Southern Enterprise Awards 2021

122 | Southern Enterprise Awards 2021 Aug21336 During the pandemic, many people took to the internet to order goods and services online. Here, the specialist mail order Cornish goods company, The Cornish Scone Company, came into its own. Having already established the business prior to lockdown, owner Karen found herself extra-busy as she fulfilled her growing customer’s home-baked needs. A small family-run business based in Cornwall, The Cornish Scone Company specialises in providing Cornish delicacies via mail order to members of the public, as well as fulfilling corporate orders for companies looking to treat their clients and employees. With core values revolving round supporting other local businesses and ensuring that it provides the best products it possibly can to customers, The Cornish Scone Company places a huge emphasis on home-baking. In fact, the company is the only type of its kind locally which bakes all of its wares by hand, on the day of dispatch, using locally sourced ingredients. “This family-run ethos runs throughout the whole business,” says owner, Karen. “We hope that this is something that can be felt by customers when they open up a package from us.” The firm also uses traditional tried-and-tested recipes that have been handed down through the generations. Sure, they may have been tweaked over the years but, as Karen says, “Why mess with perfection?” Being run by just two people, these being master- baker Karen and Nathan, who attends to all the paperwork, emails, packing and everything else, means that this bijous operation is very much an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ affair. Best Family-Run Cream Tea Company – South West “When we do need extra help during, especially busy periods like Christmas, we simply bring in other family members who already know how we run so that we can ensure the same quality is carried throughout the whole business, which is what our customers expect.” Naturally, being based in Cornwall lends itself to the products that Karen offers, but she is very concerned with ensuring that she gives back to the local community too. “We love being based in Cornwall,” she enthuses. “It’s an open place where lots of people support each other, and we try to continue that trend by supporting local charities as much as we can. Being close to all of our suppliers is great for cutting down on the damaging aspects of business, as there’s no air miles involved, and very few road miles!” Whilst the traditional Cornish Cream Tea may be the backbone of the business, it’s not all that the company has to offer – far from it! There is also a range of delicious savoury treats available too, including another West Country classic, the humble Cornish pasty. Always looking for ways to be innovative and increase her customer-base, Karen has also started producing treats and bakes which cater to dietary requirements, such as gluten-free and vegan products. “We’re really keen to expand our vegan range by developing new scone flavours, by creating our own in-house vegan cream, and by bringing a vegan savoury afternoon tea to the table,” Karen elaborates. “Of course, we won’t be neglecting our non-vegan offerings and we’ll still be innovating and producing tasty treats for people to enjoy - after all, we want everyone to be able to enjoy food - whether vegan, gluten free, or anything else!” During the Covid-19 pandemic, Karen tells us that the competition for mail order baked goods skyrocketed as more and more businesses opened up to satisfy the desires of the locked- down nation. The Cornish Scone Company, however, managed to not only keep its loyal customer base, but increase it too. For this reason, The Cornish Scone Company was recently awarded with the title of Best Family-Run Cream Tea Company – South West in the Southern Enterprise Awards 2021. This prestigious accolade is testament to the hard work of both Karen and Nathan. But what does the future hold now? “We love trying out new ingredients and combinations,” says Karen. “So, we’ll be very much continuing to innovate with delicious products.” Company: The Cornish Scone Company Web Address: www.cornishsconecompany.co.uk/