A RAPIDLY expanding Leeming Bar pork pie company is cooking up 30 new jobs with the opening of a third bakery before Christmas.

Vale of Mowbray has invested £2m in the last two years, increasing the capacity of its two existing bakeries and building a new one to help meet demand for its pork pies and sausages from national supermarket chains and independent retailers across the North-East.

The company already employs 190 in its two pork pie bakeries and single sausage factory.

It has also been given all the ingredients it needs to review its design and packaging after attending "food sector design best practice" workshops designed by Business Link York and North Yorkshire.

For Vale Of Mowbray, which has an annual turnover of £11m and produces more than 500 tonnes of pies and sausages a month, the focus was on the design of its branding, from packaging to promotional material, and advice was given on all aspects, from the design itself to the marketing budget.

Mr Paul Keeton, Vale Of Mowbray sales and marketing manager, said the workshops had helped the company to focus on its packaging design. "At the moment we are concentrating on getting our new bakery up and running," he said, "but we will switch our attentions to branding, including the launching of a web site, early in the new year."

Mr Gareth Barber, Business Link York and North Yorkshire design adviser, said packaging and presentation was vitally important for a company where appearances could make all the difference.

For help or advice from Business Link York and North Yorkshire, telephone 01904 686000.

Mr Keeton is pictured, centre, showing Mr Barber, left, and Mr Richard Whitaker of In-House Marketing, which was involved in putting toegther the design programme, some of the company's popular pork pies.