A RAPIDLY expanding Tenbury company has achieved an important food safety standard with a big name UK outlet.

Orchard Valley Foods that started as a ‘home business’ and has grown to become one of the largest employers in Tenbury and the Teme Valley has been subject to a major audit by one of its best known retail customers.

After a two-day inspection by Marks and Spencer, the Burford-based business was awarded the gold standard.

M&S awarded Orchard Valley Foods a Gold standard for Food Safety in January 2016, one of only a small number achieved under its new audit system.

John Taylor, technical director at Orchard Valley Foods, headed up the preparations for the audit.

“The backing and drive from the Orchard Valley Foods Board has been vital to ensure we have reached the position of being awarded a Gold standard,” he said.

“Our technical team has been restructured and the investment in training across areas such as internal and external auditing, pest control and print verification for the whole company has been significant.

"The excellent support we have had from various M&S staff across technical, development, commercial and supply chain has been important.”

Managing director Mike Forrester has praised his staff for their work to gain the standard that marks another step in the progress of the business.

“Retailers have beneficial impact on employment in the food supply chain,” said Mike Forrester.

“A proportion of Orchard Valley Foods output ends up on retail shelves and generates jobs in our company.

“An important role of the retailer is their impact on continuously improving food quality.

“All retailers have very high standards.

“We supply Marks and Spencer who like all retailers, will not compromise on quality.”

He said the success of Orchard Valley Foods depends upon its people.

Last year, Orchard Valley Foods expanded to open a warehouse in Leominster.

It marked the most recent expansion for the business which started in a front room and now employs 69 people as well as exporting all over the world.

The company signed a 10-year lease on large warehousing facilities (43,000 sq ft for 5,500 pallet spaces) in the Leominster Enterprise Park on Clinton Road.

This allows it to consolidate our UK external storage and the Clinton Road site will become Orchard Valley’s UK distribution hub serving up to 700 customers in the UK and abroad.

The site also services the packing operation in Tenbury with raw materials and packaging. Initially it created three new jobs but more are expected in the future.

Orchard Valley Foods provides ingredients for the baking and confectionery industry as well as supplying to home bakers.

It started as a business in a front room but has grown over the past 10 years to become one of Tenbury’s largest employers.

It supplies customers all over the world, including on the other side of the globe in Australia.

The company has achieved its success in the face of the major economic downturn which started in 2008.

But it has benefited from the growing popularity of home baking.

Involvement with local community projects includes support for Tenbury swimming pool and leisure centre.