With a well-established background in the bakery industry and a wealth of experience ranging from Dublin Airport to Australia via Skinny Batch Bakery, Thomas Roffey was not short on eagerness, determination and drive to open his own business.

As a head pastry chef in Australia for a time, he realised this was something he wanted to do himself, with a dream to open his own bakery. In 2024, he returned home to do just that, establishing Gullion Bakery with his father.

And despite a somewhat rocky start, Gullion Bakery is thriving and earlier this year, Thomas and his father opened a second outlet, in Newry city – Golden Fold. As Thomas told NR, he set out to do achieve something his competitors weren’t.

“What we are doing is different from our competitors, we are doing deliveries seven days a week and we are making seven days a week. We are making all our products fresh each day and we can bring those directly to our customers every day,” said Thomas.

All products sold in Gullion Bakery and Golden Fold are handmade, using fresh ingredients, with Thomas and his team making the pastry from scratch each morning.

“There is nowhere within 50km of us doing anything like that, so it’s very unique,” added Thomas. “That is a really good selling point for us.

“People are pleased with the quality of the goods we are baking; they are getting used to what we are doing, which is trying to disrupt people’s habits.”

Building up a core customer base and establishing an ever-growing list of wholesale clients, Thomas acknowledged the very early days left him unsure as to whether he had made the right decision.

“It was really hard and difficult to get set up. We had a limited budget and we did as much of the work ourselves as we could to the best of our ability, and they were long hard days at the start.

“People tell you it will be hard, but they were 15-16 hour-days, six days a week. It really does test you, but after a while it makes it all worthwhile and it is paying off.

“At the very start after we opened, we were very quiet, nobody really knew we were there and I remember sitting with my dad looking at an empty shop on a Saturday afternoon and wondering if we had done the right thing. But soon people started to get to know us and discover what we do, we have built up that customer base, but it does take time to build your name and reputation.

“It is quite daunting to do something like this. It’s scary to take all your savings and try to set something up,” he added.

“You are wondering if people are going to come and for the first while they didn’t come, but we are very busy now and it was all worth it. We are very busy now supplying a lot of wholesale goods, coffee shops are wanting to buy fresh, top-quality items and we can deliver those to them every day.”

Having set up in 2024, Thomas couldn’t have foreseen what was to come in the Autumn Budget, with SMEs particularly hard hit with increasing National Insurance contributions and rising wage bills. With a dedicated team of 16 staff employed, he told NR he has tried to take on those challenges as best he can.

“Rising wage costs are certainly difficult and something that I was not ready for when I first opened Gullion Bakery. It is going to be the smaller businesses who are going to take the hit with those wage bills,” he said.

“It is an easy way for the government to raise money, and the tough part of that is the National Insurance contributions, it makes the difference between everything going well and being just above water.”

With a commitment to focusing on fresh, quality products, Thomas added that he always has a close eye on the latest trends or hits in the food sector.

“Trends move so fast, but I would love to lead the charge with pastries. We have more different products and we are trying to make it a bit more special.”

Having attended and took part in IFEX earlier this year, Thomas said it was an experience he really enjoyed.

“It was something different. I am not used to being in front of the camera like that, and I have to say I would love to do something more like that in the future. It was also good for the business as I could show those attending the quality of what we are doing.

“We recently just hit our maximum capacity in terms of what we can make for our wholesale distribution,” he added.

“It is great for the business and great that our name and reputation is out there now but that does mean working 16-17 hour-days, six days a week for two to three months, which a lot of people do not see going on behind the scenes. So, I have just hired someone to take that load off me.

“People don’t see the 2.30am starts and the work that has been done before you even open your doors. Social media does help with that as we can show some of what we do. But it’s still quite frustrating, as we do have people coming in and asking where we get our pastry from. We are showing them this way that we can making it fresh ourselves every day, we want them to see the process step by step and to appreciate that.”

READ THE FULL FEATURE ON GULLION BAKERY IN THE JUNE-JULY ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

The post Gullion Bakery rises to the challenge first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

With 35 years’ experience behind him, Errol Lenaghan knows the importance of supporting local businesses. Having started from home with a farm shop in Hamiltonsbawn, he opened his butcher shop in nearby Richhill in 2019.

Since then, he has enjoyed wonderful growth, initially employing two staff in the early days, he now has a team of eight working to serve their customers with the finest cuts of locally sourced meat.

And while the consumer’s palate has evolved and tastes can change, he has noticed the return to the traditional cuts of meat and products, such as vegetable roll and chops. Against this, he works hard to market his business in a savvy way, interacting directly with the customer.

“The footfall driver and how we have grown and changed things is we have found that convenience food is massive, but I would stress that if you are selling really really good steaks as well as the old-school products, they are all coming back into play again,” he said.

“People are watching chefs making tasty meals with these products and they want to do it themselves. Beside this, all our high-end products are selling very well, including Tomahawk steaks. I would get them in every few weeks and launch them on Facebook and they sell out really quickly.

“The significance of the growth of the business and getting our name out there has been Facebook, where we have 10,000 followers, and TikTok, which is quite remarkable for a small butcher in Richhill.

“Social media is about 85% of my business growth, heavily using Facebook, TikTok and Instagram to drive the business and market what we do. This has been a very big thing for us, people are watching my live videos, seeing what I have in-store at that time and coming along and buying what they need.

“It has eased the process for them and they feel like they are even more familiar with the shop when the come in to buy their meat.”

Buying their meat from Hewitt Meats, Errol praises it for being a high-quality product, and while it may be more expensive the quality suits its clientele. He also uses locally farmed chicken and a local lamb supplier, and when they are in season, he sells a lot of venison and fresh fish which is brought in from Kilkeel.

The particular area of growth at Bawn Meats has been their wholesale arm, specifically pies, with them selling 200 to 300 pies per week and retailing 150 of those to Grange Farm Shops. Additionally, they supply burgers to a few reputable chip shops including in Kilkeel, where one business buys 1000-1500 burgers every three weeks.

“We won the Co. Armagh best overall sausage competition, which was a big accolade for us as it was actually the first time we have competed, so it was a real boost and we have seen our sales of sausages treble from that,” said Errol.

Priding himself on being an old-school butcher, Errol also knows the importance of moving with the times, not least in an effort to reduce some of the ever-increasing business costs and drive towards efficiency.

“I have introduced newer equipment to try and be more efficient, as well as LED lighting which has helped significantly as well,” said Errol.

“Our electric bill went from £1300-£1400 per quarter to now being £2500 per quarter. We introduced three-phase electric and we had to invest in that, which has made a slight difference, but we had the initial outlay and cost of that to fact in too.

“My biggest challenge is the price of beef. A year ago, 95vl trim used to make mince, was £4.80 per kilo, today it’s £8.50 per kilo; that is only in a year.

“My margins cannot change, we can tweak it slightly at the till, but you cannot put your prices up by too much or you price yourself out of business. We are blessed that we sell so many mince pies, but it’s still very challenging. Sirloin steaks were £13 per kilo, now they are £17 per kilo, I cannot add all that onto my pricing.”

In a positive step, Errol has taken on a pizza shop and chip shop in Richhill, which he said he will use as a new vessel to sell their products as a cooked product.

READ THE FULL FEATURE ON BAWN MEATS IN THE JUNE-JULY ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

The post We need a voice for the ordinary butcher first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Serving Newcastle since 1980, The Barbican is a well-known and key part of the Newcastle retail offering. Having recently converted to the Centra brand, it now brings together SuperValu’s strong food heritage with Centra’s modern convenience offer.

Standing at just over 7500 sq ft, it offers a spacious and shopper-friendly layout, while the 45-strong store team are all committed to delivering excellent customer service.

The redesigned store delivers a more seamless shopping experience with an enhanced fresh food and deli offer, great coffee and food on the go, as well as a standout premium alcohol range. It also boasts more than 400 new lines including a dedicated ‘local’ section, while a key focus of the store is the Dinner Made Easy zone.

Externally, all signage was refreshed, while improvements were made to the car park to include picnic tables and bicycle parking, taking advantage of the store’s proximity to the caravan parks and town centre. Liam told NR that new EV chargers will be introduced soon, while additional windows were installed allowing more natural light into the store.

“Internally, the store has been totally transformed with clear zones to create an intuitive shopper flow and enjoyable customer experience,” said Liam.

“The ‘Dinner for Tonight’ zone is a key feature, bringing together convenient, high-quality meal options including Caramico pizzas, sides, dips and desserts, Donnybrook Fair lasagnes, curries and pies, and Clean Cut high-protein meals, complemented by fresh cuts of meat from Good Food Locally Sourced,” said Liam.

“We also have a selection of meals from local supplier The Galley and have introduced the Go Pig range into our Dinner for Tonight zone.

“This is enhanced further by our award-winning SuperValu Signature Tastes range and the introduction of Mercato Italiano – a unique selection of charcuterie meats, cheeses, pizza bases and ambient products.”

The food-to-go area features a new Frank and Honest coffee dock, clearly positioned as a destination for coffee and hot beverages.

“Next to this is a new hot and cold deli, including a baked potato station and pizza by the slice, as well as an in-store bakery serving freshly baked goods and handcrafted patisserie throughout the day.”

The top-up shopping zone guides shoppers through core everyday categories, with clear lighting and signage for easy navigation, while the off licence has been integrated into the overall flow of the store with signage making it easier to shop by category, occasion and price point.

“It offers a balance of value and premium, with multibuy promotions, a curated Discovery Range featuring wines from around the world, and an extensive selection of premium spirits and champagnes. We also have a dedicated zero zone,” Liam shared.

Musgrave has a long-standing commitment to supporting local, investing £240 million annually in local products, working with 250 suppliers and 3000 farmers, and stocking over 6,000 local products across their stores.

READ THE FULL FEATURE ON THE BARBICAN NEWCASTLE IN THE JUNE-JULY ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

The post A new chapter for The Barbican in Newcastle first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Originally known as ‘Paul’s, the first shop – a short distance from the current store – was one of the first stores to offer much-needed convenience and choice to the local community near Newry.

Paul’s values of quality and freshness, shaped by his 25 years at Liptons in Dundalk (which covered all of Ireland) including a lengthy tenure as Area Manager, and his friendly community ethos have shaped the business into what it is today – a large, thriving EUROSPAR store. Fifty years on and quality, freshness and community are still the central focus of the business.

Paul grew and developed the original store continuously over those early years, adding a butchery and deli counter in the 1970s, while a Post Office was added later.

By the end of the 1980s, Paul was keen to grow the business and bought a site on the main Forkhill Road outside Newry, where they are still based today. Approximately 2500 sq ft with a forecourt, the small supermarket was the next phase in the growth of the business, which has been incrementally developed to where they are today.

Terry was a young child when his father bought the shop and he has been involved in the business for the most part, proudly working as director of the business today.

“I went to college to pursue a career in IT and came back to the business around 2005, which coincided with a big development including moving from SPAR to EUROSPAR,” said Terry.

“At that point, my father was at the stage he wanted to step back and retire and I was plunged into the middle of it all from then. At that stage the store was about 4000 sq ft in size, so in 2015 we doubled the size of the store to its current size.

“As times and demands have changed, we have changed. We have grown the store to suit; it’s a continued work in progress and constantly evolving.”

Continuing their focus on a fresh offering, Terry said this remains a core part of the business. Additionally, they wanted to improve energy efficiency at the store, something that has also been a driving force behind developments over the years.

“We were looking at our refrigeration and it was getting quite expensive to run,” said Terry.

“We modified, got new refrigeration, new closed doors for energy efficiency; we also installed new lighting to brighten up the store which has had a great impact. New signage was installed and we also increased the size of and did a complete refurbishment of our in-store off licence, including a walk-in beer fridge.

“Overall, we wanted to bring in a more modern feel to the store. We also updated the forecourt and outside footprint of the store. We opened up the car park, reconfiguring it and gained about 15 to 20 additional parking spaces.”

Having started the work last October, it took approximately six months to complete and represented an investment of over £0.5 million. Terry said the response from their customers has been great.

“The feedback has been very positive; they are all very pleased with what’s been done. It’s about making it convenient for the customer; they are the important ones!”

READ THE FULL FEATURE ON MULKERNS EUROSPAR IN THE MAY ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

The post A golden age for Mulkerns marking five decades in business first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Opened in 1950 by Norman Watt, the site started out as a car repair garage which also sold fuel from one small hand-operated pump. An important part of the local community, Norman carried out a rebuild of the facility in the 1960s.

Owned and run by the family, Watts SPAR in Ballyclare is now a third-generation business.

Over its 76 years of trading, the site and store have grown significantly, with two iterations, including a rebuild in 2000, and a change of format last year.

A complete knockdown and rebuild of the store was carried out in 2000, when the previously unbranded store became a Costcutter for approximately 20 years, before rebranding as SPAR in May 2021.

“We have always been in the same location,” said Darryl. “Five years ago we purchased an adjacent site that had been a funeral home, and we then incorporated the two sites into one.

“It had been disused for a number of years, and we went through the planning process, which took four years. With the support of the local council and councillors, plus invaluable input from Henderson Group, we were able to create a store which not only supports our customers but transforms the visual impact at the town entrance.

“The store more than doubled in size from 2,421 sq ft to 4,370 sq ft. We significantly increased our hot and cold deli, and made-in-store food-to-go offering, as we wanted to emphasise our dedication to providing fresh, locally sourced, quality produce and food. This is one of our key goals.”

The new-look store, which was under renovation for nine months, has also provided 16 new jobs for the area, including both on the shop floor and in the deli.

The investment has resulted in an expansion of Watts Deli, serving breakfast and lunch to go, as well as sandwiches, wraps, salads, ready meals, and sweet treats all made in store. Working closely with local suppliers, the store offers treats from Dougie’s Goodies, The Cake Box, and French Village Bakery, as well as from Stanley’s Butchery and potatoes from Rooney’s.

In addition to accessible essential services such as PayPoint, Lottery, and an external ATM, the store offers a wide selection for shoppers on the go, including a Barista Bar coffee machine and a self-serve ice cream machine.

“We also considerably changed our forecourt,” said Darryl.

“It was always very tight and difficult for customers to get in and out of, and now it’s nice and airy and very open. We have 26 parking spaces, and we made the decision to make the car parking spaces bigger and give more room per space. We have had a lot of positive feedback.

“We are with BP for fuel because they are a quality provider and offer ultimate guides to fuel. We thought that it partnered well with the SPAR brand because it’s a quality offering rather than the lowest-cost option.

“The feedback from customers has all been very, very positive,” added Darryl. “They are very happy with it and have given extremely good feedback.”

With 24 staff employed across part-time and full-time roles, Darryl thanked them all for their hard work, including three members of staff who have been with them for over 20 years.

“Having those familiar faces goes a long way for customers,” said Darryl.

“Staff training is something we are careful about. We are very conscious of our food hygiene, especially in our deli and food-to-go sections, and we use the Henderson Training Academy, which offers excellent and thorough training, keeping everyone up to speed.”

Inevitably, there are the all-too-familiar industry challenges, from staffing to business costs, with Darryl explaining they have worked extremely hard to make the store as energy-efficient as possible.

“The cost of electricity has become significant. We have tried to mitigate that through the use of solar panels, heat recovery systems, very efficient refrigeration systems, and fully automated lighting.

“We have tried to make the building as efficient as possible in terms of heating and insulation. It’s as efficient as it can be, and our electricity bills are still very expensive,” said Darryl.

“The changes and increases in National Insurance have had a massive impact and have forced us to look at more automation, such as self-scans, electronic shelf-edge labels, and Glory automatic cash handlers, in an effort to mitigate staff costs,” he added.

“All retailers are facing the exact same problems. Staff costs and the ability to recruit staff are the biggest problems for us. We are finding it very difficult to get staff.”

However, there are still positives to look forward to, as well as reflecting on the success of the business as it fast approaches eight decades serving the local community.

READ THE FULL FEATURE ON WATTS BALLYCLARE IN THE APRIL ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

The post Watts SPAR Ballyclare powers through for next generation first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.