I’m sure that by now you will be well aware that PHOENIX FM and Bennetts Funeral Directors are jointly sponsoring our first BRENTWOOD in BUSINESS Month as a part of which we are inviting 22 local businesses to tell us about their experiences of doing business in the borough.

So I was delighted today to be joined by Steve Baker, the current managing director of BAKER LABELS who’ve been based in Brentwood for over a decade.

Without doubt BAKER LABELS are now well entrenched in the local community having scooped the top prize for THE BRENTWOOD BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2019, only to be awarded the ESSEX EMPLOYERS OF THE YEAR  in 2020 and the BRENTWOOD EMPLOYERS OF THE YEAR just last year.

So it’s no surprise that they are always on the look out to offer new Apprenticeships.

They are also founding board members of BEBA (Brentwood Environmental Business Alliance).

And regular supporters of local charities SNAP, Brentwood Foodbank and Kids Inspire, with whom they were involved with a London to Paris fundraising cycle event.

Their Sportstiks Division have supported and sponsored the Brentwood Half Marathon for over 10 years, acting as title sponsor since 2018.

Listen again here to Steve’s views on the benefits they have found of basing their business in Brentwood: –

Also on today’s show we reported on the Under-10 Football team forced by the Football Association to sever the sponsorship deal they had secured from restaurant chain, HOOTERS.

Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the Hooters brand, they are famous for chicken wings served up by scantily clad waitresses, normally wearing orange hot pants and tight tank tops.

Hooters opened in Nottingham back in 1998 but efforts to open further restaurants in Cardiff and Bristol fooled by feminist groups but they now have plans to expand by opening a new branch in Liverpool.

But the sponsorship deal caused quite a stir with claims that it was “sexualising kids”.

According to the FA’s kit advertising rules, under-18s teams must not include any ‘product, service or other activity which is considered by The Association as detrimental to the welfare, health or general interest of young persons, or is otherwise considered inappropriate, having regard to the age of the players or Match Officials’ – before citing numerous examples such as gambling and alcohol.

Looks like the guys are going to have to do a bit more growing before they can re-new this type of sponsorship!

In a packed programme today I was again joined by Margaret Mills who returned once more to the village of Great Bardfield. This week Margaret reported on the somewhat tenuous links between the village and the 1950’s cult comedy radio show – THE GOONS.

Listen again here to learn more:-

See you again next week,
Scott