Devon-based company, Peck & Strong, is defying the current climate by moving to a new production site, four times the size of its existing one. The new site, which the firm has just moved to, comprises a 14,000sq ft bakery and an additional 1,500sq ft, which will be used for office space for its 14 employees.

The firm has been producing handmade cakes, snacks and vegetarian flans and pies since 1980, and founder, owner, and project manager, John Peck had been looking for a new freehold property for the last five years, as space was getting tight at the old factory, less than half a mile away.

The company purchased the site around 18 months ago, which they hope will enable them to grow further, and is a “natural evolution for the business” said Peck. “Our existing market is principally tea rooms and coffee shops and we also supply a number of National Trust sites as well as delis and universities, and we’re hoping to expand on that,” explains Peck.

Peck added that the business is nearing the completion of a rebranding of its product range and will enable them to meet the growing demand for its products within the coffee shop and snacking sector.

“At the moment we cover the southern half of England, as well as South Wales, mainly with our own transport but also through distributors, so we’re looking to build on that and develop into the north of England,” he said. “We’re intending to exhibit at trade events for the first time this year.”

Its products are all handmade and free from anything that is not natural, explained Peck, and are are produced without the need for mechanisation: “For example, for our apple pies, we peel, core and cook the apples ourselves.”