Meet the Bridgend bakery expert who is helping small food businesses to grow

A former senior bakery industry manager who has worked for some of the largest food suppliers in the UK, is now using his extensive expertise to help small food businesses to grow.

Ray Miles, based in Bridgend, South Wales, spent more than a decade looking after catering and retail accounts for bakery giant Aryzta, where he helped to manage and grow business turnover by 37 per cent. He also worked at a senior level at Cornish pasty firm Ginsters.

He now uses his deep industry knowledge which spans everything from manufacturing and wholesale to hotels, leisure outlets, restaurants and coffee shops, to mentor start-up and small businesses as they navigate the hospitality landscape.

He is one of thousands of advisers who have volunteered as part of a national network of mentors on the Government's Help to Grow: Management course. So far he has supported six businesses via the scheme including Tom Janiszewski, senior operations manager at wellness brand British Cannabis.

The company is the largest and most experienced manufacturer of CBD supplements and products including cosmetics and wellness in the UK. It has eight years of industry leadership and is committed to delivering the highest standards of quality and regulatory compliance.

Ray said:

"Tom came to me because he cared about the business and wanted to increase sales within the specific constraints of advertising legal products that are derived from cannabis.

"I helped him by guiding him and showing him what to do to put things in place so that he could then move forward in the right direction. At the end of the 10 weeks we had, he had a plan. He knew where he was going. He knew how he was going to get the results already, and it was like he'd been lifted."

Tom said:

"I chose to work with Ray because his extensive experience in the food industry, covering everything from retail to manufacturing, made him an ideal mentor. His empathetic and structured approach gave me confidence that he could guide my business effectively.

"One of the most valuable aspects of Ray's mentorship has been his insights into improving sales and highlighting the importance of marketing and having a strong sales team. His advice helped me refine our sales strategy and understand the critical role that a cohesive, well-trained sales team plays in driving business growth.

"Ray also gave me the confidence to present new proposals and ideas, which has been instrumental in driving the business forward. His mentorship helped me refine my approach and clearly communicate our values, which has opened up new growth opportunities."

An impressive 25,000 hours of business mentoring have been delivered by an army of advisers and business leaders who have volunteered to support the UK's small business community, like Ray.

The heroic effort has seen thousands of small businesses on the Help to Grow: Management course, which offers senior business leaders 50 hours of leadership and management training across 12 weeks, with the government covering 90% of the costs involved, receive one-to-one support from an experienced and rated business mentor to help them put growth plans into action.

Training is delivered via a national network of over 60 business schools.

Led by business support group Newable, technology partner and business membership platform Enterprise Nation and the Association of Business Mentors, the consortium was appointed by the government to develop a national network of business leaders and experts who can share their skills and experience with firms on the practical management training course to support economic growth.

Sign up to be a mentor here.

ENDS