Peill and Co

A new company has moved into one of the recently refurbished units on Northern Trusts’ Salterbeck Industrial Estate. Interchoc Co-operative Ltd manufactures and distributes a wide range of chocolates, sweets and soft drinks to the retail and catering market.

However this is no ordinary company. The founders of Interchoc have decided to set up the company as a workers co-operative, with any profits being ploughed back into local causes, instead of shareholders’ dividends.

Interchoc who received grant funding for the project from The Hub will initially be selling and distributing chocolate bars, novelties and sweets, although plans are underway to manufacture their own products. The Hub, which is funded by West Lakes Renaissance, Cumbria County Council and the ERDF, was set up to support social
enterprises in West Cumbria.

Interchoc will also assemble gift boxes, as well as providing the country’s hotel and restaurants with the opportunity to have complimentary chocolates in special promotional packaging. Interchoc also hopes to be able to provide Cumbria’s World famous mint cake in the original style gloss paper wrappers which were used back in the 1920’s. Because the mint cake will be hand packed, as sales grow it will create even more jobs for local people.

Although the four founder members of Interchoc are originally from the Kendal area, they decided that there was more need for something which would create jobs, and help the community in West Cumbria.

Interchoc commented that this was an ideal opportunity to provide a great number of employment opportunities both in West Cumbria, and throughout the UK. “Our results from pre-opening account search have proved better than we could ever have dreamed of, with over 100 local businesses agreeing to open accounts when we open for business at the start of September. We are hopeful that we shall, with further support of local businesses, be able to expand significantly in our first year.”

Salterbeck Industrial Estate, owned by Northern Trust is located just off Moorclose Road, providing good access to the A595 trunk road via Harrington. The estate is located close to the local amenities with Workington town centre a short distance away.

Northern Trust, one of the UK’s largest privately owned property investment, development, and land regeneration companies, has an extensive property portfolio with in excess of 8 million sq ft of industrial/trade and office parks. In 2000 a dedicated development division of Northern Trust was established to undertake commercial development for retention in the Northern Trust portfolio. More than 1.5 million sq ft has been developed or is under construction by Northern Trust in over 30 locations throughout the Midlands and North of England, with continued expansion through new investment, development, and land regeneration opportunities.

Joint agents for the scheme are Whittle Jones North West (01257 238666), Peill & Co (0845 450 4444).