Member Article

Young sausage-maker launches own business

Twenty-seven year old William Browne has achieved a long-held ambition and launched his own specialist sausage shop in his home town of Bradford-on-Avon thanks to support from Transmit Start-Ups.

William’s Old Spot Sausage business, based in Westdale Park, uses the famous Gloucester Old Spot pigs from Gatcombe Park as well as local farms, to create a wide variety of sausages from Cumberland and Lincolnshire to Firecracker and Hickory-flavoured.

He said: “It is great to have my own shop as I sell at local town markets but they are usually finished around lunchtime so now I can trade for the whole day. The Transmit Start-Ups loan has been a big help as it has enabled me to buy essential equipment to set up a kitchen on my doorstep. I love creating the best quality sausages I possible can and I have the perfect set up to do that.”

Melanie Shee, Transmit Start-Ups mentor for William said: “The Old Spot Sausage company is a perfect example of how someone’s passion can be a great launch pad to become self-employed. William has set himself tough targets and has met every one. His business will be a great success as his food is delicious and going down a storm already.”

William Browne’s career started in countryside management and his love of outdoors led him to his first job at a sausage shop in Bath. He enjoyed the business and was one of the Hartley Farm team who won a Taste of the West Silver Award competition for his pork and leek sausage and traditional pork sausage.

His shop is open all day Saturday, Monday and Wednesday, then afternoons the rest of the week, 1.30 - 4.30pm, closed Sunday. He also sells from his website www.oldspotsausage.co.uk. He sells around 2,000 sausages a month and his ambition is to have a Royal Appointment for his products.

Transmit Start-Ups is part of the Government’s national start-up initiative and offers low cost, flexible loans to budding entrepreneurs.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Transmit Start Ups .