A Special Advisor from the Prime Minister’s Business Team at Number 10 Downing Street has today visited Wrexham to speak to businesses with local MP, Sarah Atherton, as part of the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda.
Sarah invited Number 10 to visit Wrexham to meet with small and medium sized businesses as part of a strategy to give businesses a chance to directly interact with the Government on matters of policy that impact them the most. Wrexham was chosen as the first stop on a tour of businesses around the country.
Sarah Atherton, Member of Parliament for Wrexham said:
“Working with local businesses and ensuring investment into the high street was one of my 2019 election promises. Over lockdown I have been pleased to have been able to correspond with so many Wrexham businesses and offer any support I could. I am now thrilled we are returning to some form of normality and it brilliant to be able to start meeting businesses face- to- face again, and the visit today proves the Governments’ ongoing commitment to supporting business. I am delighted they chose Wrexham as the first stop.”
Sam Regan, Chair of the This Is Wrexham Tourism Partnership and owner of the Lemon Tree Restaurant, represented the partnership’s fifty local businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry at a roundtable hosted by Sarah, with engagement from Wrexham County Borough Council also.
Following the roundtable and as part of a visit to other high street businesses, the newly opened Frisky Pudding and Belushimo restaurants welcomed Sarah and the Number 10 SpAd to see their recent renovations of the former Barclay’s building. Opened for the first time on 3 August, a uniquely challenging time to open a business, the new Wrexham restaurant spoke to Sarah and Number 10 about the UK Government schemes that have supported them over the Covid-19 pandemic.
Owner of the Frisky Pudding, John Blaney said
“It was a pleasure to speak to Sarah today and offer feedback to Number 10 about Government support during the COVID 19 pandemic. We have been fortunate to receive both rates relief and furlough support. This allowed us to survive during lockdown. Now that we are open, the Chancellor’s “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme has been a wonderful success. It has encouraged customers to dine out again- indeed, 600 people in two weeks have benefitted from the scheme in our two Wrexham sites.”
For a discussion surrounding the green agenda and to highlight their pioneering work in this sector, Sarah was pleased to visit Frugalpac’s facility at the Cup Folk factory on the Wrexham Industrial Estate to see production of the Frugal Cup, the world’s first coffee cup made from 96% recycled paper that has a carbon footprint 60% lower than other cups.
Number 10 and Frugalpac, a British sustainable packaging company who also recently launched the Frugal Bottle – a wine bottle made from 94% recycled paper - discussed sustainability in packaging and businesses’ contribution to the UK’s commitment to Net Zero.
Frugalpac’s Wrexham facility has just secured the BRCGS Global Standard for Packaging Materials with an A Grade and the Frugal Cup been shortlisted as a finalist in Packaging Europe’s Sustainability Awards for resource efficiency.
Frugalpac Chief Executive Malcolm Waugh said
“This is a very exciting time for Frugalpac and our pioneering sustainable packaging. We’d like to thank Sarah for all her support and for introducing us to Number 10. It was a very informative chat and it’s great to see the Government take such a keen interest in sustainability and what companies like Frugalpac are trying to do to help Britain meet its Net Zero goals.”