A Cornish confectioner is planning a major expansion after securing an investment of £852,573 from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth programme.
Buttermilk, based in Bodmin, started life as a traditional fudge shop in the heart of Padstow in 1964. Now, 60 years later, the business has pioneered a range of dairy-free chocolate bars that are stocked by major retailers and wholesalers across the UK and sold online.
With sales growth of 225% for its ‘plant-powered’ confectionery including a growing export market, the brand is embarking on a major expansion. The £930k project will see Buttermilk consolidate and expand two production units on to one site at its Bodmin base, seeking to create 14 jobs in the future and doubling production capacity.
The 420 square metre factory extension will include solar panels on the roof and a heat recovery system to reuse heat extracted from refrigeration for hot water and cleaning, significantly reducing the factory’s carbon footprint.
Buttermilk was acquired by husband-and-wife team David and Tracy Goad in 2010 as a small seasonal fudge producer. By 2016 they had transformed it into a sustainable year-round employer with listings in Waitrose, Sainsbury, Tesco and more. After the success of a dairy free Easter egg in 2018, the company secured funding to develop a pilot production line of dairy free chocolate snack bars in 2021 and has never looked back.
Tracy Goad, who studied international business and worked for Bloomberg, said: “We are deeply appreciative of the grant funding which is going into our kitchen expansion to increase our capacity to meet the growing demand for our hugely successful and innovative plant-powered chocolate bars.”
David Goad, who has a degree in mechanical engineering and is innovation lead in the business, added: “The expansion will allow us to meet growing demand and explore new products such as low-calorie options, and overseas markets where we already have interest from retailers in mainland Europe, the US, Ireland, and Australia. The investment will make a huge difference.”
