Heart of England Fine Foods has won the contract to manage the new £7 million Food Enterprise Centre in Shropshire.

It will be home to up to 12 start-up and growing businesses at Battlefield Enterprise Park in Shrewsbury and is the West Midlands’ first enterprise centre specially designed for companies in the food and drink industry.

The £7 million development, funded by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands and Shropshire Council, provides 30,000 sq ft of workspace fitted out to food specification hygiene standards and also includes training and meeting facilities.

There is already one business on site (Bacchus Catering), with others lined up.

Karen Davies, chief executive at Heart of England Fine Foods, said: “We are delighted to have won the contract to manage the Shropshire Food Enterprise Centre and to be creating a business hub and centre of excellence for the food and drink industry across the West Midlands region.

“We have some exciting plans to bring the food enterprise centre to life and to develop it as a focal point for regional businesses within the food supply chain.

“By providing support to the producers on site we will enable them to grow, develop and innovate assisting them to compete in the regional, national and global marketplace.”

Mark Pearce, corporate director for economic regeneration at Advantage West Midlands, said: “The food and drink industry has major barriers for start-up companies as there is a shortage of specialist units that have the right specifications.

“Food and drink is a major industry in our region with 6,000 companies involved in the industry, employing 40,000 staff, with a forecast growth rate of 2.5 per cent over the next five years.

“Shrewsbury is ideally located for a facility such as this and will be home to thriving and growing food and drink businesses.

“This is a key project which will develop businesses, networks and collaboration to grow the sector.”

Councillor David Roberts, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for local environment and economy, said: “Shropshire Council is pleased that Heart of England Fine Foods will be managing the Shropshire Food Enterprise Centre on its behalf – it is great news for the West Midlands region and fantastic news for Shropshire.”

By Amy Bould