This is the second in a new weekly series of Business Q&A features. 

This week, we spoke to Paul Rawlinson, director of Baltzersen's and Bakeri Baltzersen on Oxford Street, Harrogate. 

Tell us in fewer than 30 words what your firm does. 

We have two parts. Baltzersen’s is a Scandinavian-inspired café in the centre of Harrogate serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee and pastries. Bakeri Baltzersen is a wholesale and retail bakery that supplies businesses across North and West Yorkshire and has shops in Harrogate and Wetherby.

What does it require to be successful in business?

We’ve been in business for 12 years and the last four years have been particularly eventful. What it requires is the willingness to consistently turn up and keep moving forward and trying to improve. Ultimately, we want to make things better for our guests and customers, our teams and our family.

What drives you to do what you do every day? 

I look at how far we’ve come as a business and I know we’re not close to where I want to be. Not for the people that work within the business and not on a personal level.  There is so much more to do.

What has been the toughest issue your company has had to deal with over the last 12 months? 

I think it’s the constant change that's tough to deal with, and that stretches back beyond 12 months – it’s been non-stop drama for four years. With a business that’s open seven days a week and often with someone on duty up to 23 hours a day, there's always the potential for something to go awry!  

I do think in the last four or five months we’ve seen a lot of businesses, big and small, finally losing the fight, and I always feel for people who’ve given everything they could and not been able to come out the other side.

Which other local firms do you most admire and why? 

In Harrogate everyone knows Bettys – it’s iconic. The longevity of the company, the way they have grown the Taylors side of that business, and the way they walk the talk on sourcing and investing in the supplier side of that business is to be admired.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders? 

I look to colleagues who run businesses locally with a lot of admiration. What people are able to do with relatively modest resources and the venues and experiences they can create is unreal. People like Simon at Starling or Rich and Danni at Little Ale House – they're working in their businesses and investing back into them to make them better.

What could be done locally to boost business? 

I think it’s a really tricky time and there are lots of different strategies for different businesses – and it’s tough to please everyone. There's no doubt for Harrogate the conference centre is a point of difference and brings a lot of business to town, so making the best use of that facility is absolutely key.

I’d like to see some action at national level around business rates, and from a hospitality perspective a decrease in VAT could really help.

Best and worst things about running a business from Harrogate? 

I haven’t grown up in Harrogate and I feel privileged to live here, even if sometimes you see and hear people complaining. We’ve always had great support locally and I value that. I think people are willing to pay that little bit more for something they believe is worth it. It does feel like town is very quiet during the week. Sometimes I look at York and Leeds and think I would like a bit of that volume!

What are your business plans for the future? 

We’re in the process of making some big changes to our range of products at the bakery. We’re launching a vegan range, we’ll have some more frequently rotating products, and once that's sorted we’ll be focusing back in on bread. We’d like to open more retail bakery shops/cafés in the future, but it all takes time! 

What do you like to do on your time off? 

We have two boys under 10, so we spend a lot of time taking them to various sports and activities and generally amusing them. We watched Northern Superchargers [cricket team in Leeds] in The Hundred over the summer, have seen a couple of Leeds Knights ice hockey games at Elland Road this season and a few Harrogate Town games – all great family activities. Spending time with family is the most important thing, and this hasn’t always been easy with a growing business, so I’m conscious I don’t want to lose any more time.

I play padel with friends at Surge in Hornbeam Park, which has been really fun over the last few years.  

Best place to eat and drink locally? 

If we eat out in Harrogate we’ll likely go to Stuzzi or Domo [the Japanese restaurant in the Montpellier Quarter].  

I think we're blessed with an amazing indie bar scene, so it’s great to be able to visit Little Ale House, North Bar, Starling, Major Tom’s Social, Husk, The Disappearing Chin, Roosters or Cold Bath Brewing Co. I love it when friends visit and I can take them around all of these venues without a brewery tie in sight. A lot of places can’t compete.

I’d recommend everyone to visit Josh and Ellie at their new home for Paradise just near the Jubilee Car Park – it’s another great addition.

• If you know someone in business in the Harrogate district and you'd like to suggest them for this feature, drop us a line at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk. 

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