Savouring success

Scaleup North East

www.scaleupnortheast.co.uk

LinkedIn: RTC North

Savour Bakery Cafe & Patisserie

www.savourbakecafe.com

Instagram: savourbakecafe

 

Josh Freudiger opens with an apology.

Our meeting, originally scheduled for the morning, has slipped into the afternoon.

When we finally connect, the reason becomes immediately clear: Josh’s mobile cocktail bar business is deep in prep mode, gearing up to please wedding guests’ palates in just a few hours’ time.

It’s a frenzy of activity, our already staccato conversation further punctuated by quick-fire staff queries and similarly brisk bouts of signal interference.

Hundreds of miles away, in a terraced row of Gateshead shops, the scene is somewhat more tranquil.

Beyond a large window that frames freshly-baked breads cradled in a black wire basket, customers frown in silent contemplation at the array of colourful and intricately presented patisserie treats lined regimentally behind a glass counter.

Next door, the intensity rises again.

Machines whirr, trays clatter and chat flows briskly as apron-clad chefs fashion fresh batches of goods.

Welcome to Savour Bakery Cafe & Patisserie.

Welcome to the ever-shifting rhythm of entrepreneurial life.

Welcome to Josh’s world.

Though only launched late last year, Savour has quickly built a loyal following.

From croissants and pain au chocolat, to artisan loaves, macaroons, cream-filled brioche buns, pecan bars and much more besides, the venture regularly prompts queues to snake along the pavement beneath its marble-effect frontage on Gateshead’s Coatsworth Road.

For Josh – whose working life began with e-commerce business Cheerful Bargains, which he helped grow from a start-up to a £6 million- a-year operation while overseeing a 35-strong team – it marks another step in his commercial journey.

And like all entrepreneurial endeavours, it started with an idea – and a little dose of serendipity.

In the case of Savour, its fate was conceived via another of Josh’s businesses – a mobile coffee bar – which led to an encounter with then Israel-based pastry chef Stav Sadan.

Josh says: “I enjoyed my time at Cheerful Bargains, and we did very well, but I always wanted to start my own company.

“I left after ten-and-a-half years and opened Olo Marketing, and had a printing business too.

“I also had the cocktail bar, which was more of a side hustle to begin with.

“I was then offered a couple of events, and it quickly moved from being a hobby to a business.

“Savour then came along from a coffee bar event I held under the Mixology brand for a London business conference.

“Someone said to me, ‘why don’t you open a coffee shop in Gateshead?’”

“I began looking into the idea, and then met Stav at an event.

“I asked her for some tips and tricks on the coffee shop side of things, and she suggested we jump on a call.

“Stav was living in Israel at the time, and I asked her – as a joke – during our conversation if she fancied relocating to the North East, to help set up the business.

“She said yes, and here we are today, with the idea having moved from a coffee shop to a premium bakery, café, patisserie and chocolatier.”

The venture – which sees Stav manage a team of seven pastry chefs – officially opened in December last year, with Josh drawing on support from the Scaleup North East programme to aid its progress.

Funded by the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – with the North East Combined Authority acting as lead organisation – the project is delivered via RTC North, with partners Angelina Bell, Craig Huntingdon, Tony Brooks, Dan Martin, Steve Bell and Mark Harrison using decades of combined entrepreneurial experience to help ambitious business owners map out growth blueprints.

Josh was supported by Craig, whose CV includes the international scaling of a wall covering manufacturer following a management buyout in his early 20s, and a decade as trading director at supermarket Aldi.

Josh says: “Craig has been a really strong help.

“With his retail and hospitality experience, he has been right behind us.

“I met him regularly, and he gave me a lot of advice and pointers on setting up a business around areas such as tackling financial challenges and getting people through the door.

“His support was crucial to helping us get things right.”

Craig adds: “Working with Josh on the successful launch of Savour was a great privilege, drawing upon my retail experience but also cutting across finance, funding, marketing and operations.

“There is something very special about seeing a founder’s vision become a reality, especially having observed significant and complex challenges along the way.

“Josh has succeeded in launching a highly ambitious project with drive, energy and tenacity in abundance, and I look forward to seeing this energy fuel the next stage of Savour’s growth.”

And with Craig’s advice helping direct progress, Josh says Savour is readily placed to take a greater slice of the marketplace.

He says: “There aren’t too many premium bakeries in the North East, and some said we might not succeed. But we have.

“We have people coming from all over to try the many different items created by Stav and her team.”

He adds: “From continuing to grow our Gateshead base, to working more across corporate events and celebrations, our journey is only starting.

“We have so much opportunity in front of us.”

 

i. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund proactively supports mission-delivery: pushing power out to communities everywhere, with a specific focus to helping kickstart economic growth and promoting opportunities in all parts of the UK.

The Government’s Autumn Budget announced a further £900 million of funding for local investment by March 2026, with a transition year administered throughout the former North of Tyne region by the North East Combined Authority.

For more information, visit www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

i. RTC North

RTC North is a leading provider of business support and innovation services, working with organisations to unlock their potential and achieve sustainable growth.

With a wealth of expertise and a commitment to excellence, RTC North empowers businesses to overcome challenges, embrace opportunities and drive success in a rapidly evolving marketplace.