Quick links:

• GIG drives home Ryder Cup success in Italy
• Business is thriving for custom software solutions experts Atula
• Pinewood inspires next generation of filmmakers at Futures Festival 2023
• Seymour Taylor Accountants and Tax Advisers start an exciting new chapter
• Horwood House Hotel taking a creative approach to helping homeless people
• Saffery in High Wycombe launches new Accounts and Outsourcing team
• Rumsey's Handmade Chocolates makes the Small Biz 100 list
• Highland All Terrain providing off-road vehicle driver training

GIG drives home Ryder Cup success in Italy

When the Ryder Cup headed to the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club just outside Rome this September, catering and hospitality specialist GIG swung into action to deliver more than 56,000 meals during the course of the prestigious golfing tournament.

Only appointed in April of this year, the team at GIG had a tight window to plan and deliver a project of this scale, which included catering for staff, broadcasters and media, along with a hospitality offering for two newly created areas, The Vista and The Garden.

The Vista was a lively area designed for guests to experience the thrill of Ryder Cup week with prime views of the 12th green and 13th tee. Featuring 20 private boxes, a dining space for 600 guests and a Fan Zone for a further 2,000, with DJs and live performances from the likes of Eddie Jordan and his band the Robbers. Whilst The Garden was a more relaxed space offering guests access to an exclusive bar area and street food stalls, with GIG partnering with KERB to deliver the food offering here.

As you would expect, menus were Italian influenced with all ingredients and shopping sourced and carried out locally. The culinary experience was elevated with the incorporation of sponsors' products, including Moet & Chandon and Perroni. Not to be missed were the signature cocktails, showcasing the new sponsor, Elijah Craig's Bourbon. The Marco Simone Sour and Roma Old-Fashioned quickly became guest favourites.

GIG's 127-strong team, comprising chefs, front-of-house experts, back-of-house staff, bar professionals, and event managers, were handpicked from GIG's international pool of highly-experienced personnel. Given the nature and level of the hospitality, 11% of the team were Italian speakers to mirror the audience demographic. Whilst all elements of the contract, including flights, transport and accommodation for its staff were seamlessly mobilised by GIG’s in-house project management team despite the tight timescales involved. In addition, five Arctic trucks of kit were shipped from the UK, which came with its own set of challenges in a post-Brexit world. 

Bonnie May, GIG’s CEO comments: “Our team has once again proven that no matter what the challenge they can deliver fantastic hospitality and inclusive dining spaces for guests, broadcasters, media and staff alike. A project of this scale would normally be two years in the planning, by hitting the ground running and working closely with the Ryder Cup team we were able to make it work.

“The event days themselves also weren’t easy, with temperatures topping 30 degrees, and it’s a huge site that wasn’t easy to get around. Add to that the hours worked and the sheer volume of guests, it was definitely hard work. Our team really does excel in prestigious and pressurised environments. Despite this, the feedback we’ve received from the Ryder Cup team, broadcasters and media alike has been excellent. We created a culinary and hospitality experience at the Ryder Cup that will be savoured in memory and flavour for many years to come.”

Business is thriving for custom software solutions experts

Runners-up in the Digital Innovation Award at the Buckinghamshire Business Awards 2023, and a Buckinghamshire Business First Partner investor, Atula Technologies are on a roll. 

They specialise in custom software development solutions to help businesses thrive and reduce costs. They have some very happy clients and customers, such as Shaun Bullock, Managing Director of Distribution Resourcing Services (DRS), who says:

"Atula has been instrumental in our business growth in the past three years. They are our trusted partner and extended IT team with designing, developing, hosting and maintaining DPOD - our core business solution. As a distribution company, they have also enabled us to be sustainable, significantly reducing the usage of fuel, reducing communication costs and printing costs."

Read the story of how Atula helped DRS achieve all of this > (PDF)

Pinewood inspires next generation of filmmakers at Futures Festival 2023

(Photo by Tim Whitby, 'Futures Festival Billboard at Pinewood Studios')

Pinewood Studios’ Futures Festival 2023 welcomed over 4,000 young people from all over the UK to their studios in Buckinghamshire.

The Futures Festival, hosted by Pinewood, is the largest free careers event for the Film and TV industry and this year was attended by special guests HM Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, The Countess Howe; Secretary of State for DCMS The Rt. Hon Lucy Frazer KC, MP; Greg Smith MP; Rob Butler MP; and Cllr Martin Tett, Leader, Buckinghamshire Council.

The aim of the annual event is to inspire and educate students about the many career opportunities across our fantastic industry. More than 50 companies from across the industry supported the event including The Walt Disney Studios, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and EON Productions, as well as 20 industry experts who took part in Q&As hosted by BBC Radio 1 film critic and journalist Ali Plumb.

Attendees met employers and industry professionals, took part in workshops and experienced Pinewood Studios’ world-leading filmmaking and post-production facilities. The careers event incorporated multiple locations across the studio, including X Stage, D Stage, TV One, N Stage, The John Barry Theatre, Pinewood Post Production Department, the Boardroom, The Props building, and Stage 3 Pinewood East. Guests were greeted by characters from films shot at our studios including Stormtroopers, Wookies, Droids and characters provided by 501st UK Garrison, Rebel Command, who truly brought the ‘force’ as well as plenty of smiles to the event.

(Photo by Tim Whitby, 'Attendees to the Pinewood Futures Festival 2023')

The John Barry Theatre hosted a schedule of sold-out talks, with Q&As hosted by Ali Plumb. The packed schedule of industry speakers including Oscar®-winning Special Effects Supervisor and Director Chris Corbould; Independent Board Advisor Monica Chadha; Associate Producer for EON Productions Gregg Wilson; Production Designer Sonja Klaus;  Actors Studio Founder Tim Kent - with surprise guest Oscar®-winning Cinematographer, James Friend; Actor, Director and Founder of The Wonderworks, Charlotte Riley; Sculptor Brian Muir; and Director and Cinematographer Molly Manning Walker. In addition, panels took place with ScreenSkills and graduates from the National Film and Television School who completed Masters courses in Composing, Producing, Animation and VFX. 

A huge thank you to everyone who visited the studios, exhibited in our spaces, hosted a talk, guided a tour, supported parking, ran a workshop, shared their knowledge, provided security and inspired young minds.

We look forward to announcing details of Futures Festival 2024. Sign up for news on Futures Festival 2024 here.

Seymour Taylor Accountants and Tax Advisers start an exciting new chapter

High Wycombe based accountancy firm Seymour Taylor are pleased to announce that the business and its team will be moving to new central High Wycombe offices at 40 Oxford Road from Wednesday 6th December. 

Seymour Taylor have been at their current offices on London Road for more than 55 years and it has served the firm well over the years. However, with a growing team the firm is moving to new premises that can accommodate the firm's future business development and growth plans.

The move also provides the team at Seymour Taylor with a modern, open plan office, right in the centre of the town, providing easy access to local facilities for staff and clients. 

In line with the new office move the firm will also be launching a new brand look and feel, including a new logo.

Joanne Kingsnorth, Joint Managing Director, said: “We are really excited to be moving to new office premises this December. Our current logo and brand identity have been in place for over twenty years and now that the majority of our marketing is digital, we wanted to ensure our branding is in line with modern marketing and reflecting Seymour Taylor and our team with a fresh look and feel. “Together on your journey” is now part of our brand identity to showcase how we work with our clients, which demonstrates that no matter what their financial or life goals are, from growing or selling their business to weathering tough economic times, our friendly team is there to support them on their unique journey.

"Our new identity will be launched alongside our office move. We are all really excited to take our business and brand forward to this exciting new chapter of Seymour Taylor into 2024 and beyond.” 

Seymour Taylor's new location is First Floor North, 40 Oxford Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 2EE. For information, visit stca.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 01494 552100.

Meet Seymour Taylor at the Buckinghamshire Business Expo!

The Seymour Taylor team will be one of the exhibitors at the Business Expo taking place on December 7th in High Wycombe. Book a free ticket to attend the Expo here > 

You can also book onto one of the free expert-led breakout sessions on a whole range of useful topics. Check these out here >

Horwood House Hotel taking a creative approach to helping homeless people

Innovation is a key feature at Horwood House Hotel and Spa as they have recently won the MIA ( Meeting Industry Association) award for innovation, which shows a creative approach to help the homeless.

Independently-owned hotel, Horwood House, has teamed up with national homelessness charity CRISIS, and upcycling company Recoup, to transform an unused, syndicate break-out space into a creative and crafted coffee lounge for delegates.

One of the biggest initiatives for Horwood House in the last 12 months has been our charitable work with Crisis UK. Transforming an unused break-out space into the carefully-crafted area that we have now, which provides a unique experience for delegates whilst also raising much needed funds for a vital cause, is a huge success for us as a business. We chose to have antique headboards as panelling, representing us as a business selling comfortable bedrooms in a safe place and linking us to those who sadly do not have a comfortable bed in a safe place.

During our extensive refurbishment starting in 2019, we donated furniture to a local homeless charity which included beds, mattresses, pillows and duvets. Following on from our donations, we looked at how we could support homelessness nationally. So, with an innovative approach to fundraising, and at the same time improving our client experience, we started our journey with Recoup, who design spaces using 95% repurposed, antique and salvaged materials.

So far in 2023, we have raised over £9,000 for CRISIS UK through various initiatives including our CRISIS Charity Coffee, where 15% of coffee sales go directly to CRISIS. Changes in our room service offering means that for every room not serviced, we donate the equivalent of a free meal.

Our partnership with CRISIS and Recoup has enhanced our reputation in the local community, giving us wider exposure in the leisure, spa and casual dining markets. Nationally, as a 'new kid on the block' hotel, partnering with a recognised charity has increased our credibility and given us gravitas alongside our peers in the industry. We have won conference business due to clients buying into the initiative, most recently a national fashion company confirmed that they would hold their welcome speech in the CRISIS lounge and donate at the same time, as well as using the CRISIS coffee.

Internally, Horwood House has been greatly enhanced in all areas. Staff are incredibly proud to offer the CRISIS lounge to clients looking for an inspirational space to work. Clients admire our commitment to contribute to a fairer world, where everyone can enjoy the warmth of their own bed.

The Senior Management team of Horwood House firstly engaged with the Director of Enterprise and Innovation at CRISIS to see how we could partner with them. Everyone at Horwood felt strongly that our charity partner should be CRISIS, as we are in the business of providing a safe, warm place to stay when clients are away from their homes - the opposite of what a homeless person experiences.

Secondly, we needed to reimagine one of our conference areas, and rather than engage a hotel furniture supplier and repeat the same feel of the hotel, we wanted to support an independent company that had a work ethic that reflected our own. Recoup design found individual pieces of furniture that had a 'nod' to our garden history, for example using metal buckets as lamp shades. Then, acknowledging our business as a hotel, using vintage bed headboards as panelling to represent CRISIS and homeless people who don't have a permanent bed. Artwork was created in the form of explaining the message of the lounge, which was shared from CRISIS members, and photographs were taken of members restoring the furniture. We had CRISIS members visit and stay at the hotel during the installation. At the launch party, all partners; Horwood House, CRISIS and Recoup were joined by our Mayor, business partners, staff and community members, it was a proud moment for us all.

The launch party was a wonderful opportunity for us to see how well the space would work for our clients. We intend to continue and develop this work with further campaigns and initiatives and have recently, launched the lounge as a co working option for residents in local area.

Liz Choonara, CRISIS Interim Director of Enterprise and Innovation, said: “We’re delighted to receive such generous support from Horwood House. From creating opportunities for our members in the creation of the space, raising funds through corporate bookings, through to raising the profile of our work – this coffee lounge demonstrates how businesses like Horwood House can play a meaningful role in helping us end homelessness."

Special offer - You book and Horwood House gives to charity!

We are proud to announce that 5% of revenue of all contracted conference and corporate event bookings this January, February and March 2024 will be donated to Crisis.

Learn more about this offer and how to make your booking here >

Saffery in High Wycombe launches new Accounts and Outsourcing team

The accounting and advisory firm, Saffery in High Wycombe, which serves businesses in the Thames Valley and along the M40 corridor, has announced the launch of a dedicated Accounts and Outsourcing team.

The team’s goal is to focus solely on offering outsourcing-related services to businesses including statutory accounts preparation, bookkeeping, VAT return review and preparation, management accounts preparation, payroll, registered office duties, and Xero software training and support. The team will also be fully supported by a team of experts – from audit and assurance, business advisory, VAT and corporate finance advisers through to tax and trust specialists from across the firm, should businesses require more specialised advice.

Team leader, Daniel Pienaar says: “Businesses will be getting a dedicated and personable team directly from our High Wycombe office. At Saffery, we pride ourselves on building strong relationships with our clients and aim to become aligned with their financial processes, so in addition to managing their outsourcing work, we can also address any ad hoc accounting queries. I have no doubt that this team will be an invaluable asset to any business and provide them with a timely, competitive and efficient service.”

High Wycombe Partner, Sheryl Davis adds: “The launch of this new division reflects our commitment to innovating our services to ensure our clients can grab hold of new opportunities and continue to flourish. We remain fully focused on ensuring we are perfectly placed to support clients in today’s market.”

The accounts and outsourcing team is looking to expand and is currently seeking an Assistant Manager to work in its High Wycombe office. The successful candidate will be ACA/ACCA qualified and will have a number of years’ experience of working in practice demonstrating strong accounting and VAT compliance expertise. They will be responsible for working with a variety of clients such as owner-managed businesses including companies, partnerships and sole traders covering various industries. For more information, please visit our website.

Saffery LLP is a trusted adviser to creative, innovative, forward-thinking individuals and organisations, from on-screen talent and entrepreneurs to real estate businesses and charitable entities.It provides market-leading accountancy, tax, audit, business advisory, trust and fiduciary services. To find out how Saffery can help you, or for further information, visit Saffery's website.

Rumsey's Handmade Chocolates makes the Small Biz 100 list

As part of Small Business Saturday, the Small Biz 100 list is published highlighting some of the most exciting small businesses across the UK.

This year, Buckinghamshire's own Rumsey's Handmade Chocolates has made the list! A big congratulations to the whole team!

Our team at Buckinghamshire Business First is very familiar with Rumsey's, having provided support to the business during the Covid lockdown in 2020, which you can read all about here.

Rumsey's also won the Family Business of the Year at the 2021 Buckinghamshire Business Awards. You can see their reaction to that success below!

Do your staff use off-road vehicles for work?

Highland All Terrain are a BORDA (British Off-Road Driving Association) member offering driver training across all aspects of off-road driving, helping employers meet their regulatory requirements to provide and document adequate training. Based in Newton Longville, they have a purpose-built off-road course and classroom facility. After course attendance, participants will receive a BORDA certificate to verify they have completed training, valid for three years.

Ian Brown, Senior BORDA Specialist Trainer, says: “Adequate training is required for the operation of off-road vehicles when used in off-tarmac situations. Many employers forget that a vehicle is an item of work equipment, and whilst a driving licence covers road and tarmac use, it does not cover off-road use.”

Learn all about off-road driver training provided by Highland All Terrain >