We had a fantastic networking morning at Beamish Museum today! It was brilliant to see so many familiar faces and to connect with the Business Friends of Beamish too!
We kicked off the event with a relaxed cuppa, where we were warmly welcomed by Lisa Powell and Sam Appleby from Beamish. To mark the season, we enjoyed some delicious, spooky-themed shortbread, baked fresh at the famous Beamish Bakery—a treat that certainly set a positive tone for the morning!
The room quickly filled with energy as we launched into our networking session. It was encouraging to hear the buzz of conversations and the sound of new business connections being forged.
Sweet History and Industrial Scale
The absolute highlight of the morning was our unique excursion to Jubilee Confectionary. We were treated to a live demonstration of traditional cinder toffee making and, of course, got to sample the delicious results! A special shout-out to Kris from Consett Golf Club, who was visiting Beamish for the first time and literally looked like a kid in a sweet shop when we got to Jubilee Confectionary!
This led to a fascinating historical discussion: We learned that the booming sugar transportation in the early 1900s made the ingredient cheap and abundant. This wasn't just good for the small sweet shops; it allowed massive, factory-based companies like Cadbury, Rowntree, and Fry to rise, producing affordable, mass-market sweets. In the Victorian and Edwardian eras, sweet-making was a highly lucrative industry—a significant contrast to the modern market, which contends with the UK sugar tax.
Thank you once again to Beamish Museum for hosting a truly memorable and highly educational networking event.
Join Us Next Time!
We'd love to see everyone at our November meeting at the Derwentside Business Centre in Consett. This is a FREE joint meeting with the Northern Tenants Networking Group. Come early to enjoy tea/coffee and bacon butties available on arrival!
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE & BOOK YOUR FREE PLACE
