Business

The Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce now spearheads the SME Bedfordshire Business Awards, spotlighting local business success and offering enhanced PR and marketing exposure to celebrate regional innovation and achievements. This year's SME Bedfordshire Business Awards have taken on added importance for everyone at Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce. After several years as a major sponsor we are thrilled to be taking the lead in organising the Awards directly – a major milestone for the Chamber and a great addition to its already packed events calendar. Why did we do it? Because we believe we can provide local businesses a platform to have their successes recognised and achievements celebrated. We want to work more closely with the businesses who wish to enter and shine a stronger PR and marketing spotlight on entrants, sponsors and eventual winners. Chief Executive of the Chamber, Justin Richardson, said: “We have amazing and innovative companies throughout Bedfordshire,..

Your central heating boiler may be on the blink, a dripping tap is driving you to distraction or you need a new bathroom suite or gas safety check. At times like this you need a professional service from a qualified gas engineer or plumber. Able has built its reputation on delivering on its promises. The Milton Keynes based enterprise was set up in 2008 by senior engineer Matt Holtom. Since then, it has grown steadily setting high standards across a wide range of services from servicing boilers to fitting a wet room or tracking down a leak. Its client list includes some of the leading estate agents in Milton Keynes. Matt said: “Like us, estate agents want to give the best service. We will not compromise on quality to save costs or cut corners. We believe all our customers from homeowners to businesses deserve the very best service. “We understand..

A Buckinghamshire business hosted the biggest ever gathering of landscapers in the Midlands this week to promote “unspoken about” industry challenges and hot topics. George Davies Turf welcomed over one hundred gardening and landscaping professionals to its site in Milton Keynes as part of the British Association Landscape Industries’ (BALI) regional event, ‘Riding the Waves of Business’. The day included a line-up of presentations, inspirational speakers within the sector and Q&As covering mental health challenges in the industry, environmental changes, business recruitment, staff retention, personal development and more. George Davies, founder and managing director of George Davies Turf said: “There’s no question our industry is shifting due to a number of external challenges such as climate change, recruitment and skills shortages and even mental health, so we were blown away by the success of this event which was all about these usually unspoken about topics. “We don’t just provide a..

Last month, I had the pleasure of an invitation to a dining experience that has long been on my bucket list: Allium Dining. Allium at Manor Farm in Bourton is a celebration of all things local and delicious – two aspects that are of great importance to me as an avid consumer of all things edible. Situated in the heart of the Buckinghamshire countryside, Manor Farm in Bourton is home to this gastronomic event lead by the culinary wizard that is Andy Tomlinson. As a huge fan of their daytime offering, The Larder Café, I knew that this was going to be a special evening. A little about Manor Farm… The Verey family have been farming at Manor Farm in Bourton for four generations and have been building a business that has the environment and local community at its heart. Having celebrated their centenary in October 2018, the farm has..

Good Times Café Instagram: @goodtimesuk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodtimescafeuk “Give me a good sharp knife and a good sharp cheese and I’m a happy man.” – George R.R. Martin Who are Good Times? Next up in Pulse’s ‘Street Food Sensations’ series are the 2022 ‘MK Street Food of the Year’ winners, Good Times Café. Good Times serve up an array of cheese-based products and a vast selection of hot drinks and local, handmade treats. Specialising in gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, barista-brewed coffee and home bakes, their delicious creations are all served with a smile from their retro pistachio-green, classic Citroen HY Van. I have been lucky enough to sample plenty of the offerings from Good Times Café over the last few years. What's On the Menu... During the Olney Great Taste Food and Drink Fair, I opted for their Roast Beef Special. This consisted of a toasted sandwich filled with roast beef,..

The Rub BBQ Instagram: @therub_bbq Website: https://www.therubbbq.co.uk/ “A recipe has no soul; you as the cook must bring soul to the recipe” – Thomas Keller. The Rub BBQ is a Milton Keynes street food institution. It was founded due to the owner’s love for wood-smoked meats (especially ribs) and authentic American-inspired BBQ sauces. The inspiration he took from Stateside led him to create his own BBQ dry rub and so ‘The Rub BBQ’ was born! All The Rub’s rubs (!), marinades and sauces are made from scratch; the ingredients are often wood-smoked to create their own unique depth of flavour and are locally sourced, where possible and, if you weren’t already sold, The Rub is a family run business. I have tasted many of the delights from The Rub BBQ over the past few years, from ‘The Rib Tickler’ – half a rack of British pork baby-back ribs, smoked over..

You better hurry because Father's Day is fast approaching! We here at MK Pulse know that Milton Keynes is a truly vibrant city – it is host to a plethora of fantastic independent businesses, shops and sellers. From delicious meals, drinks and discounted experiences, this year's local Father's Day offers are not to be missed. We’ll walk you through some of the best deals, ensuring that your Dad has a Father's Day to remember! Experiences The Shack MK Home to all things BBQ, the Shack MK is a fantastic Father’s Day find; hosting a variety of day-classes, treat the special man in your life to lessons in over-the-fire cooking. Check out the Shack MK’s future classes here: https://buyabbq.com/collections/bbq-class. Alternatively, you could always pick up some grill-based goodies from their shop! Find out more on their website https://buyabbq.com/ D Pizza Guy Hosting a variety of pop-up supper clubs in the Hanslope..

TFA Marketing has built a solid reputation from its base in the old Wolverton carriage works, with a strong emphasis on listening to their clients and keeping branding in-house. People have always been at the heart of TFA, the multi-award winning branding and creative marketing agency based in Milton Keynes. Managing director Darren Isaac has built a thriving agency which currently has a 28-strong team of professionals who boast an extensive range of skills and experience.  The agency’s divisions cover many individual services including brand, strategy, marketing, creative, advertising, web, digital and video. This wealth of experience and skills mean each client can ‘pick and mix’ what services they want and, through working together they can deliver the agency’s pledge: Building better brands. “It is so important to listen to the client. Each will have different ideas so, rather than acting like a bull in a china shop, we can..

If you weren’t already aware, National Doughnut Week is an annual event that aims to raise funds for The Children’s Trust. National Doughnut Week 2023 spans 20th–28th May this year, and what better way to raise awareness of the day than to look at some of the wholly (or, should I say, *holey*) delicious local doughnut sellers we have in and around Milton Keynes. Amazing Grains of Olney First up is a place that I, quite frankly, want to keep secret because it’s just such a hidden gem. Amazing Grains of Olney are a small bakery based in Olney, Buckinghamshire who specialise in producing ‘real’ bread and baked products using traditional methods; they only use flour (mainly from Shipton Mill), water, yeast and salt. Their bread contains no additives or processing aids and they give their baked..

Get ready for an experience like no other! Join us on Sunday 3rd September at Bradwell Abbey for a street feast hosted by Sophie etc., Toybox and MK City Discovery Centre. Sophie’s Street Feast will bring together an eclectic and exciting mix of local street food vendors, offering an array of delicious dishes inspired by cuisines from around the world, with something for everyone to enjoy. Proceeds from the event will support some of Milton Keynes’ fabulous small charities including Toybox, St Marks Meals and Girl Pack MK.    Sophie Neal, blogger for Sophie etc. says: “Having worked closely with Toybox over the past nine months, I have seen the value of the work they do for street children around the world. St Mark’s Meals and Girl Pack share their values and support the community a little closer to home, so they made a natural partnership for this event. Milton..

Great Gelato Last week I took a trip to one of my Stony Stratford favourites, Great Gelato. Until the end of January, they are offering a ‘BOGOF’ offer on their thick, traditional original Italian hot chocolates. We got 2 giant cups of what I can only describe as the very BEST hot chocolate I’ve ever had in the UK for £3.50 in total: an absolute steal! If you fancy something different, every week Great Gelato have a whole host of different options including: daily specials, gelato, cookies, brownies, pizza slices and more. All their products are freshly made on site, every day. T’s and C’s: Both Hot Chocolates must be the same flavour and exclude extras. This offer is not valid on Signature or Seasonal Hot Chocolates or Hot Chocolate Combos. Website: https://www.greatgelato.com/ Hustle Gin Local luxury award-winning gin company Hustle Gin is currently offering amazing New Year discounts across their..

itsu has finally landed in Milton Keynes, having celebrated the opening of their first location in Buckinghamshire last Wednesday. The Asian-inspired, healthy fast-food restaurant brand opened inside Centre:MK in Milton Keynes at 11am on Wednesday 14th December. The healthy haven of fast, nutritious, beautiful food will offer local residents and businesses alike a delicious range of hot & cold dishes to takeaway, dine in with their friends or be delivered to local offices as a fresh meal option. “We’re looking forward to opening our first branch in Buckinghamshire while creating new career opportunities for locals on the lead-up to Christmas. Our new location nearby to John Lewis will be the perfect stop-off for those looking for a nutritious & affordable meal to keep them feeling healthy and happy throughout the festive shopping period.” - Neil Miller, Chief Customer Officer. itsu’s ‘steamed not fried’ philosophy sees their menu including hot noodle..

If you haven’t already heard of ‘The Gamechanger Kitchen’ in Giffard Park, I’d be surprised. This gem of a café has recently undergone a fairly substantial expansion – and for good reason; TGK was crowned as the ‘Best Coffee Business/Café’ at the prestigious MK Food and Leisure Awards this year. I am lucky enough to live just a stone’s throw away from this incredible café which means I have seen first-hand the huge transformation it has gone through over the past year. A little bit on the owner, Alessandra: having been forced out of a 9-5 job in 2018 and ending up working the odd shift in her father’s coffee shop, Alessandra’s passion for health-conscious but tasty food and drink started to take off. Taking over the café inside ‘Fitness First’ in November 2019 seemed like a great move, until..

Taking place on 24 March 2022 at Stadium MK, the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards present an exciting opportunity for businesses to reflect on their highlights and share their successes with the Milton Keynes business community. The theme for the 2022 awards is ‘MK – Leading the UK’s Green Recovery – Survive, Revive & Thrive’ but the entry categories go far and beyond that central topic: Environmental Sustainability – sponsored by: Mazars Charity of the Year – sponsored by: PJ Care Design & Creativity – sponsorship available Culture & Arts – sponsorship available Technology Business – sponsored by: Integral Powertrain New Business – sponsored by MK:U and Cranfield University Customer Service – sponsorship available Leisure & Entertainment – sponsorship available Professional Services – sponsored by: dbfb Business Impact in the Community – sponsorship available Small & Medium Business – sponsorship available Entrepreneur of the Year – sponsored by: MacIntyre Hudson..

Local people are being invited to take advantage of a Will writing service this October as the Willen Hospice Will Month returns. The charity has teamed up with solicitors and Will Writing Professionals to make this service available for anyone who would like to create a new Will or change an existing one. Throughout the whole of October, they are offering to write Wills in return for a donation to the Hospice. People have the choice to complete their Will in the comfort of their own homes by using the fast and simple online service, or by booking a face-to-face appointment. Lynn O’Gorman, Head of Development at Willen Hospice, said: “It’s never too early to write your Will, and if it’s been a task on your to-do list, Will Month gives you the perfect opportunity to tick it off. Your donation, no matter how big or small, makes a real..