For the 2023 Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards, a new headline sponsor has been welcomed into the fold.
Brioche Pasquier is a multi-national company but it all hails from a small village in the west of France way back in 1936. Gabriel Pasquier was the baker of the village and was renowned for his brioche, pâtisserie and bread. After his death in the 1970s, his five sons decided to continue making his traditional French brioche but to sell it in a wrapper and sell the products into supermarkets. This was a revolutionary idea for the time and the rest, as they say, is history.
Brioche Pasquier remains a family-owned and run business. The company expanded hugely over the years, moving into other European markets and conquering America. In 2001, it opened offices in the UK and in 2014 its first UK factory was built in Milton Keynes. The company’s Pitch products are now recognisable on most supermarket shelves and are a firm family favourite.
Ryan Peters, Managing & Industrial Director at Brioche Pasquier UK Ltd, speaks about why the company decided to become a headline sponsor this year and about the importance of being involved in the local community.
As the new headline sponsor of the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards in 2023, what encouraged Brioche Pasquier to get involved this year?
One of our company’s key focuses has always been to keep the local community close to its heart and to be involved in supporting families, schools and businesses around our factories. We are excited to be a part of the 2023 Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards and to celebrate the achievements and successes of local business and local people, here in MK.
You’ve been involved with a number of community events and initiatives since making Milton Keynes your home, why is it important for Brioche Pasquier to engage with the local community?
Brioche Pasquier began in the heart of a small village in the west of France, nearly 50 years ago. Our community presence plays a huge part in our successes and is embedded into the ethos of our brand. This is something that will never change and is helped by the fact that we are still a family-run business. The community is at the heart of everything we do, so, supporting local events, charities and businesses remains a core value and sums up who we are and what we stand for.
This year’s theme for MKBAA is ‘Celebrating Diversity’ – how does that message resonate with Brioche Pasquier and why do you think it’s an important topic for all businesses in Milton Keynes?
We feel that the 2023 event theme, Celebrating Diversity, is a very important subject. It’s excellent to see organisations taking steps to embrace both our similarities and differences, to develop a corporate culture that celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion. We welcome and employ many people of different ethnicities and religions, so being aware of diversity and making a constant effort to be inclusive is something we’re hot on.
Now that Milton Keynes has officially been designated a city, how do you think businesses can benefit from the new status in the long term?
We established ourselves in the great city of Milton Keynes in 2014. We couldn’t be prouder of how far this community and so many other local businesses have come. We are honoured to have been a part of the journey and feel city status is a well-deserved achievement for MK. It’s safe to say Milton Keynes isn’t short of businesses and opportunities, we see it as the hub and the ‘place to be’ outside of London. Now that it’s officially a city, there are added perks to being in MK and it comes with greater appeal and increased attraction to those who were not previously familiar with the area. Well done to everyone involved in making city status possible.
What are you looking forward to most about the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards 2023?
As mentioned previously, we are very excited to be a part of the 2023 Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards. It will be great to celebrate the achievements and successes of businesses and local people, right here in our newly appointed city of MK. Also, being a family business and having those strong community values, it’s all about the people and bringing the community together. It will be a lovely evening and a good way of steering 2023 in the right direction, a rewarding experience for all of those in attendance and for those that are fortunate enough to be shortlisted and to win an award.
What would you say to companies who are thinking of attending this year?
We’d have to say – do it! We may be biased as headline sponsors but it will be a lovely evening for all of those in attendance. We would highly encourage others to join us in celebrating the achievements of local businesses and people, here in MK. Plus, everyone should treat themselves from time to time.
