for salary sacrifice are met. Note that salary sacrifice may not be beneficial for all employees.

No single benefit structure will motivate or suit every individual. However, using a range of awards, benefits and flexible packages can help to satisfy the diversity of most workforces.

For more information get in touch with our friendly team of tax and business advisers by calling 01903 234094 or visit our website www. carpenterbox.com

Having tomorrow’s conversations, today

Our thinking starts with you With our relationship led service, we look to understand the opportunities and challenges faced by your business. Our focus is always on client service, with open and honest relationships.

Switching to MHA Carpenter Box is easier than you think: we make it hassle-free from start to finish. Get in touch today for a free and informal consultation.

Call: 01903 234094 • Email: info@carpenterbox.com

www.carpenterbox.com

Now, for tomorrow

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 13

SO Legal Seminars SO Legal give business leaders the latest in legal and property advice The team at SO Legal Solicitors continued their Legal series of Commercial Law Seminars this summer with two events supported by Savills. The seminars, held on Thursday 20 June at Sussex CCC and Wednesday 10 July at the Kia Oval, focussed on the commercial and planning aspects of buying and selling a business.

seminars combined a detailed insight into the legal and commercial aspects of business sales and purchases as well as the key aspects of developing property.”

Savills’ Head of architecture for the south east, Ewan Stoddart and Andy

Watson & Lee Scott of the planning team, reflected on the key planning considerations for feasibility of site development with a particular focus on planning permissions, due diligence and the importance of design in adding value.

Director Hamed Ovaisi covered the legal process of transferring the business in an asset based sale, while fellow director and Head of Commercial Property & Development, Hamish Smith spoke about the property transfer and what’s involved when it comes to both leases and the sale of property.

“We’re delighted to have partnered up with the Savills team,” said Hamed Ovaisi, Director and Head of Corporate and Commercial Legal Services. “Both

14 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Pictured l-r: Ewan Stoddart, Hamish Smith, Hamed Ovaisi, Andy Watson.

Hamed concluded: “As registered CPD events, the seminars provide an excellent learning and networking opportunity for business owners, directors and professionals to further their awareness of the latest trends and commercial legal considerations.”

“the seminars provide an excellent learning and networking opportunity for business owners, directors and professionals” The seminars give business owners from a diverse sector-base the chance to connect with other like-minded professionals from across Sussex and the wider south east.

For details of future events contact Hamed Ovaisi on 01323 407555 or visit www. solegal.co.uk

Seema Anant appointed Director at SO Legal We have great pleasure in confirming that Seema Anant has been appointed as a director of the firm.

Based in our Notting Hill office, Seema has been an integral part of the Corporate and Commercial and Commercial Property & Development teams since she joined the firm in 2017 and has worked hard to grow and develop the firm’s London presence and clients.

“I would like to personally thank Seema. She is a shining example of hard work and dedication”, says Head of Commercial Legal Services, Hamed Ovaisi. “She joined us as a newly qualified just under 2 years ago and since that time has worked with me and is now a part of Hamish’s team. She has really developed at the firm and this is well deserved.”

With experience in all Commercial Property matters, Business Purchases & Sales, Asset Purchase Contracts, Landlord & Tenant and Leasehold transactions, Seema will be responsible for the growth of our London-based commercial client base. From September, Seema will be joined in Notting Hill by Kausiha Baskaran.

“We’re excited to have Seema on board as a Director and look forward to seeing the growth and development of our Notting Hill team.

I’m sure you’ll all join me in wishing Seema a long and happy career here at SO Legal”, concludes Hamed.

Seema can be contacted on 0203 9677700 / sanant@solegal. co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 15

Art Exhibition Efflorescence June saw the launch of the latest work from emerging Charity Sussex artist Joanna Myles in her first solo exhibition, Efflorescence - an exploration of floral still life through abstract modern painting that is fresh and accessible.

Select guests were invited to a special VIP preview event at the Macmillan Horizon Centre in Brighton rather than a traditional gallery to view her art.

“In 2017 I was diagnosed with blood cancer which had a huge impact on our family. Thankfully I am in remission but I would have found it much harder

16 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

to cope without the support of Sussex Cancer Fund and the Horizon Centre.

Bringing Efflorescence here is my way of showing my gratitude for that support and I will be donating 20% of sales from the exhibition directly to these charities” explained Joanna.

The guests were treated to cheeses from Cave a Fromage and local Sussex gin cocktails from Slake Spirits and the event was supported by Sussex solicitors Mayo Wynne Baxter who have raised thousands of pounds for both the Horizon Centre and the Sussex Cancer Fund over the past six years.

BBC South East Today also covered the exhibition which will run until 6th September.

Joanna graduated from Ravensbourne College of Art & Design before working alongside Alexander McQueen creating show stopping sculptural outfits that were shown in his catwalk shows ESHU & VOSS. These iconic pieces were included in the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition in 2011 at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art and in 2015 at the Victoria & Albert Museum London.

Joanna’s first body of work was bought by a private collector and is currently on display in New York. She sells her work through selected local galleries and through Saatchi Art as well as taking on commissions. www.jmmmyles.com

Charity

Paul Myles and Kelly Thomas

Martin Harper, Joanna Myles and Tamzin Plank

Susie & Noel Preston with Jamie Pierce

Jason Edge, Jan Green and Nick Sanders

Lucy Rendell, Martin Sanderson and Lucy Waddell

Baroness Joyce Gould with Steve Ottaway

Julia Lenton - Sussex Cancer Fund with Consultant Oncologists Dr David Bloomfield and Dr Timothy Corbett

Joanna Myles with Paul & Sarah Keenan

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 17

Technology

Oasis Empire

Worthing-based Oasis Empire have recently expanded their print team with the appointment of Daniel Esmond, a pre-press specialist with 25 years industry experience.

This boosts their design and technical capabilities Q&A as part of a wider programme of ongoing expansion.

We caught up with the team, Ryan Kelly, Stefy PotterBlake and Daniel himself to talk about what sets Oasis Empire apart from the competition, their continuing growth strategy, and what makes them tick.

How does the new appointment strengthen your reputation as the local market-leader in the print sector?

Investing in people has always been as important to us as investing in technology. With Daniel joining us we continue to enhance the knowledge and skills needed to deliver a professional service to our clients...

You mention technology, to what degree is that a factor to your business?

New print technology has completely changed the way we work - and the best news? It isn’t just technology for its own sake - these are practical solutions which have helped us improve efficiencies, improve quality and meet tighter deadlines while driving down the cost for our clients.

Digital printing has improved

18 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

dramatically over recent years, with our presses now producing work faster and at a better quality than ever before together with specialist new finishing techniques it enables us to offer solutions that previously were not feasible. It’s ideal for producing quick turnaround, short-run products and Oasis Empire are committed to staying at the forefront of advancements in printing technology.

Are there any other factors that have changed the way you work?

We’re hugely passionate about the environment, committed to reducing our carbon footprint and to operating as sustainably as we possibly can.

We’re able to meet and exceed all environmental requirements, and can offer fully Climate-Neutral print where we calculate the CO2 emissions of the specific printed product and offset this by supporting a forest protection project in Kenya.

We print using a huge range of eco friendly processes and materials, we constantly monitor advances in environmental printing materials and techniques and are able to offer our clients a wide range of options tailored to their individual needs.

So is there something in particular that sets you aside other companies in your industry?

As a business that offers the full gamut of print solutions we work alongside a very varied range of clients and it’s essential to be flexible in our approach and build trust through our close working relationships. We are client driven rather than relying on the high pressure sales techniques of other companies.

Because of our size we’re able to adapt rapidly to our clients’ changing needs while continually improving efficiencies and driving down a customer’s overall spend.

Are you able to keep a strong local presence as well as catering for your wider client base?

Yes absolutely, we are based in central Worthing and it’s something that is very important to us. We are not just a commercial printer, it’s essential for us to keep giving something back to the local community. We enjoy developing partnerships with local community groups, organisations and charities and actively support initiatives to positively promote Worthing and the surrounding area.

For instance, we recently announced a new partnership with the Sussex County FA to help support grassroots football across the County, something we’re all very proud of.

For more information please email print@oasisempire.co.uk or call 01903 228872

Jack Dares young people of Chichester to dream Jack the Lad, famous for his award-winning breakfast show and Charity interviewing the likes of Ricky Gervais, Colin Firth and Danny de Vito who joined the award-winning team at the Love Local Jobs Foundation CIC has delivered his first Dare to Dream session.

Joining Orminston Six Villages Academy for an enrichment day titled The Girls and Boys Conference, Jack delivered two inspirational and motivational sessions. He spoke of his journey from council life estate to becoming the third longest serving radio host, dropping useful life anecdotes throughout.

Jack shared stories from his childhood poverty and experiences from schools, to show the students that they can “dare to dream” and anything is possible if they set their minds to it. Jack spoke

of the importance of humility, empathy, communication skills and grasping every opportunity possible.

Mr Anthony J Ender, who organised the school’s enrichment day said, “It was amazing to hear Jacks stories from growing up to celebrity interviews.

He was fun engaging, and all the students enjoyed his talk. I feel he left an impression on our community and we would love to work with The LoveLocalJobs Foundation CIC again”

Jack said “It was fantastic to get infront of the students to share my story, offer some pointers and give them advice on how maybe changing their way of thinking to a more positive one as they move forward. It is an amazing thing to be asked to do. I thoroughly enjoyed my morning in Chichester and was made very welcome. I am truly loving the opportunity and can’t wait to meet more of Sussex’s young people”.

“I am truly loving the opportunity and can’t wait to meet more of Sussex’s young people” Dare to Dream has been made possible through the local generosity and philanthropy of local businesses.

Rivervale, Golden Lion Group, Fireco and TSS are the first confirmed sponsors of Dare to Dream but there are still opportunities to support this initiative.

If your business would like to get involved in this exciting project, please get in touch by emailing info@lovelocaljobs.com.

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Search Seven’s #share7 campaign – Six Months On Following on from the remarkable #share7 charity Charity campaign that local digital marketing agency Search Seven successfully ran in 2018 – resulting in £20,000 being donated and shared between 7 charities to celebrate their 7th year in business – we take a look at where and how the money has been utilised to make a difference!

SBT supported the launch of the #share7 charity initiative back in April 2018, with Search Seven announcing three charity events to bring together the community - including clients, partners, friends, family and also ALL the charities – to have fun and share experiences, and ultimately to raise awareness and raise funds that can make a significant difference.

At the end of the year, the ambitious target of £17,000 was surpassed and the final total was £20,000. Managing Director, Gavin Willis says “we helped to raise £17,000 in our first six years of business, so to set a target of £17,000 for one year was a big ask – I am

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completely shocked that we not only met this, but beat it, resulting in even more money going to great causes – it means so much to me and the whole team”

“At the end of the year, the ambitious target of £17,000 was surpassed and the final total was £20,000” The Seven charities were nominated by each member of the team, and these were Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, Sussex Beacon, Alzheimers Society, Group B Strep Support, Clock Tower Sanctuary, RISE & Nkuringo Foundation.

Here we look at how the charities are doing in 2019:

Group B Strep Support “2019 has been an incredibly busy year for the charity. Thanks to our supporters’ tireless campaigning, we’ve seen a ground-breaking £2.8 million clinical trial looking at the best way to prevent group B Strep infection announced, which will be taking place

over the next couple years.

“July was Group B Strep Awareness Month, so support from individuals and organisations like Search Seven is invaluable in enabling the charity to educate and support more families.”

The Sussex Beacon: “The Sussex Beacon has been going from strength to strength over the last six months. Our service users (250+ per year) give us great feedback and we have been increasing the range of services that we can provide.

From the media one might assume that everyone who is living with HIV is fine now, and that drug therapy makes everything ok. It’s true that many people living with the virus are unaffected on a day to day basis, but this changes over time for some. There are also a minority of people who have daily challenges because of HIV. This last group is the one with whom we work. Search Seven’s really generous donation has helped us to keep up the high level of service in our hospital unit.

Charity

We have 10 beds that are occupied everyday of the year by people with severe physical health problems, such as cancer or COPD, and some with acute mental health issues. This unit is the only one of its kind in the South of England. While we get some support from the NHS, the survival of our hospital depends on donations.

We are always happy to be recognised by local businesses and we were proud to be involved in the high profile and successful #Share7 campaign.”

RISE UK “Following on from 2018, Search Seven has continued to support the charity, and were instrumental in helping us with a new ‘SuperheroesRISEup’ initiative, where local companies sponsored a KM marker in our Heroes Run on Hove Seafront, which helped raise an extra £2,000 The way Search Seven has supported RISE has been more unique and innovative than any other business has ever done so we’d love to shout from the roof tops about it so they get the recognition they deserve!”

The Clock Tower Sanctuary “We have committed Search Seven’s donation to helping vulnerable 16 to 25-year olds to move from crisis to

independence.”

Rockinghorse Childrens Charity Through the fantastic fundraising efforts of companies like Search Seven, who help us raise funds to carry out our vital work, we think it’s important to shout about the fantastic projects they’ve helped us achieve, which are already making a big difference to healthcare services in Sussex.

In the past 6 months, the incredible £10,000 donation from Search Seven’s #share7 campaign has helped towards many of our current projects, that include: • Bilirubin monitors for the Community Midwife Team • Veinsite equipment for the Royal Alex • Ventilators for the Royal Alex • Hill Park School Drivedeck • Whoopsadaisy equipment and sensory items

Nkuringo Foundation At the end of 2018, we started a campaign to raise enough money to provide a lifesaving operation to Gilipina – a young lady with a tumour behind her eyeball. The money raised

by Search Seven gave Gilipina the

funds to start her treatment, as well as help towards beds and books at both the primary and secondary school We are currently preparing for a big charity fundraising push to get a new hospital built, and the continued support from businesses like Search Seven is truly amazing Gavin Willis adds: “we’re only a small agency but we try to do things the right way, and by placing purpose before profit, we are motivated to make a difference – and to see our efforts turn into new equipment and support for our chosen charities is fantastic, and this alone is enough motivation to keep us pushing on.”

Search Seven continue their charity efforts in 2019, with a golf day in August and a quiz night in November (please get in touch with events@ searchseven.co.uk to enquire) and were winners of best corporate fundraiser in 2018 at the BAHBAs. In 2019, they were named as finalists at the BAHBAs in 3 categories, including CSR Excellence, although we went to print before winners were announced.

Good Luck to Search Seven nevertheless and congratulations on your recognition for the excellent charity work that you do as a small team.

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Let’s Go Brighton Bingo They are an independent charity and receive no funding from the National Mind charity. Your donations support their work across Sussex.

Any further info, please see visit website: www.mindcharity.co.uk/

The founders of Lets Go Brighton Bingo were delighted to Charity hand over a cheque of £2000 to staff at Mind in Brighton and Hove. The corporate charity bingo event held at the Amex Stadium in Brighton on 20 June 2019, saw 28 teams, representing 19 charities, vie for the prize on behalf of their chosen charity.

Begbies Traynor were the big winners of the charity round, with the main bulk of the prize fund going to their chosen charity Mind in Brighton and Hove.

“The balance of the funds raised was spread equally across the remaining 18 charities” 22 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

The balance of the funds raised was spread equally across the remaining 18 charities represented, so everyone received a little something from the event.

Mind in Brighton and Hove works to promote good mental health in our city and across Sussex. They seek to empower people to lead a full life as part of their community.

The organisers of Lets Go Brighton Bingo Gemma, Kathy, Lara and Steph are planning to repeat the success of this year’s event next year - details on date to be announced soon.

Main Image: Gemma Warrenne of Metro Bank and Kathy Taylor of Sodexo Prestige handing over £2000 cheque to staff at Mind.

Charity

Golf day hits a hole in one for children’s charity Charity

A golf day held in aid of Rockinghorse, has raised thousands of pounds for the children’s charity.

23-year-old Professional golfer Toby Graves organised the golf day in support of Rockinghorse and to aid him on tour this year.

Best known as the official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton, Rockinghorse raises money for sick and disadvantaged children across Sussex.

The Toby Graves Golf Day was held at East Brighton Golf Club on Friday 5 July

Thanks to DPI Photography who took the photos

and attended by 80 players. Thanks to fundraising throughout the day, the golf day raised an incredible £5,500.

Event organiser, Toby Graves, expressed his delight following the success of the charity golf day. He said, “Firstly I would like to thank everyone for attending the day in support of myself and Rockinghorse children’s charity.

“With your support, I am able to raise funds for the European Tour Qualifying School at the end of the year. It means that together we are also able to raise much-needed funds for Rockinghorse and all they do in the community and for the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital.

“Thank you to all the sponsors on the day and to East Brighton Golf Club for

letting us have the course for the whole day. Well done to everyone who took part and congratulations to winners Sussex Surveyors and David Aspey!”

Terrina Barnes is the corporate fundraising manager at Rockinghorse and thanked Toby for his support. She says, “We are so grateful to Toby for choosing to support our charity as part of his golf day at East Brighton Golf Club.

“It was a hugely successful event and we are delighted with the funds raised for Rockinghorse.”

To find out more about the charity, visit www.rockinghorse.org.uk.

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People Matter

How company culture is helping Overline to attract and retain the right people “As a customer you will be provided with great customer service by genuine, nice people. As an employee, you will be listened to and treated equally, you will gain valuable experience and learn the necessary skills to progress yourself.”

A lot has changed at Overline in the past 18 months. It is has Q&A grown, introduced new branding and, importantly, seen a shift in company culture that is making a real difference.

The managed services and telecoms specialist says it wants every single person in its team to feel they make a valuable contribution. Staff say they enjoy working in a friendly environment where everyone matters and is listened to.

To find out what working at Overline is really like, we spoke to its team members.

Jason Drury is a Technical Consultant and has worked at Overline for two years.

When asked what he most likes about his job, he said: “Variety. I have different day to day tasks and am also involved in many internal projects which gives

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So, what positive changes have happened at Overline in the past 18 months?

Jason Drury

me a lot of responsibility and the opportunity to improve my knowledge and skillset.”

If he was recommending Overline to a potential customer or prospective employee, he would say: “On both levels, you will be working with a friendly and professional team that will do their utmost best to help you.

Jason says: “With Jason Young taking full control of Overline, the introduction of Cath as operations director and the addition of Steve to the operations team, with several other structure changes, this means that the company is moving in another direction.

“Jason and the company have looked after me through a tough time recently.”

“An overhaul of internal processes and a change to the way things used

Q&A to be done allows a more streamlined, professional approach to how day to day tasks are carried out. Improving not only the customer experience but also the experience of being an employee.”

Looking to the future, he added: “They will invest in you as a person. If you are honest and hardworking, put in the time and effort, this won’t be overlooked.

Jason and the company have looked after me through a tough time recently.

At the end of last year I was diagnosed with cancer. Having to go through various treatment throughout the year, I haven’t had to worry about being paid or work at all. They made sure I was ready to come back and facilitated with my recovery. I have felt nothing but welcomed since I have come back and noticed a definite improvement in working environment and atmosphere.

January. She said: “I really enjoy working with new and existing customers on a daily basis and helping them with their new phone installs and any queries they may have. I also love working in a really positive environment and with pro-active team which support each other in all areas.

“We care about our customers from start to finish and we are always happy to help. With Overline its not about the size of your business nor the amount of customers we have its insuring our customers receive the best customer service and know that they can put their trust in a telecoms company to look after telecommunication services without worrying.”

“I work with multiple

Duncan Ives is a Field Sales Executive.

He says he likes “the entire team, the atmosphere in the office and the ability to build my own diary”.

Duncan Ives

Duncan says of the culture: “The culture is extremely friendly and hard working.

Your success is the company’s success.”

Jessica Scott is a Customer Support Consultant and joined Overline in

everyone’s name at Overline and we are all honestly interested in each other’s lives. Jason is a very hands on owner who always says good morning and cares about his staff and customers, which is clearly shown by him regularly checking in on departments and having chats with individual people in relation to their roles and personal welfare.”

Andrew C Lusty-Kyejjusa is a Technical Consultant and joined Overline just three months ago. He said: “Being a new member of staff it has been very refreshing to start with a company who give me the tools to do my job and not being micromanaged.

“The culture is extremely friendly and hard working” He added: “They are extremely professional, and have the customer at the heart of what they do. They believe in you and contribute to your success through a thorough training programme to ensure you completely comfortable in delivering your new role”

Andrew C Lusty-Kyejjusa

Jessica Scott

departments on a daily basis and can say I know everyone’s name at Overline” “I have seen all the department at Overline grow and develop but even more the support team which work hard and well together to resolve customer issues and queries as quickly and professionally as we can. I have seen our processes improve and the team grow from strength to strength with new members of the team joining us and our managers supporting us daily and when required.”

Jessica added: “I would say that the Overline is like one big family and we are all very welcoming, friendly and happy. I work with multiple departments on a daily basis and can say I know

“Being new to the company it was evident from my 1st day I was working with a friendly and professional group” “To a customer, I would say we always put the customer and their needs, 1st. Being new to the company it was evident from my 1st day I was working with a friendly and professional group of people who made me feel welcome and part of the team from day one.”

Andrew points out that Overline has a dynamic working environment, allowing me to have more time supporting my customers. Of the company, Andrew adds: “It’s friendly - always striving for better.”

Contact info: Website: overline.com or Twitter: @OverlineUK Or connect on LinkedIn

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Summer on the Tracks Brighton Racecourse is the place to be this summer - it is the premier venue for a whole host of events, including the spectacular three-day Marathonbet Festival.

Cover Feature

Live music and racing will be coming together for an extravaganza of entertainment at Brighton Racecourse this summer.

The top venue is hosting The Marathonbet Festival of Racing from August 7 to 9. The three-day event is expected to attract more than 15,000

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people. Over the course of the festival, 1,500 bottles of Prosecco are usually consumed, 1,000 bowls of fresh strawberries served, and 7,000 pairs of high heels cast aside by the end of the event!

This iconic venue will be teeming with racegoers, all dressed to impress and looking for a win. Will you be among them?

Paul Ellison, Executive Director at Brighton Racecourse, said: “The first day of the festival is when we will run the historic ‘Brighton Mile Challenge Race’. Ladies’ Day is on August 8, with the popular Best Dressed Competition.

The festival finale is a day for all the family, with entertainment and music and kids go free.”

If you are planning to attend the festival, there are plenty of hospitality options.

You can select which one is suitable for you on any or all of the dates. Some of the options are outlined below.

Be sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

“Ladies’ Day will include a live jazz band, giving everyone the chance to really soak up the great party atmosphere.”

Why not upgrade?

Upgrading your experience will not only make the event even more memorable it will provide you with an opportunity to entertain clients or colleagues. Choose from a marquee, Silks restaurant or the Prince Regent suite. Alternatively, why not book one of the racecourse’s Trackside Boxes?

On the first day of the festival, the racecourse is running a very special

offer. You can have a private trackside box, Premier Enclosure ticket and access to a cash bar for £50 including VAT per person.

In the marquee on Ladies’ Day will include a live jazz band, giving everyone the chance to really soak up the great party atmosphere.

Paul Ellison said: “Hospitality is available on all of our race days, with some stunning views of not just the racing but the Sussex coastline.”

Winning venue In fact, Brighton Racecourse is a winning venue for a wide variety of events - from family and corporate celebrations to conferences and meetings. It is an all-year-round destination for everything from seasonal parties to major business events. It is a great place for work training, seminars and much more.

How about staging your annual works ‘do’, awards ceremony or a business

meeting in one of the South East’s finest venues?

Not only does the racecourse boast the space for any event, it has a team of professionals on hand to ensure things run smoothly. A seasoned marketing department will ensure your event benefits from a website presence, as well as social media content, powerful email marketing, and even on-site advertising via digital screens on race days. How’s that for service?

Brighton Racecourse is renowned for its fantastic meeting rooms and an exhibition space that hosts some of the best business to business events in Sussex. It is also ideal for retail events, product launches and general exhibitions.

With easy access and outstanding facilities, it is not hard to see why this is as popular for business and social events as it is for racing. Just don’t tell the horses.

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Cover Feature accommodate up to 120 people.

It benefits from direct access to the grandstand terrace and has a spectacular silk-draped ceiling.

“If you are looking for a large space for a wedding, party or conference, the Prince Regent suite, on the racecourse’s third floor, is perfect” If you are looking for a large space for a wedding, party or conference, the Prince Regent suite, on the racecourse’s third floor, is perfect. It provides a picture perfect backdrop with magnificent views across the Sussex coast.

The racecourse even boasts an outdoor hardstanding space, making is suitable for fairs, music concerts, sporting events, and a wide range of other attractions and entertainment.

If you are looking for an event venue, take a look at what is on offer.

Venue options Versatile and set in 20 acres of grounds, Brighton Racecourse has carved out a reputation as a flexible venue for a huge range of events. In total, it has a staggering 18 suites.

Choose from the huge Grandstand Hall to the more intimate Silks restaurant.

The Grandstand Hall can accommodate up to 1,000 people standing. For a sitdown event, it can hold 400. Measuring 54m by 14m, it is big enough to host almost any kind of event. So if you have got ambitious plans in mind, this venue really is a ‘must’. It is conveniently located on the ground floor, offering great access. This space has toilet facilities, bars and a cafe area.

The slightly smaller Premier Hall can accommodate up to 985 standing or 250 people seated and is also located on the ground floor.

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Contemporary and crisp-looking, Silks restaurant can comfortably hold up to 150 people, depending on the dining experience required, and is on the racecourse’s first floor. It offers outstanding views, has an adjoining private bar and a spectacular rooftop terrace. The restaurant is available for exclusive hire on non race days and serves a delicious range of food - all freshly prepared with attention to detail by the resident chef and his team. Silks benefits from lift access.

Hospitality suites The Winning Post hospitality suite boasts its own, exclusive entrance and overlooks the racecourse’s finish line.

This space is ideal for training, works outings and seminars. It benefits from its own private bar and exceptional views of all the race-day action. It can accommodate up to 55 people.

Paul Ellison said: “We really do cater for a huge range events. Our customers appreciate the space and service they can get at our venue. It is accessible, convenient and equipped to cope with any type of event.”

Everything you need With in-house catering, attentive staff and great parking facilities, Brighton Racecourse is the place to be.

Paul Ellison said: “We offer free parking for up to 1000 vehicles and the racecourse is easily accessible from both the A27 and the M25. For those planning a paid event, we have a turnstile area and outdoor water and power supplies.

“There are excellent toilet facilities both inside and out, and our catering units are available for all events.

“We are really proud of our fantastic food. Our excellent team, led by a resident chef, means we can offer a choice of catering packages, including dining options.

Other hospitality suites include the second floor Sussex Suite, which can hold up to 20 people, and the Marina Suite, which can accommodate a maximum or 40 people. These suites boast outstanding views and are ideal for hosting clients.

“We can serve traditional tea, coffee and biscuits, a finger or hot fork buffet, or a full-blown three-course dining experience. We are flexible and do everything we can to cater for clients’ requirements. For catering packages, contact us or refer to our website.”

Need something larger? The West Pier suite on the second floor can

To help you make the most of the facilities on offer, the racecourse has a

stage a Family Fun Day, which promises be to a great day out for those of all ages. If you really want to let your hair down, there is Summertime Live, Classic Ibiza on September 7.

The full programme of events can be viewed on the racecourses website, listed at the end of this feature.

The friendly venue

One of the things that everyone says about Brighton Racecourse is how friendly it is.

That reputation has been earned over many years. This is a place that puts customers’ needs first. It has invested in the type of facilities private and business customers want.

Looking for a great venue that can cater for just about anything? range of brochures you can download from its website. It also offers easy online booking and a helpful customer service team is on hand to get your event off to the right start.

Up-coming events Brighton racecourse is a great

destination for a day - or night - out.

On Sunday, August 25 it is hosting the Brighton Antiques, Collectables and Vintage Fair. There is a Summer Afternoon Racing on August 20. And , before all of that, it is hosting a concert

by Rag’N’Bone Man on July 27.

On September 1, the racecourse will

Find Brighton Racecourse online at www.brighton-racecourse.co.uk The racecourse is social - stay up to date with what’s going on at @BrightonRace on Twitter.

Alternatively, connect with the venue on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

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ON THE

TRACKS

26 Jul 26 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 27 Jul the Marathonbet FestivaL of Racing 7-9 Aug Summer Afternoon racing 20 AugUST/2 Sep Family Fun Day 1 Sep Ibiza Classical 7 sep

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Brighton Racecourse encourages responsible gambling. www.BEgambleaware.org

SBT TRAVEL

TOP 5 DESTINATIONS FOR A CITY BREAK! IT’S NOT ALL WORK, WORK, WORK

MEET THE TEAM THE EXPERTS ON SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

SBT TRAVEL SPONSORED BY BRIGHTON TRAVEL EXPERTS - RED7

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Recharge on a City Break It’s not all work, work, work...take some well deserved time out from the daily grind and enjoy 48 hours of ‘you’ time on a weekend city break.

Travelling is proven to make you a better person, and it’s good Travel for your health, so pick a destination now, pack your bags and remember, you only live once, so start traveling to different places and get some lifealtering experiences.

Studies show that travelling can improve your overall health and enhance your creativity. So, take time out from your daily tasks, office

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responsibilities, hectic schedule, and everyday pressures as often as you can.

When you’re in unfamiliar surroundings and outside your comfort zone, your mind becomes more creative. To develop new neural connections that trigger original and creative thoughts, you must explore new places and break out of your daily routine.

Travelling also helps you connect with different people from different cultures.

This gives you the opportunity to see issues and daily life challenges from a different angle. One of the main benefits

of travelling, especially to areas where your native language is not widely used, is that you learn how to communicate better with other people. Brushing up your knowledge on the most commonly used phrases or questions tourists ask can help you reach out to and relate better with the locals.

So, here are our Top Five Destinations for that perfect weekend City Break to recharge and refocus yourself. And, with flight times no greater than three hours, what’s stopping you?

Prague, Czech Republic

Barcelona , Spain

Dublin, Ireland

Flight time from Luton to Prague 1hr 50m

Flight time from Gatwick to Barcelona 2hrs 10m

Flight time from Stansted to Dublin 1 hr 25m

Oh Prague, you ultimate dreamboat.

Nicknamed “The City of a Hundred Spires,” it’s known for its Old Town Square, the heart of its historic core, with colorful baroque buildings and Gothic churches.

Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is known for its art and architecture. The fantastical Sagrada Família church and other modernist landmarks designed by Antoni Gaudí dot the city. Museu Picasso and Fundació Joan Miró feature modern art by their namesakes.

Dublin is on Ireland’s east coast at the mouth of the River Liffey. Its historic buildings include Dublin Castle, dating to the 13th century, and imposing St Patrick’s Cathedral, founded in 1191.

City parks include landscaped St Stephen’s Green and huge Phoenix Park, containing Dublin Zoo. The National Museum of Ireland explores Irish heritage and culture.

Blessed with impeccable bohemian credentials (well, the Czech Republic was called Bohemia once upon a time), this is a city where little fazes its inhabitants, and where stunning architecture in the “Golden City” rubs shoulders with cutting edge tech companies.

This buzzy place is hugely popular with tourists during the summer months, but if you’re looking for a chilled gathering then spring and autumn offer more space. There are plenty of great places to stay in Prague whatever your budget. Blessed with a super-helpful receptionist, Nina, and a brand-new sauna, Hotel Otakar (3 star) is cheap and cheerful and an easy tram ride from the city centre. For something more luxurious, the Ambassador Zlata Husa (5 star) is right in the centre of the action on Wenceslas Square, with free WiFi, a casino on site to start (or finish) your night in style, and a Thai and Wellness Club for anyone who feels less than vibrant the morning after.

Whatever you want to eat, you can likely find it in Prague, but the most awesome meals you’ll have are best described as “hearty”. Traditional Czech restaurants are incredibly jolly, and will give you a great meal with plenty of fried breaded cheese, dumplings and lashings of local beer and wine. For fine dining, try Restaurant Bellevue (which does indeed have very belle views of the castle), while La Degustation and Ml.nec both offer high-end takes on Czech cooking. For food on the go, you can’t beat the chlebí.ky (openfaced sandwiches) at Sisters Bistro.

A cosmopolitan and cool City which offers up everything you want for a fabulous fiesta weekend. This is a true sunny delight on the Catalan coast with sleek hotels, cafes and tapas bars, Gothic architecture to see and vibrant nightlife to explore. Chill out on a catamaran cruise, relax at one of the best voted beach clubs in the world, channel your inner footballer as you tour the FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium, enjoy tasty tapas or head out for a very special race day at the ultra glam Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Plus, it’s on the coast, so you can chill out in an exclusive beach club. Book into one of the premium Balinese-style hammocks, enjoy the chilled-out beats from the resident DJ, pop open the champagne and feast on signature fusion food all while enjoying stunning Barcelona skyline.

Head out on a catamaran cruise to enjoy fantastic views of the Barcelona coastline and its stunning architecture from the glistening waters of the Mediterranean. It’s a perfect way to relax or party whatever you choose.

You’ll see several of Barcelona’s gorgeous beaches (perfect for a day of sunbathing) plus Port Olímpic—the Olympic Harbour built to hose the 1992 Olympic sailing events—the stunning Porta d’Europa drawbridge and the luxury yachts at the modernists Port Forum marina.

The short flight over to Ireland gives you even more time to get stuck into the fantastic atmosphere on the Emerald Isle and cram in as many activities as you like whilst in their fair capital city. Dublin is great for the ‘craic’, live music, beautiful scenery and plenty of activities to keep you busy before you get stuck into the notorious night time drinking scene.

Visiting Dublin wouldn’t be complete without paying homage to their fine history in the production of their most famous tipple. A visit to St. James’ Gate Brewery is your chance to see how Guinness is made and sample the finest export Dublin has to offer.

To keep things on a boozy keel you can then head onto the old Jameson’s Distillery which first entered the city of Dublin in 1780. As you strut around the old distillery there, you’ll get the chance to sample a dram or two of Dublin’s most famous golden nectar.

Temple Bar will literally be your temple when it comes to a grand night out in Dublin. It’s the city’s famous drinking district and you won’t want to stray far if you’re looking for classic Irish pubs and bars as well as classy cocktail establishments and the city’s best clubs. Dublin is known as somewhere which always puts on a good party. Get involved and see for yourself!

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adventure to a famous beer hall to eat your meal with all night entertainment with, you guessed it, yet more fantastic German beer!

Munich, Germany Flight time from Gatwick to Munich 1hr 55m Munich, Bavaria’s capital, is home to centuries-old buildings and numerous museums. The city is known for its annual Oktoberfest celebration and its beer halls, including the famed Hofbräuhaus, founded in 1589. In the Altstadt (Old Town), central Marienplatz square contains landmarks such as Neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus (town hall), with a popular glockenspiel show that chimes and reenacts stories from the 16th century.

Great hotels, fabulous shopping, sleek bars and restaurants, a buzzing, easy-to-enjoy nightlife, is a wonderfully cosmopolitan city perfect for a group weekend break. Stay in the centre of the city, with a main railway station on your doorstep. All of our great value accommodation is extremely close to Hauptbahnhof, where the majority of must-see sites and Munich’s great shopping is located. Staying central also means you’ll have front row seats for the Oktoberfest street parade and walking distance to the festival!

For the ultimate Bavarian drink up, reserve a table at Oktoberfest. ‘Steins’ of beer and pretzel and the classic German Wurst as well as heartstopping fairground rides make for a brilliant Big Weekender. Don’t miss out on the chance to take a tour round the Bavarian beer halls and the Allianz Arena or even climb the Olympic Stadium’s roof. If you’re visiting in the winter months, start the Christmas festivities with a guided tour of Munich Christmas Market or take a short ski break to the nearby mountains.

Munich bars and clubs will not disappoint, and with an ironically popular alternative vibe, you’ll be sure to enjoy the German’s buzzing nightlife.

You’ll be sure to recognise some of the names of some bars and clubs, and partying really is an all-night affair here, with some of the clubs staying open until the sun comes up! Discover the taste of the hearty Bavarian cuisine, with rich, doughy and filling ingredients in practically every dish. Feast at a Medieval five course meal and wash it down with authentic Steins of beer, or

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Meet the Team….

Jasmine has been with Red7 for over three years, and specialises in Spain and Portugal.

Lisbon, Portugal Flight time from Heathrow to Lisbon 2hrs 40m Lisbon is Portugal’s hilly, coastal capital city. From imposing São Jorge Castle, the view encompasses the old city’s pastel-colored buildings, Tagus Estuary and Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge. Nearby, the National Azulejo Museum displays 5 centuries of decorative ceramic tiles. Just outside Lisbon is a string of Atlantic beaches, from Cascais to Estoril.

Europe’s sunniest capital has a wild, oceanic spirit, cosmopolitan shopping and lively nightlife, which gets better and better as the years go by. Wander around its winding cobbled streets, explore the magical castle on a hill and chill out on one of cafes around its vast seafront square. Explore the city using its bright yellow trams then check out the gorgeous beaches of Estoril and Cascais for some chill out time and a spot of surfing. And, don’t leave without trying the freshest of seafood.

Base yourselves in a plush eco-friendly hotel in what was once a dilapidated building in the centre of town. With light, bright interiors, complimentary breakfasts and a menu created by a Michelin-starred chef, there’s also a gorgeous spa and complimentary bikes for you to explore the city. No wonder it’s so popular.

Call in the experts, as Brighton’s only Independent Travel Agent, we’re ABTA and ATOL protected, and we’ve been organising individual and group holidays for over 30 years. We’re rated Excellent on Trust Pilot and we pride ourselves on a bespoke, personal service from the very first call right through to when you flop back onto your sofa at home after an amazing trip! 01273 872200 www.redsevenleisure.co.uk

When did you join Red7?

February 2016

What is the best Red7 location you’ve visited?

USA...Has to be New York! I’ve been lucky to travel there 4 times, shoppers paradise and it’s like you’re in a movie set Europe...Girls holiday to Zante, lots of partying and sunshine - was really fun though needed another holiday to recover from that one!

What is your absolute favourite Red7 activity?

I enjoy cocktail-making, learning how to make my favourite cocktails with some fun games thrown in. I also enjoy Go Karting, even though I’m not the best!

What is your top moment of all time and why?

Going to an underground 80’s club in New York for my 21st birthday, got to party with proper New Yorkers and I do love a bit of 80’s music and of course being able to drink in America is always a plus!

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Brighton’s crowning glory Brighton owes much to King George IV, as without History his patronage it wouldn’t be the tourist attraction that has seen so many millions descend over the centuries since his arrival. Dr Richard Russell also deserves a nod here, as he advised George that sea water would be beneficial to the then Prince of Wales’ health.

Undoubtably the jewel in the Brighton Regency crown, the Royal Pavilion is a unique and wonderful palace that combines British grandeur with an interesting take on Indian and Chinese style.

Originally built in the 18th century, the Pavilion started as a lodging house, relatively modest in style and size. The Prince Regent didn’t really do “modest,” so Henry Holland was commissioned to transform it into a residence fit for a prince.

Shortly after this, John Nash was hired to expand the property into a pleasure palace, complete with domes, turrets and enough parties to accommodate

the Regent’s little black book and expanding waistline.

The word opulent gets thrown around too often these days, but it is hard to think of an alternative from the second you go inside. There is a feast for the eyes from mock bamboo staircases, to gold painted dragons, through pink wallpaper and a host of Chinese/ Indian items of interest.

Without doubt, a highlight of any trip is the Music Room, highlighted with nine chandeliers shaped to look like lotus flowers. It is not hard to imagine the Prince (or King as he was by the time the construction was completed), hosting a party here with its vaulted ceilings, large dance area and hidden passages for bands. The walls are decorated with rich reds and golds, with blue satin draperies and hundreds of gilded cockleshells making the ceiling feel even higher than it is.

But my favourite of all is the Banqueting Room. This room has been set up to allow the visitor a glimpse into the decadent parties that would have been common here, with bowls serving one purpose – marshmallows. At the time, marshmallows were an expensive

delicacy and with five bowls filled to the brim, it shows just how much King George liked to showcase his wealth.

There are also glasses galore and a huge dragon holding a chandelier that weighs over a tonne. If you were lucky enough to be invited, the only way of leaving would have been with the aid of a hoist.

If you have children in the party take your time in the kitchen area, the sheer volume of workspace, pots, pans, fires and produce is breath-taking – bonus points if they can spot the two (pretend) rats. Full of fascinating facts and background information, the audio tour leads visitors through the palace room by room and is really worthwhile. It also includes interviews with curators and conservators, and additional images.

By James Dempster - Cobb Digital

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WINE OF THE MONTH Sponsored by Levels Bottle Shop In the month of Father’s Day we haven’t

White Wine Beacondown Bacchus 2018, East Sussex. England Price £16.00 Bacchus is the new Sauvignon Blanc!.... Well so they say, for quite good reason though. This aromatic grape variety was created in a German lab by crazy viticultural scientist ‘Peter Morio’ in 1933. The idea was to find and create grape varieties that thrived in cooler climates and boy does Bacchus produce!

This Sauvignon… sorry Bacchus is soft, sumptuous and bursting with flavours of apples, pears and elderflower.

So skip by the New Zealand aisle and head for England.

This wine is the product of love, care, affection and precision by a lovely local family in Sussex.

Red Wine Riccitelli Malbec 2016, Mendoza. Argentina Price £25.00 What a bottle, what a wine! The lady on the label almost has as much sass as the juice in the bottle.

Riccitelli is a rising star on the Argentinian wine scene and his wines are real gems. This guy is an absolute genius when it comes to fermenting grape juice and his ‘Tinto de la casa’ Malbec does not disappoint.

Ina world where supermarkets are all fighting to find the cheapest Malbec juice from Argentina we really do need malbecs like this to remind us why this particular variety does so well in Mendoza.

This beauty is the product of Malbecs from 2 different plots of land, they’re co fermented and each add unique qualities to the wine. It’s rich, has great cherry fruits with 12 months ageing in French oak to add a bit of complecity at the end… a real stunner!

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messed around with our wine selections.

Yes, both these wines can be described as being on the ‘pricey’ end of the scale but boy oh boy are they both worth it!

Both wines have a real story behind them and their producers, are made in small quantities and really are what the independent wine scene is all about.So, go on, treat your old man, he deserves it!

Recipe of the Month

ESQUITES - MEXICAN CORN SALAD Serves - 4 .............................................................

Difficulty level - Easy

Summer is here, which can only mean one thing, BBQ season, so here is a recipe that will go perfectly with anything you care to cook on the BBQ. This salad is so quick and easy to put together, I guarantee it will become a firm favourite.

Ingredients:

Method

• Corn on the cob - x 4 .............................................................

• Vegetable oil - x 1 tbsp .............................................................

• Fresh coriander, chopped - x 2 tbsp .............................................................

• Mayonnaise - x 2 tbsp .............................................................

• Lime juice - x 2 tbsp .............................................................

• Crumbled feta cheese - x 4 tbsp .............................................................

• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped .............................................................

• 1 clove, minced garlic .............................................................

• Few grinds of fresh black pepper .............................................................

• A few slices of jalapeno peppers .............................................................

• Habanero sauce

Heat a large frying pan with the vegetable oil. Slice the corn off the cob, place into the frying pan and cook for several minutes, add the garlic and stir.

Cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Once done, put the sweetcorn into a large bowl, add the coriander, red onion, mayo, a few grinds of black pepper, lime juice and a good few dashes of habanero sauce (more or less depending how hot you like it) along with the feta cheese (reserving some to top the dish) and jalapeno peppers, stir thoroughly and serve with your dish.

This month’s recipe is brought to you by Crawley community Youth Service. Crawley Community Youth Service was founded in 2011 to deliver universal youth services. It is formed of individuals, groups and organisations from the community interested in providing a community driven Youth Service open to all young people. www.ccys.org.uk

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Restaurant Review:

Pabellon This month’s restaurant review Restaurant is at the fabulous Pabellon, set within Review an iconic building in the heart of Brighton, this quaint restaurant offers classic Spanish tapas fused with Asian flavours.

My party and I arrived at 1pm and were seated with a view of the open kitchen watching the chefs create some culinary delights. As you know from my previous reviews, I am a huge fan of small plates and tapas style dining as you get to try an eclectic array of dishes. The menu is very simple and split into Aperitivo, Planta, Pescado and Carne. My two

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guests and I asked our knowledgeable, friendly waiter to bring us a selection and that he did.

The small plates are made to order and are served to the table when ready. Our first couple of dishes arrived, a tapas favourite Patatas Bravas, drizzled in Aioli and Bravas sauce were fantastic along with Green asparagus, they had one of my favourite cheeses Manchego thinly sliced over the top and well worth a try. Then from the pescado section we had the salt and pepper calamares, served with squid ink romesco and mango, in some places calamares can be slightly chewy, but this was far from it, cooked to perfection and combined with the squid ink and mango was tasty,

fresh, simply delightful.

Pabellon source all their ingredients and produce from Spain as well as local suppliers and its suggested that between 4-5 dishes should be enough for two people, depending on your appetite of course.

After a great start the dishes kept coming, we had marinated anchovies, prior to two meat dishes. The pork Tenderloin with Korean BBQ sauce and my personal favourite the aged soya Lamb cutlets with fennel kimichi. The meat simply fell off the bone and was mouth wateringly tender. Each dish was presented almost like a piece of art, and I for one love the visual aspect of

a great dish, taste is king but you often think if it tastes as good as it looks then.. and all the dishes so far certainly achieved that.

“Pabellon source all their ingredients and produce from Spain as well as local suppliers” To accompany our dishes, we again asked our knowledgeable waiter/ manager to recommend a wine. We went for the Baluarte roble, chivite family estate, 2017. It was full of dark fruit flavours with just a hint of spice. We later discovered that both managers at Pabellon are both trained sommeliers, hence while their choices were on point.

After our 6th dish my guests and I feeling semi full still had room for a little more. We were then presented with

our final two dishes, Pollo Con Fuego, chicken in an aromatic sauce and finally the Eivissenca seared tuna steak, with pine nuts, raisins and salsa verde. Again I find Tuna steak can be slightly hit or miss in some places, but certainly not at Pabellon, and it was the prefect finish to what can only be described as a feast.

Tapas Tuesday’s offer, my advice is, if you haven’t been go, you will not be disappointed. Since the review I have actually been back twice already and looking forward to returning again soon..

Pabellon offers traditional Spanish style tapas but certainly with a modern twist, the fusion of Asian flavours separates it from other tapas restaurants and is an absolute must try for our readers.

My guest and I had a two and half hour meeting over some truly fabulous cuisine and certainly a perfect place to take and impress clients. Staff are both friendly and extremely knowledgeable.

Their menu is updated frequently dependent on best quality and freshest produce , with some great offers for businesses as well as their

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Hotel Review: Hotel Du Vin This months hotel review is slightly Hotel different. As opposed to our usual hotel Review stay, with dinner, bed & breakfast this month we look at Hotel Du Vin and cover an intimate networking event with a difference.

I was contacted by James Dempster, who you will know as Managing Director of Cobb Digital and a regular contributor to SBT as well as writing our popular history column. He asked if I liked steak and whiskey and would I like to attend an event that him and Hotel Du Vin manager Ben Haynes were hosting.

Being two of my most favourite things how could I decline?

Hotel Du Vin boasts some fantastic rooms for private dining. They vary in size and style with no two rooms the same but all creating their own ambience and setting. For this particular event we were obviously located in the Scottish Malt Whiskey Snug.

This bright, airy room located on the

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ground floor of the hotel has double doors leading out on to the courtyard and gives the best of best worlds with a little alfresco space for its guests.

On arrival all 14 guests were seated at the long table, welcomed by James and Ben. We were introduced to our main host for the evening the experienced head barman and whiskey connoisseur, Lee Standen. As the platters of amazing chateaubriand were served, Lee then took us on a journey of of various whiskeys.

Whiskey Notes from Lee Standen.

Whiskey comes from the Gaelic uisge beatha or water of life and surprisingly for most people it find its origins in Ireland. The Scots were mostly making Aqua vitea as the monks called it for medicinal use until around 300 years later.

So we started with one of the most well known Irish whiskeys and a good palette opener, Jameson, ironically founded by John Jameson a Scot from Alloa and now arguably one of the most prominent whiskeys in the world. It has

very subtle oak tones and the use of malted and un malted barley, give it a good balance of spice and buttery honey notes. This all making it a good starter.

We then moved on to our first scotch.

Glengoyne a single malt From Ian Macleod, a really good example of a well-balanced highland in all its incarnations, we chose the 10 year (although the barrel strength is my favourite, it’s not for the faint of heart) made with the water from the stream of dumgoyne hill and distilled slower than any other highland, the air dried barley makes for a classic, clean, green apple-tasting whisky, balanced with nuts and a slight herbal tone. A great first highland. They used to sell to other stillers for blending only. This is one brand, I’m really glad has been made available to the public, I strongly urge you to try it, along with its sister Tamdhu and its wonderful Spey side saltiness (also from Ian Macleod).

We moved right along to the opposite end of the scale, with Lagavulin 16YR

an islay (pronounced eye-La) whiskey from islays south coast. Here the barley is dried in peat fired Kilns, imparting it with the characteristic scent of iodine and smoky taste, that attracts and repels people in equal measure.

Lagavulin is one of the oldest stilleries on islay. The 16 is well adored for its smokey phenols and its sherry tasting notes, it leaves a creamy mouth feel which lingers on the palette for what seems like eternity. This is a great night cap, but we also did something different that evening in replacing the Mezcal in a Paloma Cocktail with islay peated scotch, just to show its so much more than a night cap. Anyone who likes there whisky really peaty should move on to octomore from Bruichladdich, the 10-year is my favourite and is the world’s peatiest whiskey, racking in at a whopping 167PPM (phenols per million, it’s how they measure the smokiness) a lot of big peat whisky’s come in around 50-100 PPM.

From there we moved to the muchadored Japanese whisky. Coming late to the whisky game in the late 1920’s, Japanese whisky has had a meteoric rise of late, founded by Shinjiro Torii the Suntory group is now the world’s biggest drinks company and their whiskey the most well known, however I chose a nikka barrel strength from Japan’s second oldest stiller and here’s why.

Shinjiro hired a man, arguably the only man in Japan that could make whiskey, Masataka Taketsuru. He moved to Scotland in 1918 and learned to make it first-hand, originally moving there for a chemistry degree in Glasgow he discovered a passion for whisky. He and his wife Rita moved back to japan and help found Suntory, but after a difference of opinion, he abandoned Shinjiro. In 1934 Masataka moved

north to open Japan’s second oldest stillery, Nikka. Staying true to his Scottish teachings he tried to replicate the climate and processes as closely as possible. To this day they make incredible whisky and lesser known than its counterpart, it’s easier to obtain as demand is less heated ( I’ve seen some crazy prices for Japanese whisky). And to me, Masataka will always be my founding father of Japanese whisky . The straight from the barrel is a great example of a modern Japanese whisky despite the higher ABV which gives it its peppery zing the whisky is bourbon cask aged which rounds it with a wonderful soft vanilla note and leaves a candied orange or clove sting to the aftertaste worth a go for any Japanese whisky fan.

To finish we segwayed into Bourbon Territory as it’s the most suitable (Pudding) Whiskey, Inspired by the use of single barrel products from the Scots and Japanese, Elmer T Lee, the first appointed master Stiller in America, following the repeal of prohibition (google him the mans a legend), started makings Blanton’s single barrel. For this reason I chose arguably its best incarnation. Blanton’s gold. Old Elmer started knocking this out of buffalo trace (formerly George T Stagg stilleries) around 1984. The reason this is so special is that most Stillers blend the whiskey for consistent flavour, single barrel whiskey is all down to the skill of the master, albert Blanton one of the early founders whom this is named for, commissioned the metal rick (warehouse) in which the whiskey is chosen from. As metal heats and cool faster than wood this accelerates the aging process (most ricks are still wood). The gold is 6-8 years old on average and has the highest ABV of the bunch, giving it a characteristic spicy smack and that lovely Kentucky Hug as

it creeps down the gullet. It has plenty of rich dried dark fruit tones and a great toffee finish which lingers as long as the hug, a perfect after dinner treat.

The Paloma.

Created by Legend Don Javier Delgado corona owner of Capilla in Tequila Mexico, is, as one might expect, a refreshing zingy cocktail great on a hot day, which it was. To most, the idea of a whiskey cocktail on a hot day is most unappealing so give this twist on a classic a try you won’t regret it! Originally with Patron tequila , I always preferred mine with a good dirty smoky mezcal. Instead of Mezcal choose a lightly peated scotch (or not) and do this - shake together a double measure of islay whiskey with about 30ml of pink grapefruit juice, the juice of half a fat ripe lime and a tablespoon of agave syrup until it’s frosty. Pour into a tall salt (or Tajin) rimmed glass and top with grapefruit soda. I made my own, but in a pinch san pelegrino or even Ting will do just for Jebus sake don’t use Lilt.

This was a truly fantastic event and evening, and one I am hoping becomes a regular. The room was absolutely perfect for a small, intimate networking event such as this. The chateaubriand was cooked to perfection. Throughout the evening Lee was engaging, extremely knowledgeable and his passion for whiskey was a joy to behold, I could have listened to him for hours.

With staff of this calibre at Hotel Du Vin and rooms to cater for such a variety of needs, whether you are hosting a private personal function or business event, Hotel Du Vin has it covered.

Contact Ben Haynes – ben.haynes@hotelduvin.com

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SBTMotoring News MW and Daimler co-operate over automated driving The BMW Group and Daimler AG are to co-operate on automated driving.

Representatives from the two companies have signed an agreement for long-term strategic co-operation, which will focus on joint development of next-generation technologies for driver assistance systems, automated driving on highways and automated parking (all to SAE Level 4).

Further talks are planned to extend the co-operation to higher levels of automation in urban areas and city centres.

BMW said: “This underscores the longterm and lasting nature of the undertaking, which will extend to encompass a scalable platform for automated driving. The nonexclusive cooperation is also open to other OEMs and technology partners, with results being made available to other OEMs under license.”

Electric vehicles ‘too expensive’, say motorists Electric vehicles will have to be cheaper before they become mainstream, according to the AA. It conducted a poll in association Populus of 19,350 drivers - and discovered the biggest turn-off for drivers is the higher cost compared to petrol or diesel equivalents.

Thirty-five per cent said going electric costs too much. When asked what would persuade them to make the switch, 33 per cent said 250 miles on a single charge and 27 per cent said a lot more charging points.

Motorists said they want to see more choice of vehicles too. Sixty-eight per cent believe new-build homes with

off-street parking should have an EV charging point installed as standard.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “It is easy to say that all new cars should be electric by 2030 or 2035 or any arbitrary date but the reality is that much still needs to be done in terms of addressing the legitimate concerns of drivers regarding cost and supply of vehicles, as well as, improving range and the ease of charging.

“The big game changer for 84% of drivers will be when car manufacturers can offer the right car at the right price.

Throughout history we have seen certain iconic cars break the mould and transform the market from the Model T Ford through to the Morris Minor, Mini or Beetle. Once we get a mass market, stylish, affordable, practical EV with a decent range, it will sell like hot cakes. ”

Double win for Vauxhall Vauxhall notched up a double-award win at the Auto Express Awards 2019, with the flagship Insignia crowned Family Car of the Year for the second year running, and the Combo Cargo named Van of the Year.

customers is consistent across both of our car and van ranges and Vauxhall is back in bringing customers best-inclass offerings,” said Patrick Fourniol, Vauxhall’s Marketing Director.

The Auto Express Awards are renowned as a notable industry benchmark for success, and nominees face a tough judging criteria with a voting panel composed of the magazine’s expert reviewers, meaning only the best cars and vans make it onto the winners’ list.

“The Insignia Grand Sport continues to attract plaudits, this being the second year in a row it has won at the Auto Express Awards. Our van offering is again boosted by another awards win, with the Combo Cargo receiving nothing but praise from industry experts since its launch towards the end of last year.”

“This double awards win proves that our offering to

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SBTMotoring Reviews Mercedes E400 Coupe AMG window is a little small, but you soon get used to it.

The back seats can house two adults so long as they are not too much bigger than 6ft because of the sloping shape of the roof. and there is though storage in the middle seat if needed.

I loved it. It is elegant to look at both, inside and out. Several people remarked on it on my travels.

Inside it is proof that beauty is not only skin deep. The seats are comfortable, everything has a button and the digital infotainment screens are high tech with great high definition surround cameras.

Space-wise in the front there is plenty, and you don’t feel at all claustrophobic with the big windscreen although the back

The boot is a little shallow and there is a lip but that being said it is a reasonable size for this type of car.

The driving experience I have to say is great especially for cruising up a motorway. It feels luxurious and you feel cuddled in the front in peace and quiet.

There is a nice punchy acceleration away from a standstill so you can pull ahead quickly when needed

in town. This is not to say it’s the ultimate sporty car as there is a bit of a roll going through corners if driving in the countryside.

One thing that is noticeable wherever you drive which unfortunately is testament to the state of our roads is the suspension drifts and rumbled over postholes and bumps with ease giving the car a lovely feel to it. It’s actually almost quite therapeutic.

This doesn’t feel unsafe at all as the car is incredibly solid, but again this roll you soon get used to.

All in all, it’s a great car. It looks good, its comfortable and has a bit of fire in its belly but doesn’t depend on it to make it a recommended buy

Volvo V60 easy to operate whilst driving.

After the S90 review I was expecting great things from Volvo with the V60. And I feel true to form that Volvo have delivered again.

As soon as you get into the comfortable Volvo seats you are faced with a big windscreen, and a dashboard composed of nice materials. You want to go for a drive when you are in the V60.

The design is simple, not least because of the touchscreen that is

Space-wise, as an estate, you would expect good boot space and the Volvo does not disappoint in this aspect, the boot bigger than some of its competitors. There is no load lip and, as such, getting things in and out is easy. There are a couple of nice attachments in the back to stop smaller odds and sods rattling around.

Certainly, it is comfortable to drive and there is enough room in the back for three adults in relative comfort too.

For those with baggage because of young children there are the Isofix fittings in the back that are covered by a hinged cover. There is also through storage for skis etc though the middle of the back seat.

The driving experience is great for cruising and for those long trips is a nice, practical car. It feels like you have to move the wheel more than necessary for sharper corners. That being said, the car is stable and can handle the corners- it just feels like you have to work harder than you should when steering Admittedly, however, if you are looking for a car to speed around corners in the countryside this is not it. It’s not that it’s unsafe, in fact I would rather be in a Volvo in that situation than most other cars. There are a plethora of safety features in the car with great all around cameras and sensors mitigating blind spots and the like.

I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one.

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SBT NETWORKING & EVENTS

BLANCH HOUSE BUSINESS CLUB BOUNDARY CLUB COBB LUNCH NETWORK MY CLUB

SBT NETWORKING & EVENTS IS SPONSORED BY THE NETWORK EXPOSURE GROUP - INSPIRED BY THREE VERY WELL- CONNECTED SUSSEX BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS, NETWORKU IS PASSIONATE ABOUT UTILISING OUR OWN PERSONAL NETWORK AS WELL AS CREATING NEW CONNECTIONS TO HELP GROW YOUR BUSINESS.

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Networking

Review: The Boundary Club I’m often asked, which is the best networking event Networking to go to, well the Boundary Club networking lunch held at The 1st Central County Ground, home of Sussex Cricket in Hove is always one of my favourite events and has been now for many years. It has to be probably the best all round event to go to for the combination of the people who attend, the quality of the food (a 3 course lunch with afternoon tea later), great entertainment (in June it was the comedian, Simon Evans) and for most events a cricket match going on in the background.

For me, the networking is of the highest quality, around 140-150 in attendance, mostly business owners or senior managers/partners and the facility to instigate specific connections if you want to be a bit organised.

As with the best networking, the Boundary Club is all about building relationships, it’s not about selling to people and the random mass handing out of business cards is hardly ever seen.

It’s not the cheapest event on the calendar and you do have to be a member, but in my opinion it’s the best overall event I go to so if you want to enjoy yourself doing quality networking at a great location I suggest you speak to one of the members and arrange an invitation to come along and try it for yourself. to request information relating to the Boundary Club contact theboundaryclub@sussexcricket.co.uk

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300 years old and still in business Guests at last month’s Cobb Business Lunch Networking Club heard from Charlie Field, deputy chairman of CPJ Field & Co - one of the country’s leading funeral directors.

Held at Hotel du Vin in Brighton, more than 30 business leaders joined to hear from Charlie, who is a member of one of the most exclusive clubs in Britain – the Tercentenarian Club.

To enter the club, you need to run a business that has survived for more than 300 years and is still owned by the same family that started it.

James Dempster, Managing Director of Cobb Digital led a Q&A with Charlie to discuss the growth of the Sussexbased business under his reign and why mindfulness plays such an important role in the working lives of his team.

Thanks to Nick Ford Photography for the pictures

“Charlie spoke passionately about how family remains at the heart of everything, with the Board of Directors still featuring five members of the Field family. “ Since the firm’s founding in the 17th century, CPJ Field & Co has helped thousands of bereaved families and even some royalty. Now, the team’s expertise and passion extends to more than 30 funeral homes across the home counties and the south of England.

Charlie spoke passionately about how family remains at the heart of everything, with the Board of Directors still featuring five members of the Field family. The firm also plays an active role in the community with funds to the

tune of £10,000 donated each year to worthwhile causes.

Members of the Cobb Business Lunch Club also heard from Kevin Rowe, Sales Director at Motorway, who spoke about a new community interest company – VYD – that is looking to make lives better using creative football projects to engage, empower and inspire people from disadvantaged areas in Brighton & Hove and beyond.

For more information about the Cobb Business Lunch Club, including information about becoming a member, please visit www.cobbbusinessclub.com.

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Welcome to New Age Business Networking!

Network My Club uses iconic sporting venues to attract progressive, forward thinking, professional businesses to form a network and environment where they can thrive...

Thursday 1st August, 8.00am-10.30am Brighton & Hove Albion FC The Amex Stadium, Brighton Thursday 8th August, 12.00pm-2.30pm Portsmouth FC Fratton Park, Portsmouth Friday 9th August, 12.00pm-2.30pm Hampshire Cricket The Ageas Bowl, Southampton Wednesday 14th August, 12.00pm-2.30pm Reading Football Club Madejski Stadium, Reading Tuesday 20th August, 12.00pm-onwards Match Day Networking at The Kia Oval Surrey Cricket, London

Official Business Club Partners:

01903 898025 | www.networkmyclub.co.uk

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Blanch House Business Club New to this months Networking and events section is Networking the fantastic Blanch House Business Club. This fantastic boutique hotel in kemp town boasts a fantastic private dining area and on a bi-monthly basis hosts its own business club.

Hosted by owners Jeremey and Kerry this intimate networking event is one not to be missed. With a quite exclusive guest list and a very carefully thought out seating plan by Jeremey I always meet someone new and interesting.

Being fairly well networked I am a strong believer that networking is all about building relationships, and at Blanch House business club you are given the opportunity to really get to meet everyone in the room, in a really

relaxed atmosphere, whilst building strong foundations with the people you sit with.

“The evening starts with a few glasses of bubbles and canapes in the bar prior to adjourning to the dinning area for dinner.�

The evening starts with a few glasses of bubbles and canapes in the bar prior to adjourning to the dinning area for dinner. The three course meal is served with some fantastic wine supplied by Chris Orr at Brighton Wine Co. followed by a guest speaker. This month we heard from Maria Valentine, Managing Director of Yellow Fish and her fantastic business journey to date, a truly engaging talk by an inspiring individual.

I can not speak highly enough of this event and the team at Blanch House, the food and service is always first class, the wine is flowing creating a very relaxed atmosphere and always a great guest speaker. Jeremy’s attention to every detail makes for a fantastic event that any business owner would certainly benefit from attending.

The private dinning area provides an amazing space for an intimate event such as this, a seminar, wine tasting or a variety of events and can be hired by the local business community for a private functions.

I highly recommend this fantastic venue and for more details please email Jeremy@blanchhouse.co.uk

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Let’s Do Busines Brighton Expo Let’s Do Business brings business innovation and cutting-edge technology to Brighton’s Amex Stadium June 13th saw Falmer’s Amex Business Stadium play host once again to the Let’s Do Business Brighton exhibition; but with a special twist for 2019. This year’s exhibition in association with PRG Marketing Communications featured an exciting innovation zone offering visitors the chance to see and find out about some of the South East’s most innovative products and technologies.

Exhibitors and visitors from across Sussex, Surrey, Gatwick and Kent were wowed by demonstrations of the latest in cutting edge technology in the zone, which was sponsored by East Sussex College Group. These included leading VR and augmented reality company Showstorm launching their

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All Senses Immersion virtual reality and the University of Sussex showcasing Quantum: the computer that could change our lives.

There were interactive experiences for guests on the day including RFID wristbands, an interactive discount rickshaw and a 3d printer. There were also experts on hand all day to discuss everything from innovation in education, innovation in the workplace and innovation for tackling climate change. Other aspects of innovation discussed on the day included funding and inspiring innovation in education and among workforces. While many exhibitors and visitors had different ways of encouraging innovation, all agreed it was crucial to the survival and futureproofing of business as the UK navigates an uncertain political and economic climate.

The theme of innovation didn’t stop there though, as the expo also featured the Regional launch of Clean Growth UK, one of the show’s headline sponsors. Their launch was a timely one, given that sustainability, climate change and environmental impact have been high on the agenda for UK businesses this year. The initiative is led by three Universities including the University of Brighton, and aims to help businesses tackle climate change. Zoe

Business Gatwick Diamond Business totally enjoyed it and the buzz of the day was great!”

This year’s event also saw the expo entrance area made a feature of thanks to sought after BMW cars parked outside the venue’s reception courtesy of exhibitor Chandlers BMW. Leading trade office furniture supplier Fieldskill also showcased their Dynamibus, an innovative mobile furniture platform housed in a double decker bus which proved a hit with visitors arriving to the show. A pre event breakfast was hosted at the Amex Stadium by Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce giving guests the chance to meet prior to the event.

Osmond, Director of Green Growth Platform also spoke about innovation and climate change at the exhibition as part of the accessing innovation support discussion panel.

“The exhibition not only proved business in Sussex, Surrey, Gatwick and Kent is thriving, but the event also demonstrated the diversity and creativity shown by businesses from around the region.”

Leading business advisory firm and headline sponsor Quantuma also had business experts on hand to discuss maximising business value.

Adrian Howells, Quantuma’s Director of Corporate Finance also chaired the panel discussion on funding innovation. The theme of innovation ran throughout the exhibition exploring and encouraging innovation in the workplace and streamlining processes.

More than 80 exhibitors were on hand on the day to meet key decision makers from the region. The all new exhibition also featured a work zone, enabling visitors to keep in touch with the office throughout the day. Larger corporations networked with SMEs and start-ups to share thoughts and meet potential leads.

Also new for 2019 was the addition of two panel discussions as part of the popular seminar line up. The panels featured representatives from funding initiatives and local businesses discussing funding innovation and accessing innovation support. Other speakers on the day included Garry James of Switchplane who discussed the future of social media and Mark Bellinger of Showstorm discussing virtual and augmented reality. The expo was sold out weeks before the event and this year saw hundreds of visitors pre-register for the exhibition as well as further delegates arriving on the day.

Feedback from the event was glowing – but don’t take our word for it! Matt Bigwood of Print Matters, the show’s print supporter said “It was our very great pleasure to support such a wonderful event. All the hard work you put in to making the show such a success really paid off. We were delighted to be a part of it.” The exhibition not only proved business in Sussex, Surrey, Gatwick and Kent is thriving, but the event also demonstrated the diversity and creativity shown by businesses from around the region.

The event is the only exhibition from the Let’s Do Business Group for 2019 and saw a wide variety of businesses from a broad range of industries represented.

This year’s event also saw more visitors than ever before attending from further afield, with many Gatwick and Crawley based delegates attending the event.

Mandi Lloyd of Gatwick Diamond Business said “It was a brilliant day!

Sean Dennis, Deputy Chief Executive at the Let’s Do Business Group said ‘This year we once again collaborated with PRG Marketing Communications to bring the Let’s Do Business Brighton exhibition back to the Amex Stadium.

The theme of innovation this year proved to be very apt and we are glad the expo represented the diversity and innovation demonstrated by businesses in Sussex, Surrey, Gatwick and the South East.

“The new panel discussions to this year’s seminar proved a popular and thought provoking addition to the event.

We’d like to thank all of our sponsors, speakers, exhibitors and visitors for once again making this year’s Let’s Do Business Brighton event a success.”

To find out more about the Let’s Do Business Group, please visit letsdobusinessgroup.co.uk or email info@ldbgroup.co.uk.

A video of the day will be coming soon – please see https://www.facebook.com/ letsdobusinessexhibitions/ for updates!

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How to Prepare for a Conference Whether you are exhibiting at a show Business business or attending a conference, making the right impression counts. Going prepared can help you network more confidently and ensure you have the right tools at hand. Poorly-prepared exhibitors or delegates can miss potentially lucrative leads, and this feature aims to help you make the most of every opportunity.

First things first, make sure you have your event pass to hand on the day.

This will save you time and ensure you can start networking at the earliest opportunity. Having to go through the registration process can be timeconsuming and lose you precious new

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connections. Mike Monk, one of the UK’s leading experts on networking, has these great ideas to ensure you are properly prepared.

Keep Things Together Invest in branded folders, so you can keep leads and marketing materials separate and safe. Not only will a good folder keep you organised, it will promote your brand. If you are planning to hand out literature, why not consider offering it in a printed folder that includes your branding? It will encourage more people to accept your marketing and ensure something with your name on it is retained after the event. visit www.bagsandfolders.co.uk/ to view a full range of bespoke branded folders.

Organise a Giveaway Giveaways are a potent way to raise the profile of your brand. They are especially powerful at business expos, conferences and trade shows because the audience is more defined. After all, if it didn’t appeal to your ideal customer you would not be attending. Consider practical, low-cost gifts and ensure they are branded with your company name.

Great ideas include flat mobile phone chargers, bags, memory sticks, mug and pens.

You can view an extensive range at http://www.monk.prod-cat.com/index. php?main_page=index&cPath=213

Hold a Competition If you have invested in a trade stand at an event, make the most of it. Attract

Business people to your stand with a competition.

Keep it simple to guarantee lots of entries. A traditional draw or spot the object contest always goes down well.

As well as generating more interest in what you do, you can use a competition for post-event publicity. This can be helpful if you often find yourself scratching around for fresh social media content. Don’t forget to take a picture of the lucky winner with their prize.

Take a look at these corporate gifts, if you are struggling for prize ideas. http://www.monk.prod-cat.com/index. php?main_page=index&cPath=220

Make It Personal Make it easy for people to know who you are at a glance. Branded name badges do the job and look smart. They will ensure your team stands out from the crowd and make it easier for them

to network with new contacts. Consider including your company branding alongside names for maximum impact.

Book a Stand Visit https://www.b2bexpos.co.uk/ stand-packages/brighton

For a full range of name badge options, visit. http://www.monk.prod-cat.com/ index.php?main_page=advanced_ search_result&search_in_

Register for a FREE visitor pass at https://www.b2bexpos.co.uk/tickets/ brighton

Brighton Business Expo

Organising a conference or event?

If you are looking to boost your brand profile in Brighton, don’t miss Brighton Business Expo. Taking place at Brighton Racecourse on October 3, the annual event attracts more than 450 businesses. Entry is free, ensuring a great turnout. As well as trade stands, attractions include seminars, workshops and speed networking.

Here you will find a wide range of essential materials, including lanyards and lanyard accessories. http://www.monk.prod-cat.com/index. php?main_page=advanced_search_ result&search_in description=1&keyword= lanyard&x=0&y=0

One of this year’s keynote speakers is Olympic champion Sally Gunnell OBE.

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Chamber News

Sussex Chamber of Commerce Immigration proposals could exacerbate labour shortages Over half of UK businesses with Chamber staff from outside the UK would be News negatively impacted by government proposals for the UK’s future immigration system, according to new research released by the British Chambers of Commerce and global job site Indeed.

According to a survey of businesses that currently employ non-UK nationals, 53% report they would be negatively impacted by proposals requiring all skilled migrant workers to earn a minimum annual salary of £30k once the UK leaves the EU.

57% of employers say they would be adversely affected by plans to impose a 12-month work and residency limit on lower skilled migrants, requiring workers to leave the UK for at least a year once their visa had expired.

Over a third of firms (34%) would be negatively impacted by an extension of the Immigration Skills Charge to EU nationals. The charge is currently paid by businesses for each migrant worker they recruit from outside the EU, adding to the upfront costs of employment.

Businesses also report a need for access to foreign language skills.

23% of respondents say German and Mandarin Chinese will be important to their business in the next five years, and 20% say French and Spanish will be – highlighting both the importance of

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ensuring native speakers are available and improving language skills in the UK workforce.

At a time of record low unemployment, when businesses are reporting critical levels of recruitment difficulties, the proposals in the Immigration White Paper would add to the cost and barriers employers face in accessing the skills they need. The Sussex Chamber and the leading business group, the British Chambers, are calling for proposals that ensure firms in all regions and sectors can continue to access skills at every level, when they are unable to recruit locally. The ending of free movement will present significant costs and challenges for employers.

Jane Gratton, Head of People Policy at the British Chambers, said: “When businesses are unable to recruit skills and labour at a local or national level, the UK’s new immigration system must allow them to access non-UK workers quickly and cost effectively.

The survey results reflect the extent of business concerns about future restrictions, charges and thresholds, as these will exacerbate recruitment costs and barriers. While companies are investing more in homegrown skills, they will continue to need access to migrant skills, at all levels, for the foreseeable future in order to thrive.

Salary thresholds and visa restrictions must reflect economic realities. It’s vital that the Migration Advisory Committee’s review into the salary threshold takes into account the needs of different sectors and regions. Business

communities need assurance the UK’s future immigration policy has the right balance of flexibility and controls to alleviate their concerns.”

Pawel Adrjan, UK economist at the global job site Indeed, said: “Record high employment and declining interest of European jobseekers in British jobs mean businesses in many sectors are finding it increasingly difficult to hire workers with the right skills. Like in any open economy, migration flows are one way to release that pressure valve but as our survey found, new proposals do not appear to flex and breathe depending on employers’ needs. Nowhere in the UK labour market is this need for suppleness more pertinent than in healthcare and construction, which have a high dependency of non-UK workers. Communication at work remains essential and language skills in particular have become vital in a connected world in which more businesses than ever operate across borders. While research suggests fewer UK students are learning foreign languages, our data reveals the importance of learning new spoken skills. German recently overtook French as the most sought-after language by UK employers but demand for Chinese languages has rocketed over the past year as businesses consider future trading relations.”

Ana Christie, Chief Executive Sussex Chamber of Commerce

Immigration proposals could exacerbate labour shortages Over half of UK businesses employing non-UK nationals say they would be negatively impacted by government proposals for the UK’s future immigration system, according to new research released by the British Chambers of Commerce and global job site Indeed.

12

53%

of businesses report they would be negatively impacted by proposals requiring all skilled migrant workers to earn a minimum annual salary of £30k once the UK leaves the EU.

57%

of employers say they would be adversely affected by plans to impose a 12-month work and residency limit on lower skilled migrants, requiring workers to leave the UK for at least a year once their visa had expired.

34%

would be negatively impacted by an extension Skills of the Immigration

Charge to EU nationals.

The charge is currently paid by businesses for each migrant worker they recruit from outside the EU, adding to the upfront cost of employment.

The BCC and Indeed have created a Hiring Handbook to help businesses find and recruit the best people.

"When businesses are unable to recruit skills and labour at a local or national level, the UK’s new immigration system must allow them to access non-UK workers quickly and cost effectively. The survey results reflect the extent of business concerns about future restrictions, charges and thresholds, as these will exacerbate recruitment costs and barriers.”

Jane Gratton Head of People Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC)

"Record high employment and declining interest of European jobseekers in British jobs mean businesses in many sectors are finding it increasingly difficult to hire workers with the right skills. Like in any open economy, migration flows are one way to release that pressure valve but as our survey found, new proposals do not appear to flex and breathe depending on employers’ needs."

Pawel Adrjan UK Economist, Indeed Hiring Lab

*The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) surveyed 380 businesses that employ nonUK nationals, between 29 April to 16 May 2019.

www.britishchambers.org.uk | @britishchambers www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 59

SBT

ASK THE

EXPERTS

WE ASK THE EXPERTS TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS YOU NEED

EXPERT

Mark Woolnough | CEO - Logistically What is a freight broker?

Whilst common place in the USA, freight brokerage is a relatively unused term in the UK. A freight broker is very much like any other type of broker, an intermediary who’s main role is to bring together a buyer and seller. In this case a shipper and a transport provider. A freight broker provides a similar service to freight forwarders, but with some key differences.

Should I use a freight broker?

If you’re trading internationally, you’ve likely heard of freight forwarders before. They help importers and exports navigate the complexities of moving their goods around the world.

Freight forwarding companies exist in numerous different shapes and sizes, from one man bands, right up to global giants like DHL & Kuehne & Nagel. Each with their own pros, cons strengths and weaknesses.

However there are other options to manage your freight shipments rather than freight forwarders.

Freight brokers: • Do not take physical possession of the goods • Help identify the best transport company for your needs • Should be neutral and independent • Work for you to cut costs In principal a freight forwarder can and do offer the services of a broker, but the reality is very different as it’s not a cores skill set and many forwarders are required to utilise their own vehicles and services, even when there could be better options for the client.

Why use a freight broker?

In one word efficiency.

By using a freight broker you have the benefit of your own dedicated shipping

resource without any of the cost. In reality it’s only some of the largest companies who have the luxury of a true logistics or shipping department. The reality is that the responsibility for organising freight quotes and shipments, usually falls somewhere between, sales, accounts, warehouse or more often than not on the boss’s desk.

A broker adds flexibility and value to your supply chain, and by focusing on your core skill set, you can do what you do best and leave the shipping & logistics to what brokers do best.

Rates change daily, and knowing which providers to even approach about your shipments is not always clear, a freight broker is dealing with these challenges daily and can utilise their network and leverage buying power to provide discounted pricing you would not otherwise have access to.

Logistically offers a freight brokerage service tailor made for SMEs. Free review of your current freight requirements and no obligation registration for our brokerage service.

Visit www.logistically.co.uk or email info@ logistically.co.uk to find out more.

Delivering an exceptional range of hot and cold hydration solutions | Bottled Water Coolers | Mains Fed Water Coolers | Water Boilers | Water Fountains | Specialty Taps | Accessories

0344 579 3999

edgarswater.co.uk 60 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

enquiries@edgarswater.co.uk

EXPERT

Lisa Seymour | Managing Director – Spoken In the long run it can safe you a fortune, becoming one of your company’s most valuable assets - because it will speak for you in ways that words cannot, distinguishing you from your competitors.

Before creating your brand identity there are a number of things to take into account:

What Is Brand Identity?

People often mix up brand identity and brand values. From a design point of view it’s brand identity that matters, as it is the visible elements of a brand - the colour, design and logo - which identify and distinguish it in your customers’ minds. It is the message they subliminally receive from the look and feel of your website, business card, social media profile and all forms of written communication, such as flyers, hoardings or brochures. It’s so important to get this right and at Spoken we are the experts at helping establish your brand identity.

Any business, big or small, needs a memorable and consistent brand identity.

EXPERT

Do a SWOT analysis of your company and the market within which it operates, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This will help you nail your brand’s USP (unique selling point), from which the brand identity will grow.

What are your key business goals? Your brand identity should help you fulfil them. If you are aiming for a particular market, your branding needs to tick all the right boxes for potential customers and this will influence your choice of colour and font.

Who are your customers and how are your products or services useful to them? How do you fit into their lives? Think about their lifestyle and values so you can understand how best to communicate the benefits of what you offer.

Work out the personality and message your brand identity should communicate. It’s

Turbulent economic times have always been an opportunity for strong, innovative businesses to shine – and the challenges presented by today’s political landscape are no different.

The businesses that thrive, rather than being content with merely surviving, will be those that have a strong culture and a mindset of growth and innovation embedded at every level.

Running a home care network of over 120 franchises businesses, effective

Once you have done your prep it should help to narrow down your choices of logo, colour and font - but allow for this to take some time and try a variety of different versions.

Once you have two or three options for your brand identity, test them on people you can rely on to give honest feedback. Rather than whether they like a particular option, ask them what kind of personality it would have if it were a person. Does it align with the values of your company? Don’t make any snap decisions. Stick the different options up around the room and see what your response is after a day or two.

It’s important to get your brand identity right, because people will forever more associate it with your brand and you need that to be for all the right reasons. Need some help? Let Spoken help you create the perfect brand identity.

David Glover | Managing Director, Caremark communication from the top is essential to maintaining a consistent culture and brand values. Brexit has been an opportunity to redouble our commitment to this, and an internal culture campaign to reemphasise our values, beliefs and ethos at every level has supported our continued growth.

How can you help franchisees thrive during times of economic uncertainty?

impossible to convey every single positive aspect of your company - you can’t, for example, convey ‘playful’, ‘luxurious’, and ‘useful’ all at once - so don’t try and throw everything at it. Stick to being consistent and coherent in the message you convey via your words, colours and images.

Confidence to innovate, so essential when the road ahead may be bumpy, comes through strong communication and collaboration. I would advise any large franchise network to offer as many opportunities as possible for franchisees to come together to share learnings and ideas and to benefit from peer support.

After all, that’s one of the many benefits of running a franchise – support from the parent business and from other business owners who are in the same position. We’ve found that a mixture of regular face-to-face events and online tools that people can access remotely works well. Public celebrations of success and rewarding excellence are wonderful motivators too.

It’s vital to be unwavering in your commitment to your business’ values, no matter what the environment is. We turn

away a great number of franchisee hopefuls because they do not fit our ethos. We know that if we did, they would only dilute the strong brand we have built over so many years. If an applicant doesn’t show a real vocation for care and an affinity with our ethos, it doesn’t matter how brilliant a businessperson they might be, they won’t be part of the Caremark network.

Never rest on your laurels, keep moving. Our industry, home care, is a growing and fairly recession-proof one. No robot could ever replicate the vital work our teams do. That only motivates us even more, so we continue to innovate at head office level and to inspire our franchisees to do the same in their local communities.

Whether you a franchisor running a network or a business with employees, culture and values need to be clearly communicated and reinforced at every level. In this way franchisees and staff alike will become brand ambassadors because they feel supported, inspired and part of something bigger.

For further information please email info@caremark.co.uk or visit www. caremarkfranchises.com

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Made in Sussex: Whitepine Video Co. Brand focus

Whitepine Video Co. is a creatively-led production company founded by brothers Rick and Guy Robbins in 2010.

Rick, studied television and film production at Sussex Downs College.

And since graduating, has worked in several post-production facilities - including EGG Post Production in Ireland - working on several television and film projects for the likes of Sky1 and Warner Bros.

Guy completed his Masters in Film from University College Dublin in 2008. Since then he has been working as a Dublin based freelance camera operator and video editor.

Both work independently as well as together in the UK and Ireland or travelling on projects home and abroad.

To-date the Whitepine Video Company has worked with a number of clients, agencies and production companies creating branded content, corporate videos, music videos. They also cover

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live events for a range of clients across multiple sectors.

The brothers, working with a small team of freelancers grow and shrink to suit the project in hand, at the same time helping brands connect with audiences across various platforms in an engaging format.

Rick explained: Google has announced 1.9 billion users use YouTube every single month. Video is revolutionizing the marketing game. More and more clients and customers are consuming video content. It’s estimated that by 2021, 82% of internet traffic will come from videos.

Guy added: “Videos are a consumers’ favourite type of content to see from a brand on social media. With video becoming a great influence on consumer decisions, Instagram is on track to become the fastest-growing platform which uses video content to drive purchases.”

The brothers believe decisions on whether to buy into video content all comes down to the return on investment.

They say: “Broadly speaking, companies use video marketing to increase their sales. Build brand awareness as well as trust, to keep their current customers informed and to reach out to potential customers.

“The current platforms most commonly used by marketers for posting video content and video ads are YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.”

“A reason why video marketing is favoured as a marketing tool is because of its potential to explain everything in a format that is preferred by users — the visual format. Third-party Testimonials, Tutorials or explainer videos are especially popular among end-users.”

Customers retain messages better when viewed in a video, compared to written form. If you want people to stay on your website for longer, you need to get their attention by investing in your video strategy and adding engaging video content.

www.whitepine.io

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