Category: News

Mike’s Fancy Cheese has been at Ards Business Hub since the company was first started by Michael Thomson a decade ago.

When Belfast man Michael Thomson first got the idea of making his own cheese, he knew that Newtownards was the perfect location. To make great cheese, you need the best milk, so after getting plenty of advice from the team at Clandeboye Estate Yogurt – who were also based at Ards Business Hub for many years – Mike found two nearby dairy farmers to supply his new business.

He went to England to study cheese-making in 2012 and then ran a successful crowdfunding campaign to get the business off the ground. He moved into a unit at the Hub’s Strangford Park to start making Young Buck, his signature blue cheese, made to a recipe that started from a book called Practical Cheesemaking that was published in 1917.

The cheese was a massive success and he and his team – three full time and one part time – now make enough cheese to sell to suppliers throughout Northern Ireland, Ireland, the UK and Europe as well as selling direct to customers in a shop in Belfast and online, mainly by subscription. The shop and the online business also carry an extensive range of Irish cheeses.

“When I started the business, I had a good idea that the cheese would be a success. There was no one else in Northern Ireland producing a cheese like it. And no cheeseboard is complete without a blue. At the very start we sold the cheese at pop up events and festivals but now about 70 per cent is sold wholesale,” he said.

What they say about Ards Business Hub:

For Mike the location was key to his choice to move to Ards. The positive recommendation by long-term tenant Clandeboye Yogurt – which has only recently moved to its own premises – helped cement the decision. Mike’s Fancy Cheese has now taken on a second unit in the park as it plans for growth – either increasing its production or trialling a brand-new cheese.

Mike said: “We absolutely love it here and I honestly don’t think we could have done it anywhere else. Not only are we close to our suppliers but the units are perfect the needs of a food production business. We make cheese three or four days a week, and this is such a nice, relaxed atmosphere in which to work.”

What we say:

Ards Business Hub Chief Executive, Nichola Lockhart said: “Mike’s Fancy Cheese has become one of Northern Ireland’s food heroes. Mike had such conviction in his product and he and his team work hard to continually develop the business. We are delighted that they chose to start their story here at Ards Business Hub.”

Find out more about Mike’s Fancy Cheese here.

Next Services is a specialist building services company, set up by Robert Brown, providing bespoke mechanical, electrical and renewable solutions.

After more than 18 years rising through the ranks of a mechanical and electrical engineering company, Robert decided to set up his own business and moved into Ards Business Hub in 2019. With a background working on large community projects, he was well-placed to work with some of the biggest companies in the UK and the company has gone from strength to strength and now employs seven people plus additional sub-contractors.

The company offers solutions to their clients including installation design and project management in the commercial and industrial sector. The team have years of experience and have worked in a huge range of sectors including health, education, commercial, accommodation, leisure and government.

Quite a number of their projects have been across the water in the UK. They have just completed a major year-long project for a client in the prestigious area of Deansgate in central Manchester where they refurbished an impressive, listed building. The ground and first await speculative restaurateurs and the second, third and fourth are bespoke fully fitted office turn key developments. Next Services provided all the building services, design, lighting, life services, heating, ventilation and facilities for this exceptional development.

“We take great pride in our work and it’s a fantastic sense of achievement to see the completed project and what we have been able to achieve for our clients,” Robert said. 

What they say about Ards Business Hub:

Robert chose Ards Business Hub as his company’s base because he was so impressed with the quality of the building, from the entry atrium area to the high-spec offices and airy meeting rooms.  

“It has a very professional quality that made us feel right at home. When we were first starting the business, we needed to have client meetings here and our offices needed to reflect the high quality of the work we do within this industry. We felt that Sketrick House was aligned with who we are as a business. We believe Ards Business Hub played an important part in our development and growth as a company,” he said.

What we say:

Next Services first took an office in Sketrick House as they established the company and then moved to a larger unit in Strangford Park, which has been fitted out and refurbished to include office and storage spaces. 

Ards Business Hub Chief Executive, Nichola Lockhart said: “Their professionalism and eye for detail shows in everything this company does. We are delighted to have watched the growth of Next Services over recent years. Our flexible licence agreements at Ards Business Hub allows tenants to move between sites quickly and easily as their business requirements change.”

Find out more about Next Services here!