Pancake company ups output with cash injection

by insidermedia.com - 19/10/2011

"A pancake business launched by two university friends has moved to a new manufacturing and distribution headquarters in Leeds after securing investment"

Neil Tipping and Jon White met 11 years ago while on the same degree course at Leeds Metropolitan University and opened Enjays in 2005 from a shop in Headingley.

Backed by a loan from NatWest and equity capital from a number of business angels, Enjays Pancakes has been able to finance a 10,000 sq ft facility in South Leeds.

The business said this additional capacity had enabled the creation of new lines and sales of its "secret recipe" pancakes are heading for double-digit growth.
From a small creperie selling about 30,000 pancakes in its first year, Enjays said it has become a national operation supplying products to more than 40 UK outlets including Butlins and the business behind Alton Towers and The Tussauds Group.

"In the last few years opening retail outlets has been extremely difficult due to high start up costs and low levels of lending," said co-founder Jon White.
"We considered all our options for growth and decided that developing a first class range of pancake products that utilises customers existing equipment for preparation was the best way to move things forward rapidly."

Craig Hindmarsh, who has experience managing blue chip food manufacturing businesses, has joined the Enjays board to assist with its expansion plans.
"I saw the potential from the first time I met Jon and Neil," he said.

"The growth of Enjays since its beginning has been phenomenal, showing that there is a fantastic demand for its products."

Enjays recently received a £10,000 grant through Leeds City Council's Business Growth Fund, set up to support capital investment and employment creation

More Details: http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/yorkshire/60561-/