Barnsley businesswomen launches frozen meal delivery firm after caring for sick mother

A Barnsley entrepreneur has launched her own frozen meal delivery service after being dissatisfied with the quality of food available when caring for her elderly mother.

After returning from a job as an estate manager at a seven-star resort in Thailand, Cassie Northwood has founded Northwood Foods which is now delivering meals across Yorkshire.

Cassie returned to the UK to care for her sick mother Joyce, who lived in Leeds and passed away in April last year aged 83, after suffering with dementia.

As Northwood Foods is now based in Wombwell, Cassie and her partner David White arrange deliveries of high-quality, well-balanced meals to older, sick or vulnerable people of all ages in their own homes.

Cassie said: “As you can imagine, at a seven-star resort, quality was everything, and the food was fantastic. After returning home to care for my mum, I found it disappointing and frustrating that I couldn’t source high standard frozen meals for her - the same problem I had when nursing my dad through cancer ten years ago. That’s what sparked the idea for the business.”

Cassie was able to set up Northwood Foods through the business support programme Smartstart, run by Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre (BBIC).

Northwood Foods aims to provide healthy meals using locally-sourced ingredients that are of a high quality whilst still being affordable; focusing on ‘a taste of Yorkshire’, with dishes including chicken casserole, roast beef, lamb hotpot and a range of long life sandwiches, paninis, crisps and biscuits. Indian and Chinese options are also available.

The business is directly targeting families in the first instance, with plans to approach community and care organisations as suppliers in the near future.

Northwood Foods’ products have invested in innovative packaging which enables the meal to be warmed on the plate directly, avoiding the need to transfer piping hot food from plastic trays to plates.

Cassie added: “We would never produce anything that we wouldn’t be happy to give to our own parents. And we make sure the meals are delivered with a smile, as we appreciate that for some isolated people, the social contact that comes with receiving a delivery is also important.”

Delivery staff are CRB checked and Cassie provides advice on choosing dishes for nutrition, taking into account medical conditions and individual tastes.

Northwood Foods currently deliver around Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire but plan to deliver nationally, and are making links with care providers in order to explore future contract opportunities.

Cassie concluded: “We are building things up carefully and steadily but we really feel there is a lot of potential in the business. After all, we’re living in an ageing population and people will always need to eat.

“We are so grateful for the mentoring we have received from Smartstart and have been really impressed with the standard and efficiency of the support provided.”

Sarah Valentine, BBIC’s Smartstart business development manager, commented: “Cassie’s own experiences prompted her to set up her business and we’re delighted to have helped her get underway. Building a business requires passion, which she has in abundance.

“It’s great to see another success story from the Smartstart programme and we wish Northwood Foods all the best for the future.”

The Smartstart programme is delivered in partnership with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and is part of a wider strategy to help grow the local economy.

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