MAJOR LISTING FOR STROUD-BASED FOOD PRODUCER

Wolfys Porridge, owned by Stroud-based Kitchen Garden Foods, has secured a national listing with the Co-op.

Commercial Director and joint owner of Kitchen Garden Foods, James Horwood, said: “When we launched Wolfys, we didn’t know how successful it would be. There were already lots of porridge pots on the market but none with a little pot of jam or marmalade under the lid – that’s where Wolfys stands out from the rest.

“The Co-op’s listing is a really big deal for us and we’re so pleased. With four lines, including two from the vegan range, Wolfys has been listed in more than 200 stores.”

Kitchen Garden Foods, which manufacturers the instant porridge pots in Stroud, was founded in 1989 and has seen fantastic growth in its Wolfys brand since launching in 2013.

It employs around 24 staff and has won more than 100 awards for its products.

Gloucestershire’s Growth Hubs sprouting up all over the county

As Cirencester Growth Hub celebrates its first birthday, Gloucestershire’s Local Enterprise Partnership, GFirst, has announced that Stroud is also getting its own growth hub, which will be opening at SGS Stroud College Campus.

Using funding from the £101.7 million allocated from Government in the Gloucestershire Growth Deal, GFirst LEP’s Growth Hubs make free business support accessible for county businesses.

Sara-Jane Watkins, Stroud College Principal, said: “The college already has extremely strong links with local employers and working with the wider business community has always been a strategic priority of ours. This new Growth Hub will enhance support for businesses in the Stroud Valleys, from large enterprises to new start-ups.”

More awards success for Adey

Water treatment manufacturer and magnetic filtration pioneer, Adey, has collected another industry award, this time at the Commissioning Specialists Association (CSA) Awards.

Cheltenham-based Adey’s water testing services instrument took home Product Innovation of the Year for its MALDI-ToF.

MALDI-ToF (it stands for “Matrix Assisted Laser Disorption and Ionization by Time of Flight”, which doesn’t trip off the tongue quite so well), is an instant confirmation technique for microbiological testing. Cultures from water samples can be tested and an instant identification of genus and species provided where contaminants such as Legionella and Pseudomonas are found.

Nick Barsby, Adey’s Commercial Water Testing Manager, said the innovation represents a significant company investment. “Commercial water testing forms part of a range of products and services that help our customers achieve the best in safety, efficiency and lifespan of a water system,” he said.