|
|
Gordon Ramsay and Ology help Aidan make seriously good bread |
 
| Press release date: 26-Apr-2006  BAKER Aidan Monks waited with trepidation when he had to show his bread to TV chef Gordon Ramsay. But instead of hurling his legendary four-letter insults, Ramsay raved about Aidan’s loaves and told him: “Your bread is so good that if you got your a*** into gear you could have a fantastic business.”It was Ramsay’s encouragement that led Aidan to seek out Ology business advisor Walter Gregg to help turn the business around. When Walter came on board Aidan’s bakery, Le Pain de Paris, in a converted bobbin mill at Stavely, Cumbria, was struggling after being hit badly by the effects of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, which decimated the Lake District’s tourist industry. But today - thanks to help from Ologv - sales of Aidan’s award-winning bread are at an all-time high, up 38per cent. And the company is set to take off. The 16 staff are about to begin working seven days a week and later this year they will move into a massive purpose-built bakery and shop. Says Aidan: “The building is four times bigger than our present premises and I expect our turnover to eventually increase to match.” However, it could have been a totally different story if Aidan had not met Gordon Ramsay while the TV chef was filming his highly popular Kitchen Nightmares documentary at the Glasshouse Restaurant in nearby Ambleside. Ramsay contacted local suppliers in the area and invited them to take their produce along to the restaurant for him to sample. At that time, Aidan, 44, was running the bakery and also owned a large, busy internet café in Kendal. He remembers: “Although the business was growing we weren’t going anywhere fast and I had taken my eye off the bakery completely. “The whole thing was spiralling out of control and downwards.” When Gordon Ramsay phoned, Aidan personally made a batch of artisan bread; tasty, slow-cooked loaves made from high-quality flour, to present to the TV chef. Says Aidan: “Gordon Ramsay thought the restaurant should be buying their bread from a local supplier." “I turned up to find a poor meat-seller in front of me who had brought pheasants and all sorts of things and Ramsay annihilated him. “I was stood there thinking I don’t know if want to do this. I did go in and Gordon asked me if I wanted a coffee and we chatted for two hours about bread. “It turned out his early career had been as a night baker at a Michelin-star restaurant He has a real love and knowledge of bread." "He was very complimentary about my bread and told me he couldn’t buy anything as good for his own restaurants. He said "you should get your finger out and get a move on because there’s a fantastic opportunity for somebody making bread like this.” During the week that it took to film the documentary, Aidan went back every day to supply bread to the restaurant. He adds: “I saw what Gordon was trying to achieve in the programme, persuading people to get a grip of their business and not letting the staff dictate the direction they were going in.” Aidan decided it was time to take Gordon Ramsay’s advice and call in a business advisor. A friend recommended Walter Gregg of Ology. Says Aidan: “I’d been in business for 14 years and never worked with a business advisor before. Although it seems blindingly obvious now it would have been the last thing I considered. “Walter had a very gentle approach and I found him very easy to deal with. He took a very supportive position and was not patronising in any way.” Ology did a complete analysis of the business setting down on paper what needed to be done to improve it. Aidan recalls: “That analysis of the business was the key to actually moving forward. If I hadn’t done that work with Walter at that point, I’d say we wouldn’t be here now.” One of the options Walter suggested was closing the café and concentrating solely on the bakery. In the end Aidan did shut the café, losing 15 staff - keeping just one worker - and began building up the baking business, selling to hotels, restaurants and shops in north-west England. Aidan says: “I followed the plan I began with Walter and the business has gone from strength to strength. Month on month sales are currently up 50 per cent and we are just about to begin baking seven days a week, which will make us unique in this area. “It’s very, very satisfying looking back at the distance we have covered in such a short time.” Says Walter: “Aidan’s bread is highly-regarded and commands a good price. His business has real potential for the future.” Click Here to read more information about Ology |
Click Here for the Main Feature about this franchise
Read about other people who bought this franchise:-
New Ology Feature Page
Ology Coaching Coaching is the largest growth area in training and development in the UK, making the delivery of coaching itself a quickly growing, ex...Read more...
Successful Franchises UK Ology Ltd
Andy Willmore, a Business Advisor with Ology, the fastest growing business coaching franchise in the UK, has not looked back since joining Ology&helli...Read more...
Franchises for Women Ology Business Coaching
Delia Butler (pictured below) is a Business Coach and owns an Ology franchise in the North West. She knows from personal experience that franchis...Read more...
Gordon Ramsay and Ology help Aidan make seriously good bread - UK press release
Other related pages:-
| Business Coaching Franchise UK Ology Coaching |
Successful Franchises UK Ology Ltd |
New Ology Feature Page |
Franchises for Women Ology Business Coaching |
|
Gordon Ramsay and Ology help Aidan make seriously good bread |
Ology Offers Internationally Accredited Training |
OLOGY BUSINESS COACHING FRANCHISE SETS NEW COACH STANDARD |
|
|
