Rachel Collins, md of David Berryman, said its business continuity plan (BCP) worked so successfully there was no disruption to supplies when the fire struck in January, and that unless it informed customers they were unaware of the fire.
Meticulous plan
Collins said the company had developed its BCP as part of a three-year plan for the business, and although the plan had been drawn up very meticulously, the company had thought of it as a paper exercise that would never be needed in practice.
Because no single business did all of the Dunstable-based company's activities (ingredients manufacturer producing fruit preps, sauces and fruit-based beverage compounds) under one roof, it turned to five contract manufacturers to replicate its production.
Temporary kitchen
Some staff were redeployed to these sites while temporary offices were set up at a Holiday Inn and the product development team worked out of a temporary kitchen in a village hall.
The £13M turnover company bought a 2,323m2 warehouse in May to replace its original 1,394m2 premises and is on schedule to complete its redevelopment and move this month.