Jelly maker sets superfast broadband milestone
Young entrepreneur plans to break the mould after becoming Superfast North Yorkshire’s 50,000th fibre broadband customer.
Twenty-one year-old Ryan Tindall plans to bring a traditional taste of Yorkshire to the world of jelly with his culinary business venture Just Jelly – thanks to Superfast North Yorkshire.
Ryan is the latest customer to join the county’s fibre broadband revolution– after his village High Hawkser, was connected up to fibre as part of the multi million pound Superfast North Yorkshire project last month.
Since signing up through his internet service provider BT, Ryan has seen his home broadband speed boosted from around 1.3Mbps to a massively improved 60Mbps.
To mark the 50,000th customer milestone, delighted Ryan was a special guest at this year’s Malton Food Lovers Festival where he was presented with a celebratory food hamper from multi Michelin starred Chef Jean-Christophe Novelli.
Superfast North Yorkshire is one of the sponsors for this year’s festival, which attracts over 20,000 food lovers to Malton, showcasing over 160 quality food and drink producers, the best of Yorkshire’s own chefs and top-level patrons vying to return year on year.
Ryan, who currently works as a Duty Manager at the Victoria Hotel, in Whitby, launched Just Jelly at the start of the year, running it from the family home.
He said: “These days if you want to set up on your own you have to be online because that is increasingly how people first find you and buy things from you.
“We are a bit out in the sticks here so it is much easier to reach customers online. Before getting fibre the broadband was really slow. It’s so frustrating when you’re trying to do things like process orders or change and upload things quickly on the website.
“Both my parents use the internet, my dad uses it for book keeping for his work and my mum likes to shop online. The difference now is that we can all be online at the same time without worrying about things crashing or slowing down to a snail’s pace.”
To help boost his fledgling business, Ryan has recently signed up to a specially tailored programme – run by the Superfast North Yorkshire project - offering free business support and advice on a variety of topics designed to help businesses harness the potential of high speed fibre broadband.
He said: “The advisors sorted out a problem with my website and email that was potentially losing me sales and leads. I’m also learning how to make the most out of social media like Linkedin and Twitter, to generate more sales and drive interest to my website.”
Ryan was inspired to start Just Jelly after eating Mint Jelly as a child, made by his grandmother Elizabeth Tindall.
“She used her own recipe and as I kid I loved it, and had it with most of my meals. Once I started to get an interest in food and cooking I decided to have a go at making it. I started experimenting with different flavours to give it a modern twist.
“I sent her a selection as a gift at Christmas and she loved them. She didn’t realise I’d made them and even said she thought they were better than hers, so that was the seal of approval for me!”
Ryan, who already sells his jellies to delis, restaurants, gift shops and gastro pubs across the county, hopes eventually to attract interest from big supermarket chains and beyond.
“The great thing about the internet is that is brings the world right to your doorstep – it would be great to be able to bring a real taste of Yorkshire.”
Work on the Superfast North Yorkshire project is well underway across the county with around 600 homes and businesses signing up to superfast broadband each week and 50,000 premises already using a high-speed fibre broadband service.
Through the project’s Business Support Programme, eligible companies (based on size, primary activity, turnover etc) can receive a wealth of support and advice aimed at helping their businesses to grow through better use of technology.
A series of workshops, masterclasses and one-to-one business advice is on offer – and it’s free. The programme aims to attract 2,100 businesses to the scheme by June 2015.
North Yorkshire businesses wanting to find out more and to check whether they are eligible for the Business Support Programme should call 0845 0020021, email enquiries@sfny.co.uk or visit www.sfny.co.uk
The Superfast North Yorkshire project was the first in the UK to deploy fibre broadband using Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) funds following the signing of a £36.4m contract led by North Yorkshire County Council and BT in July last year. It builds on BT’s commercial fibre investment so that 90 per cent of North Yorkshire’s 380,000 homes and businesses will have access to fibre broadband by the end of 2014.
The high-speed network installed by Openreach is available on an open, wholesale basis to all communication providers, therefore offering North Yorkshire households and businesses the benefit of real choice from a highly competitive market.
The majority of premises in North Yorkshire will be getting access to some of the best broadband speeds in the country via Superfast North Yorkshire and BT’s associated commercial roll-out. The high speed service will boost the competitiveness of local firms and offer new ways of flexible working, entertainment and learning opportunities for local residents.
For further information on the Superfast North Yorkshire programme visit www.superfastnorthyorkshire.com
Due to the current network topography, and the economics of deployment, it is likely that some premises within the selected exchange areas will not initially be able to access fibre-based broadband. Alternative solutions for these locations are being investigated.
Photography illustrating the Superfast North Yorkshire project is available here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/107803477@N08/sets/72157642004199605/
Notes to Editors:
Ryan Tindall,
Just Jelly
Contact: 07824166270
Email: info@justjelly.co.uk
Website: www.justjelly.co.uk
Address: 27 Prospect Field, High Hawsker, Whitby, N.Yorkshire, YO224LG
Superfast Britain is a Government programme of investment in broadband and communication infrastructure across the UK. Run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, this investment helps businesses to grow, creates jobs and will make Britain more competitive in the global race. The portfolio is comprised of three elements:
• £790m to extend superfast broadband to 95% of the UK by 2017;
• £150m to provide high speed broadband to businesses in 22 cities; and
• £150m to improve quality and coverage of mobile phone and basic data network services.
Administered on behalf of Government by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK),Superfast Britain is transforming Britain by promoting growth, enabling skills and learning, and improving quality of life. For further information: https://www.gov.uk/broadband-delivery-uk
About Superfast North Yorkshire
Superfast North Yorkshire was created in July 2012 following the signing of the contract between North Yorkshire County Council and BT, which will see a total fibre broadband investment in the county expected to reach around £70 million.
North Yorkshire is the first county in the UK successfully to deploy Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) funds, which will be used to extend the roll-out of faster broadband across the county. The project will reach those areas outside of any commercial roll-out using a partnership approach to ensure all communities have access to the fastest possible broadband speeds.
The Superfast North Yorkshire project is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007 to 2013. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which is one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs. For more information visit www.communities.gov.uk/erdf
