One of Shropshire’s best-known bakeries is creating new jobs after receiving nearly £115,000 from a grant programme supported by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership.
Shrewsbury’s Planet Doughnut bakery has moved into a modern new production base in the town and taken on new staff after receiving £114,800 from the Marches Building Investment Grant (MBIG).
Duncan McGregor – who set up Planet Doughnut in 2017 with his wife Samantha – said the move to the new bakery in Battlefield was a crucial part of its latest expansion drive which would see it moving to 24-hour production and creating more than 10 jobs this summer.
“We expect turnover at the bakery to reach £750,000 this year and to be employing 32 people there. The move to the new production base is vital to help with that growth,” said Duncan.
“We have exciting plans for the future based around increasing wholesale distribution of pre-packed doughnuts with both major and independent retailers and a number of other initiatives.”
The bakery supplies Planet Doughnut’s retail outlets in Shrewsbury and Telford.
“The extra production capacity we now have means that we have room to grow further and we are looking forward to continuing the success we have enjoyed over the past four years,” added Duncan.
“The grant from MBIG has been a huge help towards the cost of the new bakery and the process of applying for and obtaining the funds, with the support of the Marches Growth Hub, was very straightforward.”
The MBIG programme offers grants of up to £150,000 to help meet the cost of building new premises or extending and reconfiguring existing ones. It is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and supported by the Marches LEP and Marches Growth Hub.
Programme Manager Caroline Cattle said: “Planet Doughnut has made a huge impact on the area in just a few short years, and we are delighted to have been able to help with the move to the new bakery on Knights Way on Battlefield. The move means that the bakery can continue to expand and create new jobs.”
Gill Hamer, Marches LEP chief executive, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to help Planet Doughnut in this way. The company has quickly become a well-known name throughout the region and the move to a new bakery can only help build on that success.”
The MBIG programme, which is delivered by Herefordshire Council, meets up to half the cost of successful applications, meaning that projects costing up to £300,000 could secure a grant of £150,000. The scheme covers B2B businesses and does not include retail, social welfare or agricultural companies.
Full details are available from the team at mbig@herefordshire.gov.uk or by calling 01432 261511. The Marches Growth Hub Telford & Wrekin can be contacted at enterprisetelford@telford.gov.uk
CAPTION: Duncan McGregor of Planet Doughnut.
