Pigs in blankets drive Christmas demand for Sessions of Worcestershire

Session Meat Supplies, which trades as Sessions of Worcestershire, was established in 1978 and is a third-generation family-run sausage manufacturer and catering butchers. Its sausages, fresh meats and dairy products are sold to farm shops, cafes, butchers, schools and care homes across the Midlands.

To meet a rise in demand over the festive season, the business secured a £40,000 asset finance facility from Lloyds Bank towards the purchase a new freezer enabling it to store up to 48 tonnes more of its seasonal products, including pigs in blankets, ahead of the run up to Christmas. This will also help the business to service its expanding customer base and store more products after the festive rush.

The investment forms part of Sessions of Worcestershire ongoing growth plan, which will see the business achieve scope for a 30 per cent increase in production over the next 12 months.

Earlier this year the business secured a £70,000 funding package to purchase new machinery to enable it to launch a Peaky Blinder sausage in partnership with Sadler’s Brewery together with a number of other products.

Sessions of Worcestershire employs 30 members of staff at its site in Kidderminster and supplies to more than 500 businesses across the Midlands.

Kate Blizzard, managing director at Sessions of Worcestershire, said: “Christmas is our busiest time of year. We’re preparing to make thousands of pigs in blankets which will be stored in our new state of the art facilities for our expanding customer base.

“The new freezer space will ensure that we are able to meet growing demand for our products and is set to increase turnover by 10 per cent. The team at Lloyds Bank has been on-hand throughout this round of funding to answer any queries and keep everything running smoothly.”

Ian Monk, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “The increased demand that comes with Christmas can sometimes put pressure on business cashflow. Last year, Britain spent more than £4 billion on food and drink for Christmas, so it's important that firms like Sessions of Worcestershire prepare for the expected surge in demand.

“We’re committed to helping Britain prosper this Christmas by supporting local businesses which is why we’ve pledged to increase our net lending to small and mid-sized businesses by £6 billion over the next three years.”