GAP Hire Solutions, the UK’s largest independent hire company, has again been awarded the prestigious Gold Medal by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). This achievement recognises nine consecutive years of Gold-standard health and safety performance. GAP is proud to receive this year’s award in the 70th anniversary year of the RoSPA Health and Safety awards, a milestone marking seven decades of progress, leadership and life-saving work. Internationally renowned as the symbol of excellence in workplace safety, RoSPA Awards recognise organisations, teams and projects for their unwavering commitment to setting the benchmark for safety across their sector. Sustaining Gold-level recognition for nine years running reflects a safety culture built into every part of GAP’s operations, from depots to major project sites nationwide. The award demonstrates GAP’s long-standing record of excellence, built on its dedication to high safety standards and the wellbeing of employees, customers and communities, values that have underpinned the business since 1969. Allister Maxwell, Head of Safety & Risk at GAP, commented: “Safety is core to GAP’s culture. Nine consecutive RoSPA Golds is a testament to every colleague across the business for making safety their responsibility every single day. To be recognised in RoSPA’s 70th anniversary year makes this award mean even more special.” GAP Hire Solutions leads the UK's equipment hire industry, offering an extensive range of construction equipment for all sectors. With our specialist divisions and over 200 locations nationwide, we provide reliable solutions in Plant, Tools, Welfare Services, Non-Mechanical Plant, Pump, Power & Environmental Services, Trenching & Shoring, Tanker Services, Lifting Services, Survey & Safety and Event Services. As a family-owned business with over 55 years of experience, GAP reinvests a higher percentage of our turnover into our fleet than our competitors, ensuring customers benefit from access to world-class equipment. Our independence allows us to make quick, long-term decisions, delivering effective solutions.

Inheritance Tax liabilities have passed £7bn for the first time, according to new HMRC figures out today which show the growing pressure on families, business owners and high-net-worth individuals. The latest Inheritance Tax liabilities statistics show that tax liabilities created in respect of the 2023 to 2024 tax year reached £7.03bn, up £330m, or 5%, on the previous year. The proportion of UK deaths resulting in an IHT charge also increased to 4.72%, the highest level since 2006 to 2007, although the total number of taxpaying estates fell by 1,100 to 30,400. The average IHT bill paid by taxpaying estates increased by 9%, rising from £212,000 to £231,000. The figures also show that the combined value of Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief set against assets rose to £5.96bn, up 13% on the previous year. The value of BPR rose by 15% to £3.85bn, while APR rose by 9% to £2.11bn. Andrea Jones, Partner and National Head of Private Client Advisory at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Inheritance tax has passed another major milestone, but the real story is the growing complexity families now face." “For higher-value estates, the figures show how quickly the position can change. Once an estate exceeds £2m, valuable allowances start to taper away, which can leave families facing a much higher effective tax burden than expected." “The figures also provide an important pre-reform benchmark for business and agricultural reliefs. Almost £6bn of relief was set against assets in the latest year, showing how central these reliefs have been to succession planning." “But the landscape has now changed. Families with businesses, farms, AIM portfolios or other qualifying assets should not assume plans made under the old rules will still achieve the same result." “With unused pension wealth also due to come into scope from 2027, estate planning needs to be reviewed now, not left until it’s too late.”

Family Business United has congratulated Andy Burnham on his appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and has called on the new administration to place the family business community at the heart of its plans for economic growth. Mr Burnham was appointed on Monday 20 July 2026, succeeding Sir Keir Starmer, who stepped down as Labour leader and Prime Minister in June. The former Mayor of Greater Manchester, who won the Makerfield seat in a by election in June, has pledged to bring stability back to British politics and has made the rebalancing of economic power across the regions and nations of the UK a central theme of his leadership. A Community Ready to Engage Family businesses account for the overwhelming majority of private sector firms in the UK, employing millions of people and contributing hundreds of billions of pounds to the economy every year. They are found in every sector and in every constituency, and they are particularly significant employers in the towns and regions beyond London and the South East, the very communities that the new Prime Minister has spent much of his career championing. Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United, said: "On behalf of our family business community we would like to extend our congratulations to Andy Burnham on his appointment as Prime Minister. We look forward to positive engagement with the new Prime Minister and his team in the weeks and months ahead." "Family firms are the engine room of the UK economy. They are the businesses that stay, that invest for the generations that follow and that keep their people and their communities at the centre of every decision they make. That long term outlook is a national asset and it deserves to be better recognised, understood and supported by government." "What family businesses need now is a policy environment that helps them get on with the job. That means action to reduce the cost of doing business, greater certainty and stability in the tax and regulatory landscape, and a clear commitment to backing investment in skills, technology and productivity. Give family firms the confidence to plan for the long term and they will deliver growth, jobs and prosperity right across the country." Call for a Review of the Inheritance Tax Changes Family Business United has also renewed its call for the government to review, and ideally reverse, the recent amendments to Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief, which have caused widespread concern among families in business and in farming. As Paul continues: "There is one area where we would urge the new administration to act quickly and that is the changes to the inheritance tax rules affecting families in business. The reforms to Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief have created real anxiety across the community and are already influencing decisions about investment, succession and, in some cases, whether to continue in family ownership at all." "We recognise the fiscal pressures that any government faces, but this is a measure that risks raising very little whilst doing lasting damage to the businesses and farms that underpin our regional economies. We would respectfully ask the Prime Minister and the Treasury team to look again at these provisions, to engage properly with the families affected and to find a way forward that protects the ability of family firms to pass from one generation to the next. "Family Business United stands ready to work constructively with the new government, to share the evidence and to make the case for the family business sector. Our door is open and we hope theirs will be too."

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published its latest statistics on workplace pension participation and savings trends. Commenting, Rebecca Williams, Financial Planning Divisional Lead at Rathbones, one of the UK's leading wealth and asset management groups, says: “The latest workplace pension figures are a timely reminder that automatic enrolment has been one of the UK's most successful pension reforms. Since its introduction in 2012, it has helped millions more people start saving for retirement while benefiting from valuable employer contributions that might otherwise have been missed." “The fact that around nine in 10 eligible employees are now saving into a workplace pension is a significant achievement. With employers accounting for more than 60% of workplace pension saving, automatic enrolment continues to play a vital role in improving long-term financial security." “However, the conversation now needs to move beyond participation and focus on pension adequacy. Getting people into pensions was only the first step. The bigger challenge is ensuring they are saving enough to achieve the retirement they want." “Our research suggests today's Generation Z could require pension wealth of more than £3 million for a comfortable retirement, or around £2.4 million when applying the 4% withdrawal rule. While these figures may seem daunting, they reflect the reality of longer life expectancy, inflation and rising living costs over time." “It's also notable that opt-out rates have edged higher. Cost-of-living pressures continue to squeeze household finances, making long-term saving harder for some people to prioritise. Meanwhile, lower participation among some groups and employees working for the smallest businesses shows there is still work to do to make retirement saving truly universal." “Too many people still treat pensions as a 'set and forget' product, despite them often being among their most valuable financial assets. Automatic enrolment has normalised pension saving. The next step is to normalise pension engagement, helping people understand whether they are on track, review contributions regularly and make informed decisions throughout their working lives. Otherwise, too many risk reaching retirement only to discover they have saved too little, too late.”

The future of a popular North Curry village pub has been secured after St Austell Brewery acquired The Bird in Hand, with local operators Ravi Keshri and James Eyre remaining at the helm. The independent South West brewing, hospitality and drinks wholesale company has purchased the pub as part of its growing presence in Somerset, ensuring one of the village's most important community assets remains thriving for years to come. For many residents, the news marks another chapter in the remarkable revival story of The Bird in Hand. Just over a year ago, the pub stood closed and deteriorating before Keshri and Eyre stepped in and brought it back to life. The pair, who run other award-winning pubs in the local area, were inspired to act after seeing first-hand how much the closure affected North Curry residents. After discovering the pub had been sold subject to contract, James Eyre wrote a letter to the owner and left it on a car windscreen in the hope of opening a conversation. The gamble paid off and, in January 2025, the pair took over the site and began transforming it. Community backing was immediate. During renovations, villagers flocked to a temporary trailer operating from the pub car park, where drinks and street food were served while work took place. Hundreds of people queued across successive weekends, eager to support the return of their local. Today, The Bird in Hand has once again become a focal point for village life, serving locally sourced food, supporting community groups, sponsoring sports teams and helping with local events. The pub is operated by NNI Management Limited - with day-to-day operations led by Rebecca Tilleray and her team - who remain committed to delivering excellent service and creating a welcoming experience for guests while continuing to support the local community. Gareth James, Operations Director, St Austell Brewery, said: "As we continue to pursue the right acquisition opportunities, The Bird in Hand is a great strategic fit, and exactly the type of quality pub we look for within our 120-plus strong leased and tenanted estate. It's a thriving community local in an area of Somerset where we see real opportunity to strengthen our presence." "Ravi and James are exceptional operators. Their passion for pubs, the local community, and delivering great beer and food aligns perfectly with our values. We're delighted to be working alongside them – as well as Rebecca and her team - and look forward to supporting The Bird in Hand’s continued success for many years to come." James Eyre said: "One of the biggest attractions for us was the opportunity to partner with a business that genuinely understands and supports great pubs. St Austell Brewery has an outstanding reputation, a fantastic beer portfolio and a model that allows operators like us to continue doing what we do best while benefiting from the strength of an established South West company.” Guests visiting The Bird in Hand will now be able to enjoy St Austell Brewery favourites including Tribute Pale Ale, Proper Job and korev alongside the pub's existing offer. The operators are also looking to the future, with plans to restore an historic outbuilding as a traditional skittle alley, creating another space for local people to come together and helping preserve an important part of Somerset's pub heritage.

OHS (Online Home Shop Limited), the family-owned e-commerce homeware retailer based in Worsley, Greater Manchester, has reported record gross sales of £100 million for 2026. The milestone is a 68% year-on-year increase to 31 January 2026 and helped triple operating profit from £5m to £15.3m over the same period. This second consecutive record-breaking year is attributable to the growth of the OHS website, increasing customer base and repeat purchases and continued growth in key marketplaces. The company continues to grow its core business in home textiles and is continuing its expansion across recent new product categories, including garden, furniture, soft furnishings, and clothing. This growth journey is supported by the recent announcement of opening a new 327,000 sq. ft fulfilment centre in Trafford Park, Manchester. This will continue to help OHS enhance stock management, improve distribution efficiency, and better serve customers as demand continues to grow significantly. The company now employs more than 200 staff and with the continued expansion and new fulfilment centre, headcount is expected to double to over 400 staff in the current financial year. During the first half of the current financial year sales are up over 50% year-on-year, and this growth is forecast to continue for the remainder of the year. Moshe Cohen, CEO of Online Home Shop, said: "We are delighted to announce another strong set of results, reflecting the exceptional talent, commitment and hard work of everyone across OHS." "Our continued investment in our people and infrastructure has strengthened the business and positioned us for sustainable long-term growth. By attracting and developing the very best people, we continue to deliver high-quality, trend-led homeware products at unbeatable prices, while providing an outstanding shopping experience for our customers." "As we look ahead, we remain focused on building on this momentum and delivering the next phase of our growth.” Photo credit: B8RE.

Hendy Foundation, the independent charity affiliated with leading car dealer business Hendy Group, has confirmed that eight charities will benefit from more than £16,000 raised through its fundraising efforts in the first half of 2026, including local charity, Access Dorset. Access Dorset supports people with disabilities and additional needs, as well as older people and carers. Through a range of social, recreational and life-skills activities, alongside information, advice and support, the charity helps individuals build confidence, reduce isolation and strengthen community connections. Hendy Foundation’s grant will help Access Dorset to continue to deliver these important services to those who face barriers to wellbeing and inclusion. The additional eight charities to benefit are: The Frances Andrews Memorial Trust (Kent) Loveworks (Surrey) Cancer United (West Sussex) Together Collective (East Sussex) Making Space (Hampshire) Off The Record (Hampshire) Waste Not Want Not (Wiltshire) Since its launch in 2018, Hendy Foundation has granted over £420,000 to more than 320 charities local to Hendy Group sites across Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey and Kent. Rebecca Hendy, Chairperson at Hendy Foundation, commented: “Supporting communities within Hendy Group’s footprint is our way to give back, and we’re grateful that the generosity of our colleagues and customers allows us to support some brilliant new causes this year.” Within each grant window, Hendy Foundation typically receives between 50 and 100 applications, which are then carefully reviewed by the board of volunteer trustees to decide on the allocation of funds. In early 2026, Hendy Foundation welcomed a cohort of new volunteer trustees to maximise the impact of its fundraising efforts for the benefit of local projects, people and events. Launched in 2018, Hendy Foundation is a dedicated charity that provides grants to local charitable projects, people and charitable organisations. It aims to surpass a milestone of £500,000 in donations by the end of 2026.

Yorkshire Baking Co. has unveiled its fresh new look ahead of Yorkshire Day on 1st August 2026, aiming to both strengthen its presence and support the exciting next phase of the cake brand’s growth. Rolling out across the ever-popular MEGA Loaf Cake range, the refreshed packaging celebrates Yorkshire Baking Co.‘s heritage while creating a stronger, more contemporary presence on shelf. The new design features an illustrated landscape, a prominent “Yorkshire’s Finest Cakes” seal of approval and the new brand strapline, “Good Honest Cake,” reinforcing the company’s commitment to quality baking which will appeal strongly to shoppers nationwide. The re-brand has also been extended to one of Yorkshire Baking Co.‘s most loved varieties, Yorkshire Parkin, with a distinctive identity across the MEGA Loaf Cake, cakes slices and smaller formats. Heritage-inspired colours and messaging, including “Rooted in Tradition,” will inspire cake lovers to try one of Yorkshire’s finest. The new look MEGA Loaf Cake ranging comprises of Classic Madeira, Lemon Crunch, Double Choc Chunk, Deliciously Cherry, Juicy Sultana, Jam & Coconut, Sticky Toffee, and Yorkshire Parkin - with an exciting array of NPD on the horizon to further drive brand appeal. The new packaging has been developed to provide greater shelf impact while creating a flexible platform for exciting future product development, seasonal launches and collaborative brand partnerships. Arainn Cleland, Sales Director at Yorkshire Baking Co., said: “This is an important milestone for Yorkshire Baking Co. as we continue to invest in our much-loved and rapidly growing cake brand. Our new identity reflects our heritage, our values and delivers quality consumers expect from our products, ultimately appealing strongly to all shoppers seeking “good honest cake’’ “Our MEGA Loaf Cakes are already a firm favourite with shoppers nationwide, and we are confident that our fresh new look will strengthen engagement with existing consumers, attract new shoppers to the brand and create further opportunities for growth with our retail partners.”

Nearly a century of Lancashire cheesemaking, tested by fire and emerging stronger. On the evening of Monday, November 6, 2023, Matthew Hall was fast asleep when his mother began throwing stones at his bedroom window. Outside, the Lancashire night sky was lit not by stars, but by a blaze consuming Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses’ office and packing site in Longridge. "Mum told me there was a fire," he recalls. "That word can mean so much, can't it? You light your fire in your house; you have fire on a candle. But this was not a fire. This was a blaze. Straight away, your legs go to jelly. It's all a little overwhelming, looking at the place you love so much in flames." What Matthew saw that night was its site on Shay Lane, Longridge, being consumed by an inferno. It took 60 firefighters to bring the flames under control with crews on site for nearly a week. A warehouse the size of two football pitches was destroyed. Hundreds of tonnes of stock, cheese in maturation, cheese being prepared for despatch, the result of months of skilled, patient craft, was gone. Six weeks before Christmas. It was, by any measure, a catastrophe. What followed was a masterclass in resilience, family, and a refusal to be defined by disaster. Richard and Annie's Farm The story of Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses begins in the fields of rural Lancashire in 1932, when Richard and Annie Butler purchased Lower Barker Farm in Inglewhite. From the very beginning, the farm was given over to cheese, handmade, carefully crafted, and sold locally to neighbours who recognised quality when they tasted it. Richard and Annie built something that would outlast them by generations. All four of their sons came to work in the family business, and cheesemaking rooted itself deep in the family's identity. The name Blacksticks, which would eventually become the business's most celebrated brand, came from a collection of tall chestnut trees on the Goosnargh-Chipping border, the name of the farm owned by one of the founders' four sons. The second generation nurtured what Richard and Annie had started. Jean Butler, now 87 and the last surviving member of that generation, remains a living link to those earliest days. When King Charles III visited the new Butlers cheese campus in February 2026 to officially open it, he sat with Jean, reviewed historical records, and listened as she recounted stories from nearly a century of cheesemaking history. The third generation expanded the business further. Gillian and Colin Hall, Gillian being the daughter of the Butler family, broadened the range and built the commercial foundations that would eventually take Butlers cheeses into supermarkets and delis across the country. Farmhouse Cheesemaking Craft At the heart of Butlers' identity is a commitment to milk, where it comes from, how it is treated, and the effect it has on the quality of the final product. All of the milk used at Inglewhite comes from the family's own herd, with the remainder sourced from farms within a ten-mile radius, many of them operated by family relatives. In an age when food provenance is increasingly important to consumers, Butlers has practised what it preached since 1932. The cheeses are made by hand, using traditional methods handed down through the generations. The range spans hard, blue, and soft cheese in cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk, with everything from classic Lancashire cheese to those inspired by those on the continent. The flagship is undoubtedly Blacksticks Blue. Distinctive for its distinctive orange colour, a result of the annatto natural colouring added to the milk, it is matured for eight weeks, during which time it develops a smooth, creamy texture and a flavour that manages to be both gently tangy and approachably mild. It has been credited as the first contemporary British blue cheese to demonstrate that the country could produce something genuinely exciting beyond Stilton, and it has won admirers at the very highest levels, from celebrated chefs to King Charles, who sampled it with blackcurrant jam on a ginger biscuit during his 2026 campus visit, declaring it something that would be "great as a dessert." Beyond Blacksticks, Butlers’ range includes Trotter Hill — a crumbly aged Lancashire-style cheese — Kidderton Ash, a delicate goat's cheese dusted with charcoal ash, Parlick, a ewe's milk cheese, and Tunworth, a soft, continental-style cheese revered by Michelin-starred restaurants and independent delicatessens alike. Following the acquisition of the Hampshire Cheese Company in 2024, Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses is now the largest independent soft cheesemaker in the UK. Head Cheese Grader Bill Yates, who has worked at Butlers for 36 years, and Head Cheesemaker Tim Fisher, with 35 years of service, are testament to the kind of institutional knowledge and deep craft that no manual can fully replicate, the sort of expertise that can only be accumulated through decades spent honing their craft. The Night Everything Changed When the fire broke out at Longridge, the dairy at Inglewhite, a separate site, was spared which meant the cheesemaking itself could continue. But the packing, maturation, and office operations that had been housed at Longridge were entirely destroyed. The company was suddenly making cheese at full capacity with nowhere near the space or infrastructure to store, mature, or despatch it properly. "We lost the entire operation overnight," says Matthew simply. Yet within hours of the blaze, the response had already begun. Milk was being turned to cheese within hours, plans were being made, calls were being placed, and the family and workforce were gathering themselves for what lay ahead. The local business community rallied. Customers, including the major supermarket chains, offered patience and support. Operations were moved entirely to the Inglewhite dairy, which meant working in a space a fraction of the size of what had existed before, with milk tankers and cheese wagons making journeys that an integrated site would have made unnecessary. "Since the loss of Longridge," the company wrote on its website a year after the fire, "we have managed to operate entirely from the dairy, but with limited space we are unable to mature our cheese on site. This means extra wagons to take our cheese to and from the dairy and extra milk tankers, as we are unable to use all our milk." The financial impact was severe with multi-million-pound losses and the time taken for insurance to come through. And yet, at no point did supply to customers break down entirely. Throughout the rebuild, Butlers maintained continuity of supply, an achievement that, given the circumstances, amounts to something close to a minor miracle of logistics and willpower. Building the Cheese Campus From the very beginning of the crisis, the family took a decision that would come to define the next chapter of Butlers' story. This would not simply be a case of rebuilding what had been lost. "Cheesemaking is at the very heart of our business," said Matthew. "Operating entirely from the dairy was not without its challenges, but it ignited our desire to nurture our cheese from beginning to end on the farm." "We saw an opportunity to not simply replace what we lost, but to build something that would serve our business and our community for the next 100 years. This generational investment in our new cheese campus brings tradition and technology together to protect our craft now, and in future." "In the summer following the fire, Butlers entered into discussions with Preston City Council about an entirely new vision: a purpose-built cheese campus at Wilson Fields Farm, Inglewhite, the home of the original dairy, that would bring every stage of production under one roof for the first time in the company's history. Planning permission was granted in early 2025. The investment would total £15 million. The campus was designed in harmony with the surrounding countryside, largely invisible from the road, its building footprint kept deliberately modest, its materials and architecture grounded in the agricultural landscape of rural Lancashire. Crucially, 80% of the construction work was carried out by local Lancashire businesses. The rubble from the Longridge fire site was transported to Inglewhite and used to create the connecting pathways between buildings, a detail of striking symbolic power: the destruction of one chapter becoming, quite literally, the foundation of the next. The centrepiece of the new campus is a state-of-the-art maturation shed, specifically designed to meet the individual needs of Butlers' three distinct cheese categories, hard, blue, and soft, which require markedly different conditions of humidity, temperature, and airflow. The shed can hold up to 130,000 individual cheeses at any one time. The campus also includes new cheesemaking facilities, a product development area, and offices, all interlinked by those paths made from Longridge rubble. Alongside its traditional cheesemaking techniques that have been passed down through the generations, the campus incorporates modern systems, technologies and data-led insights that help Butlers optimise production, maturation and quality while preserving the craftsmanship that sits at the heart of the business. The sustainability credentials of the new campus are substantial. By consolidating all operations onto a single site, Butlers has reduced its road traffic and food miles by approximately 50% compared to operating across two locations. Pre-fire, milk, cheese, and staff were travelling between Longridge and Inglewhite constantly; at the new campus, the journey from family herd to finished, packaged product takes place within the boundaries of the farm. A Royal Seal of Approval On 10th February 2026, King Charles III visited Inglewhite to officially open Butlers’ new cheese campus. He toured the facilities in the company of three generations of the family, Jean Butler, Gillian Hall, Matthew and Daniel Hall, as well as Bill Yates and Tim Fisher, and a gathering of the farmers, suppliers, contractors, and customers who had helped make the rebuild possible. The Mayor of Preston, Councillor Sue Whittam, who attended the opening, described the occasion with evident pride: "After a devastating fire two years ago, the family-owned business has focused on rebuilding with sustainability at its heart. The King was very impressed with the new state-of-the-art facilities." On his departure, the King offered a verdict that Matthew will likely carry with him for the rest of his life: Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses was, His Majesty remarked, "an exceptional family business." The Fourth Generation — and the Fifth Matthew, 35, studied business management at Lancaster University before working in marketing at Sara Lee and then Bel UK. He returned to the family business and now leads it as Commercial Director, alongside his brother Daniel. The fourth generation has brought with it an appetite for innovation that sits alongside deep respect for the traditions from which the business grew. Under Matthew and Daniel's stewardship, the business has increasingly focused on making farmhouse cheese more discoverable and accessible to a new generation of consumers. While respecting the traditions that have defined Butlers for nearly a century, they have challenged some of the cheese category's long-held conventions. From positioning Blacksticks Blue as an everyday cheese rather than a cheeseboard or Christmas purchase, to experimenting with new formats, pairings and usage occasions, the aim has been to encourage more people to explore the breadth and versatility of British farmhouse cheese, more often. "We've got very strong foundations, a rich history, and a product that's well-known nationally and internationally, which brings us a whole set of opportunities to build on,” says Matthew. “Now, we're looking to turbocharge the British cheese revolution without having to start from the ground up again.” That phrase carries a particular resonance given everything the family has been through. They did, in a very real sense, have to start from the ground up, or at least, they had the option to. They chose instead to use the catastrophe as a catalyst for something more ambitious than anything they had previously imagined. As for the fifth generation, Matthew, married with three young children, is philosophical rather than prescriptive. "There will be no pressure on the fifth generation," he has said. But given the depth of the family's roots in this craft and this landscape and given what the fourth generation has just built from the wreckage of a November fire, it is difficult to imagine the story ending here. A Lancashire Institution Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses has been making cheese in Inglewhite for nearly a century. It has survived wars, agricultural upheaval, the industrialisation of food production, and a blaze that would have ended many businesses overnight. It supplies all the major supermarket chains alongside independent retailers and Michelin-starred kitchens. It is a Made in Lancashire ambassador, a holder of multiple national and international awards, and now, officially, a recipient of a royal seal of approval. Today, Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses has entered the next chapter of its story. With foundations rooted in family, farming and cheesemaking craft, the business is firmly focused on the future and unlocking the full potential of its new cheese campus. By marrying tradition with technology, Butlers is protecting its craft for future generations while introducing British speciality cheese to a new generation of consumers. Richard and Annie Butler would, one suspects, find the new cheese campus rather extraordinary. But they would recognise, in every wheel and round and truckle that leaves it, exactly what they started all those years ago. ________________________________________ Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses is based at Wilson Fields Farm, Inglewhite, Lancashire. The range is available from major supermarkets, independent retailers, and at butlerscheeses.co.uk.

Higher rates of top income tax in Scotland are driving high earners to consider commuting to well paid jobs from England, according to Rathbones Group, the largest wealth management firm in both the UK and Scotland. In a new analysis, Rathbones shows top earners could save more than £46,000 in income tax over five years by moving to England and commuting to their jobs, instead of remaining Scottish taxpayers. The cross-border commuter trend is emerging through conversations with Rathbones clients and prospective clients who work in Scotland but are increasingly questioning where they should live as the gap between Scottish and rest-of-UK income tax rates continues to widen. Rathbones’ analysis shows that someone earning £250,000 could pay around £8,900 less income tax in the first year alone if subject to the income tax rates that apply in England rather than Scotland. Assuming salary growth of 2% a year, the cumulative difference could exceed £46,000 over five years. The findings reflect the Scotland’s devolved income tax system. Scotland currently operates six income tax rates above the Personal Allowance, ranging from 19% to 48%, while England, Northern Ireland and Wales have three main rates of 20%, 40% and 45%. Rathbones recently warned that Scotland’s divergent income tax regime could hamper efforts to attract investment, entrepreneurs and skilled workers. Gordon Lawrie, Head of Rathbones’ Edinburgh office, says: “For higher earners, the tax map of the UK is becoming harder to ignore. A worker can live on one side of the border, work on the other and, depending on their tax residence, face a materially different income-tax bill." “High earners ask us a very simple question, namely can I save tax if I live in England and continue to work in Scotland? Someone earning £250,000, the difference could exceed £46,000 over five years, which is enough to make tax part of the conversation alongside housing, commuting and wider lifestyle considerations.” For someone earning £150,000, the potential difference is around £5,900 in the first year and more than £30,500 over five years. The potential five-year income tax difference ranges from approximately £12,300 for someone earning £80,000 to more than £46,000 for someone earning £250,000. The analysis also highlights the significant impact of the Personal Allowance taper. Between £100,000 and £125,140, taxpayers effectively face a marginal income tax rate of 60% in England. For Scottish taxpayers paying the 45% Advanced Rate, the equivalent effective marginal rate can rise to 67.5% while the Personal Allowance is being withdrawn. Rathbones, which has offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh, argues that policymakers should place greater emphasis on Scotland’s long-term competitiveness through a simpler and more competitive tax system, in turn strengthening the country’s appeal as a place to live, work and do business. Adam Drummond, Head of Rathbones’ Glasgow office, says: “There is also a broader economic question for Scotland. If tax policy starts driving higher earners elsewhere policymakers should consider what that means for Scotland’s long-term competitiveness, its ability to retain and attract investment and entrepreneurs to drive growth.”

A spa resort on Windermere is playing host to an award-winning ‘artist in residence’ who will be available to talk to visitors and guests about his on-site exhibition. From 3-7 August, renowned North West artist Norman Long will be working in situ in the latest Art in the Atrium gallery at Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa. The ‘Multitude’ titled display features a range of Norman’s recent works, including San Marco Flight, Beach Scenes and Twisting by the Pool. A large ‘work in progress’ triptych called ‘Frieze’ is the focal point of the Multitude exhibition and Norman will be working on this painting throughout the summer. During his week as ‘artist in residence’, Norman will be painting in the atrium or in the hotel grounds between 2pm and 5pm each afternoon. He will be available to talk to guests and visitors keen to find out more about his work, fine art techniques and handy tips for budding artists. The quarterly gallery exhibitions at Low Wood Bay have been established through a partnership between English Lakes Hotels and Gavagan Art. “Norman’s latest paintings include a number of large figurative compositions and smaller observational studies which capture the relationship between people in a range of public spaces and settings,” explains Mary Gavagan from Gavagan Art. “From the mingling of a townscape crowd to social interactions on the beach, his paintings recreate all the bustle and excitement of those situations, often focusing on one or two individuals within the larger group – just as we observe people in daily life.” Executive chairman of English Lakes Hotels Simon Berry says: “Our idea with the Art in the Atrium gallery is to make fine art more accessible and introduce some of the UK’s most talented contemporary artists to our guests and a wider audience in Cumbria." “The regular displays are now an established feature at the venue, not only for staying guests but also for local people to come and spend an hour or so browsing the exhibited works. An in-house art gallery within the hotel offers the immersive experience of curated exhibitions with our luxury accommodations and spa services too.” Norman Long’s accolades include the de Laszlo Award from the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. His paintings have been exhibited with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and the New English Art Club. For further information, visit here. Photo: Norman Long showcases his work in the Art in the Atrium gallery at Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa.

Visitors to the third annual South Coast Wine Festival at Highcliffe Castle (14-16 August) will have the opportunity to check out the latest and greatest premium all-terrain models in the Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender ranges, thanks to a new collaboration with Hendy Land Rover, one of the region’s leading automotive retailers. As well as providing essential funding to help organisers deliver the popular event, Hendy will showcase a selection of vehicles across the weekend, with a dedicated team of Hendy experts on hand across the weekend to help festival visitors learn more about each vehicle and become better acquainted with the Land Rover range. As one of the event’s main sponsors, Hendy will have four models on display in the castle grounds including the elegant Range Rover Sport SV and Range Rover D350 as well as the rugged Defender 110 and Defender OCTA. In the lead-up to the festival, Hendy’s collaboration with the event has included the filming of a docuseries profiling vineyards across the South Coast, with presenters using iconic off-roaders supplied by Hendy Land Rover to visit some of the amazing wine-producing businesses in the local area, such as The Hambledon Wine Estate. John Stone, Regional Director at Hendy Group, said: “The South Coast has a truly diverse range of long-standing wine producers and suppliers, and at 166 years young, we are proud to stand alongside many of them at this year’s festival. Hendy Land Rover and Highcliffe are a perfect pairing, and we look forward to meeting the many locals who make these regional events such a success." “Obviously, we can’t offer test drives at a wine festival, but we would encourage those curious about our cars to come and take a look around the products, ask any questions and book a test drive at our Southampton or Christchurch showrooms.” Further information is available at: Hendy Land Rover | New Land Rover Cars for sale in Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire