Newcastle University graduates on a mission to stir up the drinks industry have received £1.1m in funding to support expansion plans.
Lixir Tonic was first set up in Newcastle in 2018 by founders Matt Mahatme and Jordan Palmer, who left their jobs to create the range, which was initially sold in department store chain, Fenwick, before securing orders in bars and pubs across the North East.
Since then, Lixir – which sells flavours such as blood orange and cinnamon, rhubarb and ginger, elderflower and lemon and the classic Indian – has grown its team, clients and listings and expanded into overseas markets.
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Now, having launched into 18 markets and seen growth of 160% in the last year, the premium tonic and mixer brand has secured the £1.1m investment to support its expansion plans.
It has secured the funding from new investors and backers including ex-founder of Pure Gym, Peter Roberts, and former commercial director of Pernod Ricard, Chris Ellis.
North East architects and interior designer Studio Anyo has won a six-figure contract to work on the next phase of a £20m cinema and leisure complex development in County Durham.
The Stockton practice will provide a package of architecture services for Stage 5 of the multimillion-pound development scheme at the Fieldon Bridge Retail Park in Bishop Auckland for Fieldon Bridge Developments.
The developer is leading the 150,000 sqft retail and leisure park on the 14-acre site on the east side of the current Tindale retail. Studio Anyo has already completed work on earlier elements of the project including securing planning permission and detailed architectural design.
It is now set to complete the design of onsite works as the next phase of development gets under way, carrying out technical design alongside the principal contractor and wider design team.
Plans to create a specialist recycling plant in the North East which would lead to 100 new jobs have moved a step closer.
Norwegian firm Quantafuel is looking to expand into the UK with a string of UK plastics recycling plants, with the Port of Sunderland plant set to be the first.
Its plans have stepped up a gear after Sunderland City Council officially agreed to give Quantafuel first option to develop the land.
The company is now preparing to submit a planning application to build its plant at Port of Sunderland, where plastic waste that is currently not recycled in the UK will be upcycled into products that can be used to produce new, high-quality plastic.
The plant, which could open during 2024 subject to gaining planning approval, could also lead to training and apprenticeships for North East people.
Hexham-based Fentimans has sealed a deal with Mitchells & Butlers which will see it supply its premium soft drinks to the majority of the hospitality firm’s estate.
Fentimans will be available throughout Mitchells and Butlers restaurant and bar chains including Browns, Miller & Carter, All Bar One, Harvester, Toby Carvery, and all 180 Vintage Inns. Available across the listings will be Fentimans’ biggest selling flavours Rose Lemonade and Ginger Beer, along with Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger and Dandelion and Burdock.
Nigel Tarn, marketing manager at Fentimans said: “We’re so excited to be working with Mitchells & Butlers to offer a taste of the iconic Fentimans flavours to diners across the country. We know from research in Fentimans 2022 Market Trends Report that an increasing number of consumers are opting for no and low drinks options, as the effects of the pandemic continue to shine a light on physical health. In fact, nearly a third said they would drink less or no alcohol in venues post-lockdown. Therefore, it’s vital that venues stock a range of adult soft drink options to cater to this trend."
A Sunderland energy broker is creating 50 new jobs after tapping into a £500,000 investment to aid its growth.
Energy comparison company Troo was first set up by Andrew and Rachel Richardson four years ago in Newcastle, with a mission to disrupt the energy brokerage industry while focusing on the business sector.
Now based at Doxford International Business Park in Sunderland following expansion in 2020, the company has doubled its annual turnover for the past two years and is on course to do so again in the coming year.
The company, which has 50 staff, has received a further £500,000 in funding from the North East Venture Fund (NEVF), supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Mercia, which it will use to create around 50 new jobs over the next six months. The latest funding round brings the total raised to date by Troo to £1.5m.
Transport operator Go-Ahead Group has partnered with French firm Groupe Lacroix & Savac to target public transport contracts in Paris.
City authorities have started the process of putting routes out to tender as state-owned Epic RATP will lose its monopoly in 2025.
The move is part of Go-Ahead's The Next Billion Journeys growth plan which aims to achieve £4bn revenues, partly by replicating its successful bus business model in other markets.
Christian Schreyer, group chief executive of The Go-Ahead Group, said: “Go-Ahead’s strength lies in running busy commuter transport services, and a key part of our strategy is to explore new opportunities in bus and light rail. With an outstanding track record and deep local knowledge, Lacroix & Savac is the perfect partner for us to work with in France.”
