An award-winning Cornish confectioner is planning a major expansion after securing an investment of £852,573 from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth programme. The funding comes as part of the UK’s post-Brexit Shared Prosperity Fund of which Cornwall was awarded £137 million.
Buttermilk, based in Bodmin, started life as a traditional fudge shop in the heart of Padstow in 1964. Now, 60 years later, the business has pioneered a range of award-winning dairy-free chocolate bars that are stocked by major retailers and wholesalers across the UK and sold online.
With sales growth of 225% for its ‘plant-powered’ confectionery including a growing export market, the challenger brand is embarking on a major expansion. The £930,000 project will see Buttermilk consolidate and expand two production units on to one site at its Bodmin base, seeking to create 14 quality jobs in the future and doubling production capacity.
To support quality year-round employment, the business will also invest in the development of a multi-skilled production team that will benefit from consolidated training and development programmes in food safety, quality, and technology.
The 420 square metre factory extension will include solar panels on the roof and a heat recovery system to reuse heat extracted from refrigeration for hot water and cleaning, significantly reducing the factory’s carbon footprint in line with the Good Growth programme’s key principles.
Buttermilk was acquired by husband-and-wife team David and Tracy Goad in 2010 as a small seasonal fudge producer. By 2016 they had transformed it into a sustainable year-round employer with listings in Waitrose, Sainsbury, Tesco and more. After the success of a dairy free Easter egg in 2018, the company secured funding to develop a pilot production line of dairy free chocolate snack bars in 2021 and has never looked back.
David, who has a degree in mechanical engineering and is innovation lead in the business, added:
“Having a ringfenced ‘free-from’ production line with zero risk of cross-contamination has allowed us to develop delicious products that are suitable for everyone, regardless of lifestyle choice or dietary requirements. The expansion will allow us to meet growing demand and explore new products such as low-calorie options, and overseas markets where we already have interest from retailers in mainland Europe, the US, Ireland, and Australia. The investment will make a huge difference.”
Scott Mann MP for North Cornwall said:
“I am delighted to learn that Buttermilk will now be able to launch a major expansion in Bodmin due to Government funding delivered through the Shared Prosperity Fund. This is a great North Cornwall company that has its roots in Padstow and employs many people in the constituency. I have previously visited the company and hosted them in the House of Commons, and know they have done a wonderful job of putting their brilliant product and Cornwall on the map.”
