Tenbury business has special reason to raise a glass to the Queen on her birthday

On the occasion of the Queen’s 90th birthday, Orchard Valley Foods has been announced as a winner of the 2016 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the field of International Trade.

Orchard Valley Foods has demonstrated year-on-year growth in the export of confections, decorations and inclusions to almost 30 overseas markets.

This has been achieved through harnessing a network of specialist distributors to bakery, ice cream, coffee shop and foodservice customers in several countries, as well as extending direct business with global food and confectionery companies initiated in the UK.

The company that started as a home business now employs nearly 80 people and exports all over the world including to Australia.

It has its UK headquarters in Burford and most of its employees come from Tenbury and the Teme Valley. The company has also expanded by opening a warehouse a Clinton Road in Leominster to help it to supply a network of 700 UK and overseas customers.

Earlier this year, Orchard Valley Foods received a quality award from Marks and Spencer.

“UKTI has been really supportive in helping us to prepare for - and provide some funding towards - market visits, exhibitions and establishing our distributor network,” said export manager Libby Forrester.

“We held our first Distributor Conference in late 2015, with attendees from countries including Romania, Germany, France, Norway and Ireland, which was an important landmark.

“Notably, in the same month as receiving the Queen’s Award we shipped our first container to Australia.”

Kelly Blumberg, global account manager, said that having established itself initially in the UK market the business had then decided to enter the export market.

“Establishing ourselves as a reputable supply partner to the UK operations of international food manufacturers has led to sizeable opportunities in overseas divisions of these global accounts,” she said.

Mike Forrester, who founded the business, has reflected upon 12 years of growth that includes the biggest economic downturn since the 1930s.

However, the business has benefited from the growth in the popularity of home baking.

“Orchard Valley Foods has come a long way in the last 12 years,” he said.

“We now employ over 70 people across our sites in Tenbury Wells and Leominster.

"We are very proud of the team’s achievements and dedication to make Orchard Valley Foods a truly international supplier.

“To be recognised with the UK’s highest accolade for business success is a reflection on the whole business.”

Mike, who spends part of his time overseas, is now non-executive chairman of the business and Cherry Blumberg has taken on the role as managing director.

Mike Forrester has said in the past that while Tenbury is not be best place in the country to base a business because of the poor transport infrastructure, this is made up for by the attractiveness of the area and the workforce.

Orchard Valley Foods has been involved in a number of local activities and is a sponsor of the Tenbury Swimming Pool.