0:00:02 > 0:00:03I'm Alex Polizzi.
0:00:03 > 0:00:07I cut my teeth inside my family's international hotel empire,
0:00:07 > 0:00:11and now run a multi-million pound food business with my husband.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Last year, I battled to save six failing family firms.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18I don't know if it's ever going to get better.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22You must see some hope, otherwise let's not bother with this.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26In the midst of the recession,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29every month 1,000 businesses were going bust.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32This business is on a knife edge.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35At some point we're going to have to have to call it a day.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38But for families, it was more than finance.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42£50,000 now and you'll never see me again.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47Now I'm heading back to see how it's all turned out.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51This is a business! You're ruining your health, you're ruining your family life.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54He's just used to getting his own way and I'm used to getting mine.
0:00:55 > 0:01:02This week, I'm returning to two companies that were both run by parents that couldn't let go.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05We're different from anybody else, and what's so wrong with being different?
0:01:05 > 0:01:08A furniture store that was close to folding...
0:01:08 > 0:01:11It just got quieter and quieter and quieter.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13I don't think that it's all that bad, personally.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17..ruled by a dad so stubborn he was forcing his son out of the business.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I could quite happily not come in tomorrow.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And a seaside bakery that was not making enough dough...
0:01:23 > 0:01:26We need to do something, for God's sake.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31..run by a matriarchal queen mum struggling to give up her crown.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33I honestly beg you, Elaine,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36to think about how you are going to work this hierarchy.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38This conversation has gone too far anyway.
0:01:45 > 0:01:51First up, I'm heading to a struggling family furniture shop on the outskirts of Leeds.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54The furniture business is going through a dramatic decline.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57This has been a terrible year so far.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00People think in a recession much more carefully
0:02:00 > 0:02:02about spending money on big ticket items.
0:02:02 > 0:02:09To survive, furniture stores need to be flexible, fashionable and ready to move with the times,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11or risk dying of old age.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Kettley's is... was a traditional shop.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23It still is a traditional shop to this day.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Customers are probably 50-plus, looking for
0:02:26 > 0:02:30old-style traditional furniture, from an old-style traditional furnishers like ourselves.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33John Butler is king of Kettley's.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36But it's a kingdom that's crumbling.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42Profits have been falling year on year and in 2010, they nosedived.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47We're not falling over ourself with the customers. It's hard to get them in at the moment.
0:02:48 > 0:02:54From 2009 onwards, it just got quieter and quieter and quieter.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59If the family fail to modernise, they simply won't have a future.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01But John seems blind to the problems.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05It's pretty good for a furniture shop is this, ain't it?
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Causing a gaping rift with his family co-workers -
0:03:09 > 0:03:15nephew Andrew, niece Nicola and, worst of all, with his son
0:03:15 > 0:03:19David who had told one day to take this business into the future.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22We do need to communicate better, yeah.
0:03:22 > 0:03:28There's some days I'll come into work and me and me dad won't talk to each other at all.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30We're not close, you know.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33We're not like this kissy-kissy, huggy-huggy type of thing,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37but our family has never really been like that.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41I need to snap John and Kettley's out of this terrible time warp,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45or there may be nothing left for the next generation to inherit.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50I hope she isn't too harsh on us, because obviously I don't want her ripping the place apart.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55I don't think that it's all that bad, personally.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00Hmm. I can't say I'm overwhelmed as a first impression.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04There's a lot of window and a lot of furniture, but no window display,
0:04:04 > 0:04:09and there is a very strange collection of "objets" in the window.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- Hello.- Hello.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18- I'm Alex. - Pleased to meet you. My name's John.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20How are you?
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Very glad to be here.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27'How glad I stay depends literally on what's in store.'
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Well, John Lewis this ain't.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40It does surprise me already that there's no attempt at all to kind of up-sell.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43There's nothing that suggests a bedroom set,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46ie beds with tables either side.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49I mean, this is like a warehouse.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Online shopping may be popular,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55but when it comes to furniture people prefer to try before they buy,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59which means in this business, the showroom is everything.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Honestly, you don't see many shops like this any more.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05It's a kind of museum piece.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Not only is this place uncomfortably crowded,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12it's also littered with old tat.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18I don't know quite what to say about that, except I never want it in my house.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Why is Betty Boop on that table next to lots of silk flowers?
0:05:25 > 0:05:31This shop looks as if it was put together by someone who has lost their mind.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38You've got an awful lot of stock.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42You know, it all merges in. It's all a bit boring, frankly.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46I would struggle to find one thing I wanted to buy in here, and I don't say that to be hurtful.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I just say that as a matter of fact.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Downstairs looks like an old people's home.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55Maybe we should try and aim at a slightly younger demographic.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Widen your customer base.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00A younger generation, you mean?
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Well, don't look so horrified!
0:06:04 > 0:06:06I agree that, er, a lot of people come into the shop
0:06:06 > 0:06:10not realising that we've got a lot more, you know, suites on display.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13They just think it's old-fashioned chairs.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15I've analysed the demographics of this area,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and there's a lot more people under 50 than there are over 50.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20We do get younger people in here.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- They just walk back out straight away.- No, they don't.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Sweetheart, I just don't understand what's so inimical to you
0:06:25 > 0:06:28that you can't handle the idea that you might have some stuff in here
0:06:28 > 0:06:30that might be more attractive to a 30-year-old.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33You know, open your eyes.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35This is what's happening to the world,
0:06:35 > 0:06:41that you have to do a lot more different things to even maintain your market share.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43To stand any chance of turning this firm around,
0:06:43 > 0:06:48I'll need to drag John kicking and screaming into the 21st-century.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Son David is desperate to take the lead,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54but it feels like family tensions are putting paid to any progress.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Do you find it hard working for the family, working for your dad? Do you butt heads?
0:07:00 > 0:07:02I do find it hard sometimes.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07I asked my dad if he wanted me working here and he never give me an answer, yes or no.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11- It's hard working with your family. - Yeah, I've done it all my life, I know.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I worked with my mother for years,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17and know first-hand that earning the respect of your parents is tough.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21But at Kettley's, this task seems almost insurmountable.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26- Do you like him working for you? - Yeah, I hope I do, yeah.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- What do you mean, you hope you do? - Well, he's been here long enough!
0:07:29 > 0:07:32That's not saying one thing or t'other. "I hope I do."
0:07:32 > 0:07:38Yeah, obviously there's them little moments in time when you think, "Cor, I could do without this."
0:07:39 > 0:07:42It is the most hurtful thing in the world
0:07:42 > 0:07:46when your parent is what you perceive to be unfair to you.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49It's bad enough in normal life.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52When that's in your workplace, it's virtually unbearable.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58A divided and demoralised team will never be able to take the firm forward.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01I'm going to have to bring this issue to a head.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04What it seems clear to me, after a day spent with you,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08is that there's some basic areas where there could be improvements.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13The most obvious one, and one that I see a lot in family businesses, is the area of communication.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Do you need to clear the air about anything?
0:08:17 > 0:08:18Why are you so quiet?
0:08:18 > 0:08:23- Probably because me dad doesn't want me to speak.- I'll go if you want.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Why? What are you talking about?
0:08:26 > 0:08:30I asked you, didn't I, on Thursday if you wanted me to work at the shop and you never said yes.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34When you ask your own father if he want... if he wants you to work with him
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and you don't get an answer yes, it's quite upsetting.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39I wouldn't force you to come into the shop.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41It's entirely your decision.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43But that's not the answer I wanted to hear.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47The answer is you do whatever's the best for you.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49If you feel that I'm too overbearing in that shop
0:08:49 > 0:08:54and you can make your headway somewhere else in life, then that's totally up to you.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56I just want to go home now, to be honest with you.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Don't start phoning me up when I get home, neither.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07That was pretty tense, and I didn't really want to push it.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12I think family dynamics are always quite hard and I should tread on eggshells.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15I think what's important is trying to get them to talk to each other.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Everything she said, Alex, you know, is pretty true.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22But, er, I don't think it'll make much difference, really.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24If I were to be totally truthful,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26I could quite happily not come in tomorrow.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40The second company I'm visiting is a family-run baker's
0:09:40 > 0:09:42in Padstow on the coast of Cornwall.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49Each summer, over 15 million holidaymakers descend on this picturesque corner of England.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51It's the home of celebrity chef Rick Stein,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55and has become a big focus for foodies.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59I'm on this beautiful fishing harbour in a very pretty town
0:09:59 > 0:10:04that's become synonymous with some very good food in the south west
0:10:04 > 0:10:09and it seems to me that this is a very good place to have a food business.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14But despite the perfect harbour-side setting, all is not well at the bakery.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19Five months of the year, we lose money. In March last year, we lost something like...
0:10:19 > 0:10:24Was it nearly 30,000? In one month! You know. Crazy!
0:10:24 > 0:10:26# Well, what a bummer! #
0:10:30 > 0:10:36Chough's was founded over 30 years ago by husband and wife Elaine and Rob Ead.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38I suppose I'm the great visionary of the company.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Oh, lovely jubbly.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Mother is the boss. I'll give you that.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45She's definitely the boss!
0:10:45 > 0:10:49After so long running the business, the couple are nearing retirement,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52so they've made their daughter Louisa the manager
0:10:52 > 0:10:54and put son Greg in charge of sales,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57but the transition hasn't been easy.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Can we just get back to the whole idea and the point of this...
0:11:01 > 0:11:03this discussion and the reason why, you know, you...
0:11:03 > 0:11:07- I'm just trying to plan. - Yeah, you're trying to plan.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Working with families. I don't know whether I'd recommend it to anyone.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13On top of family frictions,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17the shop suffers from a crippling collapse of business during the quieter winter months.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Elaine has had to remortgage her house to keep the firm afloat.
0:11:21 > 0:11:27Action is desperately needed if the bakery is to have any hope of a future.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31This business is on a knife edge. If it doesn't change, no-one will have a job.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32We'll all be out of work.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Even though I've got some insider knowledge of this industry,
0:11:37 > 0:11:42transforming the fortunes of this family is going to be a huge challenge.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46I do have a certain amount of experience in bakeries, as I have a wholesale bakery myself.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48But I have never had a shop.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57My immediate impression is it doesn't make you want to charge in
0:11:57 > 0:11:59and buy your Cornish pasty here,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03despite the location being immaculate.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06The signage that tells you that everything is made locally
0:12:06 > 0:12:09on the premises daily looks very generic.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13There's a broken window, which gives a very bad impression.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Every single day tripper who comes off a ferry
0:12:15 > 0:12:19is going to come just from there. They HAVE to pass this shop.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22They should be making money out of every single person
0:12:22 > 0:12:23who comes into this town.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26'Inside, there's more bad news.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30'Untidy signs and stickers litter the place.'
0:12:30 > 0:12:35They do have a real obsession with sticking things on windows, clearly.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40The bread, in a side window, looks pretty ordinary,
0:12:40 > 0:12:45while the range of cakes and confectionary is a flashback to the '70s.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Not at all what I'd expect in such a famously foodie town.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53- Hello.- Hello, how are you? Alex Polizzi.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- I'm very well, I'm Elaine. - Lovely to be here.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00- You've come to help me make some sandwiches today, is that right? - Great.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03So tell me, you started this about 30 years ago.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Yes. I had the cunning plan that maybe we could open a bakery
0:13:06 > 0:13:09in Padstow as there actually wasn't one at the time,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11- a production bakery.- Yeah.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15And I think I created a monster, to be quite honest, Alex.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Elaine's daughter Louisa has been here over nine years.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25Part of her job is overseeing the production of Chough's award-winning Cornish pasty.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29Who decides on recipes and what to do next and...?
0:13:29 > 0:13:31I have been trying to make curried pasties for a few years,
0:13:31 > 0:13:37and my mother keeps saying, "Over my dead body," so... after the wake, that'll be there.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Louisa seems keen to develop this side of the business,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44but I can see how escaping the shadow of her mother might not be easy.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47If it's working, you know, don't fix it.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50That's, that's my sort of... If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53That's been my attitude.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56She's biting at the bit now, I think, to change it.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58At the end of the day it's her baby,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01and she's not going to pass it over lightly, I can tell you that.
0:14:01 > 0:14:07The family dysfunction hasn't escaped dad Rob, who seems trapped in the crossfire.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10The business has got to change.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14It's no use staying as we are or going backwards. We've got to move forwards.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18They've got to learn to concentrate on the important thing about moving forward,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22the need for agreement, and really, if we don't, you know,
0:14:22 > 0:14:27we could just have to sell the business and put the beast out of its misery, so to speak.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32If the business is to survive into the next generation,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36the family must also tackle the problem of seasonality.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41- Son Greg is in charge of wholesale business.- Alex, nice to meet you.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46This should be providing the company with turnover beyond the busy summer.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50What proportion of the business, overall in the year, is wholesale?
0:14:50 > 0:14:54- Well, it was only 15% last year. - 15%?- Yeah.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Chough's has a large offsite bakery run by Elaine's nephew, Ryan.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03It could be churning out pasties for distribution by the thousand,
0:15:03 > 0:15:07protecting them from chilling winter financial figures.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13In March, they made a significant loss of 16%.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Based on the size of their bakery and the size of my bakery,
0:15:16 > 0:15:21that surprises me, because even in the very worst month, we never make more than a 10% loss.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30Running a family business is tough, particularly in the current climate.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35But problems like squabbling and seasonality will never just go away.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39And if the family can't see that, then I got no chance of saving Chough's.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Your bottom line, at the moment, looks quite profitable
0:15:43 > 0:15:47because you two, you don't draw a salary, per se, and it isn't shown in this profit,
0:15:47 > 0:15:51and you're still having to recommit your own money into the business
0:15:51 > 0:15:53to keep it going through the lean times,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57and so the figures are completely skewed.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01You making your fantastic, award-winning pasties isn't enough.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06The bottom line is time's running out for us two, really.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10I'm aware. I'm aware of that.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20At Kettley's furniture shop in Yorkshire, time is also
0:16:20 > 0:16:24running out for father and son to save their souring relationship.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Son David is desperate to modernise in order to save the business,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34but dad John is resolutely resisting change.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37My dad has been here that long he's probably a bit too set in his ways.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40If you didn't have any ornaments displayed on your furniture,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42it would look a bit bland.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46From what I've seen so far, the family seem like good salesmen,
0:16:46 > 0:16:50but their tired shop simply doesn't attract enough customers.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54I want them to broaden the store's appeal beyond the over-60s market,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58and I'm dying to show them just how easily that is done.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03I thought we would start the day by trying to do a room set.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- Right.- What do you think? - Yeah, very good.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Room sets are standard in the furniture industry.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Every branch of IKEA has 48 of these room displays,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16helping towards sales of over a billion a year.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19I know how it can set out in that room, and I've said before
0:17:19 > 0:17:22it should be a room setting in there. You can visualise it
0:17:22 > 0:17:24then, that it's your living room, can't you?
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Right, so that's about right there, isn't it?
0:17:28 > 0:17:34Nicola and David are happily getting stuck into the room revolution.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Although not everyone is so enthusiastic.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Oh, get all the young 'uns involved.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42I'll sit in the office taking the phone calls.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51- Fantastic!- Yeah.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53But will John agree?
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Oh, God, here we go.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58I think it looks nice.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01I like the way it's set out, you know.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03What do you think to all these pillows all over the settees?
0:18:03 > 0:18:06I mean, these specifically in recliners.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- That really doesn't work, does it, really?- Doesn't it?
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Well, if you're going to sit in that now,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15- you want to try it as a recliner, don't you?- Yeah.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17You have to take that cushion out of there.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21- Can I try this chair now?- Yes, certainly, sir. Please sit down.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24So that's got to be moved, for a start.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27So I'm going to go like this... "Oops-a-daisy, I've broke me legs!"
0:18:27 > 0:18:30You've got two chairs that are exactly the same.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32You don't probably need to try this one.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Let's move this a bit further bloody away.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37It's not the end of the world, is it?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39I think we should try a bedroom display
0:18:39 > 0:18:40in one of the windows.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43- There isn't enough room. - If you put a metal bedstead
0:18:43 > 0:18:46where you didn't have to back it onto anything,
0:18:46 > 0:18:47you could get a metal bedstead in.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Well, you do it.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I think at the end of the day, you'll end up...you won't gain sales.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57I think you'll lose sales, ultimately.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Well, we have to try these things, don't we?
0:19:00 > 0:19:01It seems to me
0:19:01 > 0:19:05that John is being purposefully obstructionist.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09He doesn't really want to have a reasonable discussion.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13He's just used to getting his own way and I'm used to getting mine, so we'll see.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16It'll be interesting to see what happens.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Winning the battle with John is clearly going to take some time,
0:19:19 > 0:19:24but how Kettley's presents itself to the wider world needs sorting out now.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29One problem they have is in marketing and advertising.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33If I was being polite, I would say that the ads are dated.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37If I was being honest, I'd just say they're awful.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42I'm desperate to shake John out of his comfort zone,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46so I've brought him and Nicola London for an advertising master class.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51These award-winning ad men work with mega brands like Coca-Cola and Sony Ericsson.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55So I'm intrigued to see what they make of Kettley's ad.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Shall we have a look at the ads, the existing stuff? They're very busy.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Let's start with the headline, shall we?
0:20:01 > 0:20:05OK. It's a strong headline, but it's negative from the off.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07It's almost like, "No, don't come here!"
0:20:07 > 0:20:11- But then it says, "Then visit Kettley's."- Absolutely, but if you look at the size of this,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14it's pretty much the biggest word in the whole ad.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18- That's a very good point. Negative. - And the red spells danger.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22If we look at the messaging, though, it's very mixed at the moment.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24It's cluttered.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26It just needs to be streamlined.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30'Low footfall is a big problem for the shop.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32'I hope we can reinvent their marketing
0:20:32 > 0:20:34'and draw in a crowd
0:20:34 > 0:20:37'without alienating their current clientele.'
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Each one of these balls has a message on it,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- but you only caught two messages. - Yeah.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47That's just what the people who are reading the adverts are experiencing.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Their current ad is as cluttered as the shop.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54They need to come up with a targeted marketing message.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56The point is that even though people are old,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59they still have taste, they still have discernment, they still want something.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04And we really need to try and make it relevant again.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10It hasn't changed the way that I feel about it as a business,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13because we are still selling the same products, but I think
0:21:13 > 0:21:16we're not portraying it as it should be to the customer.
0:21:16 > 0:21:22It may not be wholehearted, but this is the first time John has even acknowledged the need for change.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Over half the people living near Kettley's are under 60,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31but I can't believe any of them shop here.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33If the business is to survive,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36then they also need to attract these younger customers.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38To overhaul the firm's antiquated image,
0:21:38 > 0:21:43I've asked Nicola to pick out furniture to target a more youthful clientele,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46and arranged a photo shoot with a company to capture
0:21:46 > 0:21:50the aspirational look Kettley's so desperately needs to promote.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55At the moment, they're using generic images,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and it's time they did something representative of their shop,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01and then hopefully we will end up with an image
0:22:01 > 0:22:04that you feel will take you into the next chapter.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06There's a real skill to this.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10On average, we look at print ads for less than three seconds,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14so we need to grab the customers' attention with the right image.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18- You can see how it's coming together, definitely. - I know, it's amazing.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23And it's amazing how moving something just ten centimetres, two centimetres...
0:22:23 > 0:22:25This all now works really nicely.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- So what do you think? - It looks amazing, does that.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33You wouldn't think that was the furniture from our showroom!
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Yeah, it's really, really good.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37It's fantastic. I'm absolutely thrilled.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Really pleased. Thank you.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43I'm starting to understand now that less is more.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47We are devaluing the products by squashing them all in.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51These pictures will form the basis of a new campaign
0:22:51 > 0:22:56that showcases their furniture in a much more contemporary way.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01But it's pointless having pretty photos if the shop just doesn't match up.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05There's a lot of accessories, and there's a plethora of styles.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Chuck them all in the bin or give them to a charity shop.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12I don't mind what you do, I just want them off the floor.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18The majority of these are John's original ornaments from home.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23Four, five, six.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26I think the poodle's worse than the pig.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28ALEX GASPS
0:23:32 > 0:23:34I can't see anybody buying this.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40But once again, not everybody is happy.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44That one item looks like a solitary item in there now.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49- There's nothing wrong with putting something else in it.- It's better. - With one piece?- Yeah.
0:23:49 > 0:23:55- I'd rather see that cabinet bare than a load of shite in it. - Not everybody's tastes are the same.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00I had hoped John was beginning to come round to the idea of change,
0:24:00 > 0:24:05but judging by the atmosphere around here, that clearly isn't the case.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10- How's everything with your dad? - I have been at the end of my tether,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12along with everybody else, in, you know,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15that we do want certain changes to happen, you know,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17we're keen, we're looking forward to it
0:24:17 > 0:24:20but there is somebody holding us back, you know,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22and that person needs convincing the most.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26- I'm absolutely sure that it's going to come good. I promise you.- Yeah.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28It has to be given a chance, yeah?
0:24:28 > 0:24:29Yeah.
0:24:32 > 0:24:33OK.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Clearing out the chintz is one thing,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39but what this place really needs is a massive makeover.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41David can't seem to convince Dad,
0:24:41 > 0:24:45but maybe the soft touch can crack this tough nut.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47It is important to me that you understand
0:24:47 > 0:24:49that I am completely on the side of this business,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53and it's just that there's the young ones in this business
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- who would love to see things change a bit, I believe.- Right.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59And who suggest to me
0:24:59 > 0:25:01that it's really you dragging your heels.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05There are certain aspects of it that I totally don't agree with.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10What you should do is send me away for two weeks
0:25:10 > 0:25:14- and I'll come back and tell you if I like it. - Fine. Absolutely fine.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17- You're serious about this, aren't you?- I am, I am.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Oh, all right, then.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24I can only hope John sticks to his suggestion and leaves David
0:25:24 > 0:25:27and I to make the changes this place so desperately needs.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34At Chough's bakery in Cornwall, the head of the
0:25:34 > 0:25:36family is also part of the problem.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Owner Elaine says she is ready to retire,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41but won't let her children take the reins.
0:25:42 > 0:25:47We can't just do our individual things. We've got to work together.
0:25:47 > 0:25:48We need to do something.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53The family do have a great product in their award-winning pasty,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56but the constant bickering about who is in charge means
0:25:56 > 0:25:58they are not making the most of it,
0:25:58 > 0:26:03and as for their shop in picturesque Padstow - well, the less said about that the better.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Come and look at this place.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12What do you think, standing here looking in?
0:26:12 > 0:26:15This is a mess. Constantly saying that front window...
0:26:15 > 0:26:19I come down after a couple of days off and we've got posters here, and I just go, "Take it out."
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Just bloody take it out.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25But you're the one that says, "Oh, I want a sign in the window that says bacon baps.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29"I want that Cornish Pasty Association poster in that window."
0:26:29 > 0:26:32So a lot of it is stuff that you've told people to do.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34I think the important thing is
0:26:34 > 0:26:38let's do what we can now to make it all look better,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41and arrange for a glazier to come and fix that window.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42Absolutely, yeah.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46Instead of having someone else's bread, let's have our own real bread in the window.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- It's our bread. - All right, yeah, fine.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54But it's a two-dimensional image instead of three-dimensional, REAL, fresh-baked bread.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03I seem to have got them quite fired up.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06It is frustrating, though, because this is all fairly basic stuff.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08These are the first small steps.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12I'm hoping that this is just the beginning of the momentum they'll gain,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15and it's going to take all of them to fully sign up to this process
0:27:15 > 0:27:18to make sure we achieve as much as we need to.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20But as the family clear out the bakery,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23not everybody is embracing the change.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26And it's got all these nasty hooks and yellow spots.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Yeah, well, that's for the Christmas decorations. Oh, no.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33How long have you waited to tell me this?
0:27:33 > 0:27:37I've wanted to tell you ever since I've been working here, but I wouldn't dare.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39OK.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43For the last two years she's been talking about, saying, "Oh, I'm going to be 60 soon.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46"I want to retire, it's time I took a step back."
0:27:46 > 0:27:49But she can't.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52It works like any other business, I should imagine.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56If whoever owns Tesco's walks into one of his stores I'm sure the store manager,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59if he tells him to move that over there, he's going to do it.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02It's like she can't leave it alone. It's her baby, she built it,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05she developed it, she'll always be down there interfering.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09OK? £6.50, please.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12So, Greg and Louisa say they are ready to take the business on,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14but they need to prove that to their mother.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20I think developing a frozen pasty could be the way forward,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23giving Chough's star product true wholesale potential.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29But in order to convince Elaine, Louisa must come up with
0:28:29 > 0:28:30the perfect recipe.
0:28:32 > 0:28:33We are going to part bake them,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36but we're going to part bake them for different times, to see
0:28:36 > 0:28:39which is going to give us the best result.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46First out of the oven for the all-important taste test,
0:28:46 > 0:28:48a pasty part baked for a short spell.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50# Da da da da! #
0:28:50 > 0:28:52Wow.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Oh, my gosh.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- They look very good.- The pastry is holding up nicely, isn't it?
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Yes, it certainly is.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04Doesn't taste...
0:29:04 > 0:29:07It's dry. It's very dry.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12Baking a freezable pastry product is a tricky business.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16Here's hoping Louisa's second batch, with a longer part bake,
0:29:16 > 0:29:17will pass muster with Mum.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22Oh, that's better. Look at the juice and gravy coming out.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24The pastry's a lot thicker.
0:29:24 > 0:29:25Yeah, this is tasty.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29- It's quite nice.- It's good.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31So what do you think?
0:29:31 > 0:29:33After all this, do you think it's possible now
0:29:33 > 0:29:37to produce a frozen pasty that meets your exacting standards?
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Exactly. Yeah, I do, I do.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43Hallelujah! Louisa's second pasty is a hit.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47And it's a big step towards developing a product that's
0:29:47 > 0:29:49suitable for shipping out to retailers.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54But the pasty isn't the only thing I'd like to see hitting the road.
0:29:54 > 0:29:55I have a challenge for you.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57- OK.- Which is...
0:29:57 > 0:30:01I would like you to try and sell your pasties
0:30:01 > 0:30:04at a big event. Christmas fairs, football matches.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07And you could do something throughout the year.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09- So are you up for it? - Yeah, definitely.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21Local craft fairs and sales like this one run throughout the year
0:30:21 > 0:30:24and are a great way to generate income during the quieter months.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29- Can we interest you in a Cornish pasty?- We're warming them up currently in our oven as well, so...
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Thank you.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Come and try a Cornish pasty.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35Couple of cheese, leek and onions too.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37That's £5, please. Thank you.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40And it's not long before the pasties are flying off the shelves,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43getting the attention of the punters and the organisers.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47We're wondered if you'd be interested in attending on a Saturday,
0:30:47 > 0:30:51- because it's full of market traders, that sort of thing. - Is it busier than this?
0:30:51 > 0:30:53It's a lot busier on a Saturday.
0:30:53 > 0:30:58I do think there's mileage in it, if it's costed up properly,
0:30:58 > 0:31:05obviously equipped properly, and, like, filling up the spare capacity in the winter time.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15After a successful sale, back in Padstow, it's all go, go, go!
0:31:15 > 0:31:19Louisa has set about overhauling the bakery's outdated confectionery range.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23I've just done a lemon drizzle and a chocolate brownie.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25Kerry's doing hazelnut muffins.
0:31:25 > 0:31:30While nephew Ryan is experimenting with some speciality breads.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33They looked nice, so I'm just having a go just to see if we get anything.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37But all this hard work will count for nothing if Greg can't manage
0:31:37 > 0:31:42to secure the wholesale customers their frozen pasty is crying out for.
0:31:42 > 0:31:43Hello.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45Hi, Greg. Alex Polizzi here.
0:31:45 > 0:31:46'Hi, Alex. How are you?'
0:31:46 > 0:31:48'I'm fine. I just wanted to be told'
0:31:48 > 0:31:50- what you've been up to. - 'Well, unfortunately,'
0:31:50 > 0:31:54we haven't moved on much from when we met with you last.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56- 'Right.'- So...
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Well, sourcing potential customers is up to you, isn't it, darling?
0:32:00 > 0:32:04- 'So how are you with that?'- Yeah, it is. I've got a list of five or six.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07- Right.- But until we know that we can mass produce this,
0:32:07 > 0:32:10we can't approach them.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12What's holding me back isn't that I don't want to do it.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15I'm being held back by others who are saying,
0:32:15 > 0:32:22"Don't go and approach them because we haven't ticked the boxes we need to tick in terms of production."
0:32:22 > 0:32:28- Let's see if they like the bloody product! OK, thank you. - All right, bye.- Bye.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36It's hugely disappointing that Greg doesn't seem to be doing anything with the leads he's found.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40But he seems to be saying that someone is holding him back.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44Once again, the lack of clear leadership is stifling the future of this business.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53I truly believed after my first visit here that this was somewhere
0:32:53 > 0:32:56I was going to be able to make a huge difference.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00I was going to be able to dramatically change their fortunes
0:33:00 > 0:33:05and I feel like I've been stymied by the family's procrastination.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08'If I can't get the family to agree to a new way forward,
0:33:08 > 0:33:12'I fear all my hard work may well have been in vain.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16'So, I have gathered the whole clan together to finally confront the issue.'
0:33:17 > 0:33:21I think the whole succession of the place
0:33:21 > 0:33:25needs to be discussed and who ultimately is in charge.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28There has to be someone with whom the ultimate authority rests.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31And what I've seen is that the person who...when...
0:33:31 > 0:33:34when I needed stuff done has always sprung to the doing, is Lou.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38It's nice to have someone who doesn't procrastinate and gets on with stuff.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42If we make a decision in your absence, if you don't like that decision,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46"Well, I wouldn't have done it like that, so we're not doing it any more."
0:33:46 > 0:33:49It's not discussed beforehand. That's the problem.
0:33:49 > 0:33:55There's a lot of discussing that goes on, but the discussing never seems to really lead anywhere.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58- Absolutely.- I can't imagine how you feel about it because I feel sick.
0:33:58 > 0:34:04- Yeah, I do.- And I beg you, Elaine, to think about how you're going to work this hierarchy.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09- Ultimately, you have to decide who's going to be in charge, OK?- Yeah.
0:34:09 > 0:34:10What more could I do?
0:34:10 > 0:34:13I'm sure that some of that was very hard for them to hear,
0:34:13 > 0:34:15particularly Elaine,
0:34:15 > 0:34:20but I honestly don't think that I would have done my job if I'd avoided saying it.
0:34:20 > 0:34:26At the moment, Lou's got a lot of skills to learn before she can step into my shoes.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30Sometimes you've just got to let people do it on their own, and if they screw up, they screw up.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33But you've got to try and let it happen.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35There's been a four-year plan for about ten years.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39The thing is, if you carry on hovering around, no-one's going to take that responsibility.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44So you can guarantee me now... All of you, £50,000 now,
0:34:44 > 0:34:47I'll walk away and you'll never see me again. OK?
0:34:47 > 0:34:49- Well, that's not what we're saying. - No, no, no, no.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51- That's not what we're saying. - "We can do it without you."
0:34:51 > 0:34:54No, we're not even saying that at all.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58No, no, this is... This conversation's gone too far anyway.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01I think over and out, please. Thank you very much, gentlemen.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04- You know, I'm sorry.- I'm not going to go on with this any more. It's...
0:35:07 > 0:35:08And there we go.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20When someone's cornered, they tend to lash out and they tend to not think the thing through.
0:35:20 > 0:35:25If she doesn't, and Louisa turns her back on it and walks away, that's the business gone, for my...
0:35:25 > 0:35:28It's all been for nothing, then.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44At Kettley's furniture store near Leeds, things have also come to a head.
0:35:44 > 0:35:49The Butler family have shut up shop, but only for a much-needed makeover.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56With Dad taking a self-imposed leave of absence, son David is finally
0:35:56 > 0:36:00able to get on with the changes he has been hoping to make for years.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04New carpet, wallpaper, painted walls...
0:36:05 > 0:36:09And an elegant new logo brings the Kettley's storefront up-to-date.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16Oh, my gosh. Wow!
0:36:17 > 0:36:22The refit is ambitious. The family are investing their own money and manpower
0:36:22 > 0:36:25so we can push the boundaries as far as possible.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28But with the re-launch to public just hours away,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32there's still a mountain of work to be done.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36I mean, downstairs, the chairs are still in utter chaos.
0:36:36 > 0:36:41The ground floor is still a long way to go. But it has to be done tonight.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44Even if we do get the work finished,
0:36:44 > 0:36:48the big hurdle will be convincing the King of Kettley's that
0:36:48 > 0:36:53the new look works, before we launch it to the public. And he's due back any moment.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57I'm hoping he's going to go, "Wow!" and I think he should go, "Wow!"
0:36:59 > 0:37:04- You know, I'm- ...- me pants, I honestly am. I'm really nervous.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Really nervous.
0:37:08 > 0:37:13The best thing, right, would be for me dad to come in and say, "Oh!" and start crying.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16That would be probably the most amazing thing I'd ever see.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25- Are you all convinced that we've done the right thing? - I'm happy with the way it looks.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28It does look stunning and it looks beautiful.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30It's just such a wow factor.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32It's been a long wait.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38Can't say we haven't put anything into it, that's for sure.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41The question is, will John like it?
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Look at him, look at him!
0:37:46 > 0:37:50THEY SING A FANFARE
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Oh, wow!
0:37:57 > 0:38:00I can't believe it. I really can't.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06It looks really good. I think I'll stop here tonight!
0:38:11 > 0:38:13I really like it.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17It's thumbs up for the ground floor. Next, the beds.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Well, if anybody doesn't like this, they've got to be crazy.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Ah! Ah, well.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26- APPLAUSE - Listen to that!
0:38:26 > 0:38:28That's what we wanted to hear.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30I mean, it's absolutely stunning, really.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32I can't believe it.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36- I really like it.- Yeah?- Yeah?- Good. - Oh, love you!
0:38:36 > 0:38:38SHE LAUGHS
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Every piece of furniture in the shop was here before.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45It's just been presented in a more aspirational way.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47By following this simple retail principle,
0:38:47 > 0:38:52Kettley's now feels worlds away from its dreary past.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56I'm absolutely thrilled.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59He seemed genuinely pleased by the whole thing.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01You wouldn't believe it were the same stuff.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04You can tell he genuinely does think it looks lovely.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08- Oh, I'm so pleased!- He does think it looks nice.- Well done, darling!
0:39:08 > 0:39:10So now all we need is a few customers to come in and go,
0:39:10 > 0:39:14- "Oh, my goodness, this looks fab!"- Yeah.- And he'll be happy.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25What do you think?
0:39:25 > 0:39:27I'm amazed.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29Absolutely amazed.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33I wouldn't have thought of coming here for furniture. Now I would.
0:39:33 > 0:39:38And it's not just the usual crowd here today -
0:39:38 > 0:39:41the shop is now appealing to a much younger clientele.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44- I never realised there were all these things that- I- would buy.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46I just thought it'd be stuff for my parents!
0:39:46 > 0:39:48I like it. It's nice, clean, uncluttered.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51Looks fantastic, yeah, really exciting.
0:39:51 > 0:39:57- Do you like it? Do you like it? Hmm?- No.- No?!
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Well, you can't please them all!
0:40:00 > 0:40:03The relaunch has been a huge success,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06but there's one last piece of the jigsaw.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10- "Discover the most comfortable chair in Yorkshire at Kettley's." - You're right.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13- Happy?- Very happy, yes. Really happy.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16The important thing is
0:40:16 > 0:40:20that you make sure that you don't just sink into your bad old ways,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23that you make sure that everyone pulls together.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27The end result will be you making more money, and that's what we want to see.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Stick together. You do good.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34- I'm going to miss you all when I go. - Ah, don't.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Go on, keep it up, keep it up, see if you can get me going.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44This shop really felt like it was stuck in a time warp.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47It felt like a waiting room to nowhere very nice.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51I think it has been given an enormous new lease of life,
0:40:51 > 0:40:55and that is very visible in the family too.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57- Here's to the future.- The future.
0:41:07 > 0:41:12It's been 12 months since Kettley's relaunched their shiny new store.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14But have the family continued to embrace
0:41:14 > 0:41:18the furniture revolution, or slip back into the dark ages?
0:41:18 > 0:41:21The opportunity that we've been given,
0:41:21 > 0:41:23it has been an absolute blessing.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28Everything has improved in the shop's looks, the shop's turnover.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Sales were up 25% on the previous year.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36It seems like my idea for Kettley's to target a younger clientele is starting to pay off.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42The shop definitely looks ten times better than it used to look
0:41:42 > 0:41:45before and the layout of it is so much better, as well.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48We do change things around a lot more than we used to do,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51so that's a good start and that's what Alex wanted.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54I'm delighted to see David and Nicola are still pushing
0:41:54 > 0:42:00forward and they've even started to develop another area of the store.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Even more impressive, Kettley's have commissioned a TV ad -
0:42:04 > 0:42:08a perfect way to pull in punters from further afield.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12Welcome to Kettley's. There's so much to see.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14It was my idea to have a new advert,
0:42:14 > 0:42:17because we needed something to reflect us as we are now.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21Investing in an advert is the family's boldest step yet,
0:42:21 > 0:42:23but it's a bright move.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27When I first visited Kettley's, John couldn't even tell his son
0:42:27 > 0:42:29he wanted him working at the shop.
0:42:29 > 0:42:35But with the firm moving bravely forward, he has made a momentous decision.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38To trust David with the biggest role in the business.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41It is comfortable, but I think we could probably do with,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44if it were in our shop, with a bit firmer seat cushion.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47David has taken over the buying now, so I just leave it in his hands
0:42:47 > 0:42:51and obviously, he's got a younger outlook than I have
0:42:51 > 0:42:54and hopefully, that will appeal.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57At work, I feel more at ease
0:42:57 > 0:43:00and I feel like a free-range chicken, you know.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02I'm allowed to just do my own thing
0:43:02 > 0:43:07and decide what I want to order and what to not have in the shop and
0:43:07 > 0:43:11reduce, and my dad doesn't question me as much as he used to do.
0:43:13 > 0:43:19This is a Chesterfield two-seater settee, and a Chesterfield chair
0:43:19 > 0:43:25we decided to give a go, and I think at first you weren't too keen.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28It's just different from what we had before
0:43:28 > 0:43:31and I thought Chesterfields had had their day, basically.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34But obviously, since we've had it in,
0:43:34 > 0:43:37we've had about four grand's worth of sales out of it.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41So it's proved me wrong, again! So, sorry, son!
0:43:41 > 0:43:44Well done for buying the suite.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48I'm impressed with David's sales, the way he is ordering things in
0:43:48 > 0:43:52and generally taking things in his stride, yes.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55This is such an incredible transformation.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59I never imagined John would release the reins this much.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02But then again, he hasn't completely let go.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05I'm just putting some sale tickets on some of the suites that
0:44:05 > 0:44:07we've had in the shop floor for quite a long time.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10Just that when you pull that there, like that,
0:44:10 > 0:44:13all t'pile comes off on t'back of t'sticker!
0:44:13 > 0:44:16So, as long as anybody is prepared to buy this suite now with
0:44:16 > 0:44:19the big pile mark there, it's quite good.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24And there is something else I'm not pleased to see.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28The old tat seems to have crept its way back in.
0:44:28 > 0:44:33If you ever got a burglar in... because they're that heavy! You could...
0:44:33 > 0:44:371986, they went missing off the set of Coronation Street.
0:44:37 > 0:44:42I'm sorry, Hilda, I own up. They're there, your ducks. So, quack, quack!
0:44:42 > 0:44:45SHE LAUGHS
0:44:45 > 0:44:47I can't say I'm completely surprised.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50But it is truly amazing to see that the business,
0:44:50 > 0:44:52and this father-son relationship,
0:44:52 > 0:44:55is almost unrecognisable from the one I first witnessed.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59Me and me dad are definitely better off together, after Alex left.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02It has definitely pulled us, you know,
0:45:02 > 0:45:05a little bit more close together.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08I think this would suit you ideally, sir.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10Because then, you wouldn't have to go upstairs,
0:45:10 > 0:45:13you'd just get that off there and have a nice little crap.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17It holds all the fumes under there.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20It won't put you off your fish and chips.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23There you go, you learn summat every day, don't you?
0:45:24 > 0:45:26Seeing this business embrace
0:45:26 > 0:45:29and benefit from change is hugely encouraging.
0:45:29 > 0:45:33But what is most heart-warming of all is knowing that the family
0:45:33 > 0:45:35are finally united behind the Kettley's cause.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40There's still a long way to go, still improvements to be made,
0:45:40 > 0:45:45but the future is definitely bright for everybody, yeah.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56At Chough's Bakery in Padstow, things are beginning to look up.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00The Ead family have begun work on transforming their tired harbourside shop.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07And Elaine has finally decided who she wants in charge of Chough's.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12It is a very precious thing, a business that you create.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15But I'm not here for the sake of being here.
0:46:15 > 0:46:21I really feel as though we've just got to hang on here a little bit longer.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25So, Elaine has now decided she isn't quite ready to retire.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28But at least it's a decision.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33At the bakery, Ryan is continuing to radically improve his breads.
0:46:33 > 0:46:37And behind the scenes, they have boosted the sales team,
0:46:37 > 0:46:40with the addition of Ryan's wife, Erica.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Obviously, through Ryan, I know what's in the products
0:46:44 > 0:46:47and how they're made. It just made more sense.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49Sounds like you two have very interesting pillow talk.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53- I know, it's really sad. - "There's 10% rye in this one."
0:46:53 > 0:46:57All right, well, I'll see you at one o'clock on Monday with all the samples.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00OK, cheers, bye.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03Darling, brilliant!
0:47:03 > 0:47:06God, how... I'm so pleased!
0:47:06 > 0:47:09- Well done, thanks. - OK, thanks.- Yeah!
0:47:09 > 0:47:11Finally, movement.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15One phone call and Erica has got an appointment
0:47:15 > 0:47:21to show off Ryan's new bread to the head chef of the biggest hotel in Padstow.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24Et voila. It's that simple.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27Erica's addition to the staff has had other benefits, too,
0:47:27 > 0:47:30freeing Greg to follow up on the frozen pasty project,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34with samples now winging their way to a national retailer.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39Inside here, ladies and gentlemen...
0:47:42 > 0:47:43Here's our first batch.
0:47:47 > 0:47:52That is our new frozen product, and that, I believe, is the future of the Chough Bakery.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58The future could also hold better off-season profits.
0:47:58 > 0:48:03We've got the steak at 2.50, steak and Cornish blue at 2.75.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05With their new breads and pasties,
0:48:05 > 0:48:09the family can attempt to clean up at winter fairs by going mobile.
0:48:09 > 0:48:14Lovely, that's £5. Much obliged, sir. I'll just get you some change.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18What we need to do, I think, is get a series of these, like this,
0:48:18 > 0:48:20and then we must put them in a calendar of events,
0:48:20 > 0:48:25so every year we know when that time of the year comes, we're going to do these markets.
0:48:25 > 0:48:30Would you like to come and try some of our bread? Elaine's famous baps.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32We have to reinvent ourselves. You can't stay still.
0:48:32 > 0:48:37- Thank you very much. That's £5. - Thanks very much. Don't forget your bread.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43Today is a huge day for Chough's. It's the bakery's relaunch event
0:48:43 > 0:48:46and they are holding the town's first ever Cornish Pasty Day.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49But first, I want to see the new-look shop for myself.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58First impressions - I'm thrilled.
0:48:58 > 0:49:02The once dreary and messy shop front has been completely transformed.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06It's stylish, harmonious and feels much more like an independent family business.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11And instead of hiding their products away,
0:49:11 > 0:49:14they're now proudly showing them off to the punters of Padstow.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20Inside, the scruffy signs and stickers are a thing of the past.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28- How's it going? - It's looking great outside. Are you pleased with it?
0:49:28 > 0:49:32- It's looking really, really smart. - It really stands out now.- Yeah.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35And it just looks very professional and very slick.
0:49:35 > 0:49:40And I think that, you know, now our confectionary range is just so much better.
0:49:40 > 0:49:41Oh, good, darling.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44Um, you know, she really is... she is a creative chef,
0:49:44 > 0:49:47and at last she's out of that pasty kitchen.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51- Oh, it's nice, it's a compliment. - You know, it's really coming on.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54That's nice. I'm really pleased. Well, I think that this looks...
0:49:54 > 0:49:58I mean, there's a big change from when I first walked in here.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01I know that there's a long way to go, but I feel very positive
0:50:01 > 0:50:05and I just hope that today works as well as it could do.
0:50:05 > 0:50:09The sun may be setting on my time with the family,
0:50:09 > 0:50:13but the townsfolk have come out in droves to support this local business.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18The family have laid on Cornish dancing,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21fancy dress and a world exclusive.
0:50:22 > 0:50:27Welcome to Cornwall's first pasty crimping competition.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29- Go!- Come on, Lou!
0:50:31 > 0:50:33The local community, customers old and new
0:50:33 > 0:50:37and the press have turned out to support the Chough Bakery.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42Even the town's most famous resident, Rick Stein, who
0:50:42 > 0:50:45also has a pasty range, has turned up to check out the competition.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47- These are...- They're good.
0:50:47 > 0:50:51Very good, very good. I'm a bit worried about them, actually.
0:50:51 > 0:50:52Ha-ha! You are nice. Thanks.
0:50:55 > 0:51:02Now I hope they can boost sales by getting a deal to sell their pasties all over the country.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04Thank you, darling, you've been a star.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06It's been absolutely superb to have met you.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08I think a good healthy debate is good,
0:51:08 > 0:51:12- as long as you actually solve something at the end of it.- Yes.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14- All I can say is thank you, Alex. - So we're parting friends.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16- Thank you. Absolutely. - Good.- Absolutely.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19- I'm glad. It's been a pleasure. - It's been a pleasure for us.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22What can I say?
0:51:22 > 0:51:25This has not been the easiest job I've ever done.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29They're quite a difficult family and it was quite a big challenge.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33However, I do feel that they've set off well down the path I laid down for them.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37They've definitely got a lot of potential. The future's in their hands.
0:51:37 > 0:51:43# Hooray and up she rises Early in the morning. #
0:51:45 > 0:51:48APPLAUSE
0:52:07 > 0:52:12Since Alex visited us, the changes have been absolutely extraordinary.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16We are working now on a lot of the projects that Alex suggested to us.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20With their revitalised bread range now taking pride of place,
0:52:20 > 0:52:24the Chough's harbourside shop has gone from strength to strength.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28The sourdough is just cracking, and the focaccia,
0:52:28 > 0:52:32we just can't sell enough of it, you know, it's so popular.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35And I think our bread sales are hugely up this summer,
0:52:35 > 0:52:37so it's fabulous.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40But it's not just the bread that's flying out of the door.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44Chough's award-winning pasties have also attracted increased orders
0:52:44 > 0:52:46and some new local wholesale clients.
0:52:49 > 0:52:54That's the second load that's going out today. And today is a quiet day!
0:52:54 > 0:52:57So, has all this extra work turned into profit?
0:52:58 > 0:53:01You can see in early February after Alex finished with us,
0:53:01 > 0:53:03there was this massive leap.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06We were consistently more busy than the previous years.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09The figures are impressive, especially when you remember
0:53:09 > 0:53:13they were running at a 16% loss at the same time last year.
0:53:13 > 0:53:18But the tiny pasty kitchen at the shop is struggling to cope with the increase.
0:53:18 > 0:53:23This summer has been manically busy. And we've been sort of without pasties
0:53:23 > 0:53:27early in the mornings in the shop, selling out pretty early as well,
0:53:27 > 0:53:31so we're finding it difficult to keep up with demand.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35Last year, Louisa developed a frozen pasty recipe.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38But with no room for large-scale production,
0:53:38 > 0:53:41the product's progress has all but stopped.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44Now with demand outstripping supply,
0:53:44 > 0:53:48Elaine wants her children to prove themselves with this pasty project.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51So she's putting the siblings firmly in charge of a potential
0:53:51 > 0:53:55£100,000 upgrade to their offsite facilities.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57These kids have got a chance in a million,
0:53:57 > 0:54:01they have got so much training and help available for them,
0:54:01 > 0:54:06and I want them to realise that it is no easy task, taking a business like
0:54:06 > 0:54:10this on when they are in charge, and are they ready for that commitment?
0:54:10 > 0:54:13Converting the bakery into a pasty production line is a huge
0:54:13 > 0:54:18financial gamble, and if Chough's don't secure large-scale sales,
0:54:18 > 0:54:21then the investment could bankrupt the business.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25I do worry, you know, that however much money is in the bank,
0:54:25 > 0:54:29that's got to make us survive the winter first, there's no point
0:54:29 > 0:54:33spending it and then hoping to God that we've got a market there.
0:54:35 > 0:54:42Louisa and Greg have the risk and responsibility for expansion resting squarely on their shoulders.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45So they've taken the wise decision to find out
0:54:45 > 0:54:48if their product is actually appealing to
0:54:48 > 0:54:53an international distributor, before jumping in with both feet.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56- Today is really important, isn't it?- It is, yeah.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59You know, it's our biggest chance of getting this frozen pasty
0:54:59 > 0:55:05sort of sold out of the county to a massive wholesaler.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07If they were to say no today, we've got to go out there
0:55:07 > 0:55:11and find other clients, you know, we are putting all our eggs in
0:55:11 > 0:55:14one basket, taking a big risk here, it's a gamble.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17We could end up potentially at the end of this year with
0:55:17 > 0:55:20a fantastic, brand-new pasty production unit,
0:55:20 > 0:55:23with no customers apart from our local wholesale customers.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27Today's crunch meeting is with Kevin Denier, head buyer for
0:55:27 > 0:55:33Fairway Foods, representing 20 wholesale companies across the UK and Europe.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35If they impress him, it will open up
0:55:35 > 0:55:39hundreds of thousands of new customers for the family.
0:55:39 > 0:55:44This is the plan, yeah. The blast freezer located here
0:55:44 > 0:55:45and an oven here.
0:55:45 > 0:55:49Then we've got the whole rest of this area for production -
0:55:49 > 0:55:52tables, pasty-making machines, etc.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55My gut feel is...
0:55:55 > 0:55:57obviously, I can't see the full layout,
0:55:57 > 0:56:01but from a national perspective, I don't...
0:56:01 > 0:56:06- I think it's a little small.- Yeah.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09I think you will outgrow this very, very quickly on the national arena.
0:56:09 > 0:56:14My next question would be, when you do outgrow this, where can you go from here?
0:56:14 > 0:56:16- Next door.- Next door. We're taking it all on!
0:56:16 > 0:56:19It's available and we are negotiating the lease on that,
0:56:19 > 0:56:23to run concurrently with the lease on these, which is a nine-year lease. So, long-term.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26Greg's quick response is impressive and the fact they have already
0:56:26 > 0:56:31negotiated the lease next door shows Kevin just how serious they are.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35From our perspective, if the product...
0:56:35 > 0:56:37We look at the product, we look at the quality
0:56:37 > 0:56:41and if we think it's good enough, we will send that message out.
0:56:41 > 0:56:45The siblings' passion for this project is clearly paying off.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49But convincing Kevin of the bakery's potential is only half the battle.
0:56:49 > 0:56:53The pasty now needs to pass the all-important taste test.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03That's great. You can see visible chunks of meat, you know,
0:57:03 > 0:57:06you can see the fibres of the meat. I think it's great.
0:57:06 > 0:57:07He likes the taste.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11But does Kevin see a future for Chough's frozen pasty?
0:57:11 > 0:57:15I think, if we can develop together and grow, we are all businesses
0:57:15 > 0:57:19at the end of the day and we can make some money for each other.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23- A mutual business relationship. - That would be wonderful!- Fantastic.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25Fabulous.
0:57:26 > 0:57:31It's time to break the good news to a tense Elaine and Rob.
0:57:32 > 0:57:35Kevin did say he is willing to lend us
0:57:35 > 0:57:39their expertise from that company and to help us develop,
0:57:39 > 0:57:43because he can see an amazing product and people with passion
0:57:43 > 0:57:47are making it, that really want to make the product go out there.
0:57:47 > 0:57:52In a six-week period, you've done really, really well, I'm very proud of you.
0:57:52 > 0:57:57At last, Greg and Louisa have proved to Elaine that the future of
0:57:57 > 0:58:00her cherished Chough's rests firmly in safe hands.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05I think the best thing I've noticed is they are actually working
0:58:05 > 0:58:08together, they've grown up, taking these decisions.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11I think it's given Robert and myself the confidence to say, "Right.
0:58:11 > 0:58:16"30-odd years is long enough, let somebody else take the reins now."
0:58:38 > 0:58:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd