Executive director Paul Waldeck discusses Ambrey Baker and net zero goals

Food and drink construction specialist, Ambrey Baker have grown from a one-man, one van operation in 1988 to a large-scale industry leader in 2022. Executive director Paul Waldeck joined in 2020 and has helped the company expance its range of services and offerings. In 2022, we have a renewed focus on sustainability – saving money for their clients for the benefit of the planet.

We sat down with Paul to discuss his experience at the helm of the business and the impact that net zero goals are having on the industry.

You have 35 years of experience in design & project management, what have you learnt from your previous experiences that drive the way you work at Ambrey Baker?

I have a rich background in sustainability practices, which has allowed Ambrey Baker to navigate strategies which save our clients money by reducing waste and increasing energy efficiency, which of course is better for the planet too. A crucial aspect of how we operate is focussing on sustainability and waste management in every project we undertake. Clients are putting a real emphasis on environmental factors now.

What are some of the key challenges you face in your position at Ambrey Baker? What is the business’s approach to problem-solving?

The biggest challenge is tailoring and optimising our services to be effective in a huge variety of environments. The services we provide to clients are never ‘one size fits all’.

Our strong design and delivery background means we can optimise designs to make operations of food facilities more cost-effective. We can work around each facility’s logistics so they can operate at full capacity with minimum disruption to day-to-day operations. Our ability to provide turnkey solutions whilst clients remain fully operational is the cornerstone of what Ambrey Baker does best.

What are your thoughts on biodiversity & net gain in food production – what are some of the most innovative changes being made in the industry?

One thing I find interesting is the rise in vegetable protein-based meats. Especially considering how far they’ve come over the past 10 years or so. The primary ingredients of plant-based meats emit much fewer greenhouse gases than the traditional alternatives. This is helping to offset a lot of the negative impact that the food industry can have on the environment. So, as more and more food producers adopt plant-based meat alternates into their repertoire of products, we are seeing positive impacts on the environment.

A big driver too is the fact that there is a real desire across the board for businesses to be more sustainable, which is helping make innovations like plant-based meats happen as well as reassessing each phase of a business’s operations to reduce carbon footprints.

With that in mind, what is Ambrey Baker doing to build towards being net zero?

By helping our clients reduce their carbon footprint, we’re also building towards net-zero targets. We team up with world-class consultants who can revolutionise a facility’s operations around energy efficiency. As part of our services, we endeavour to instil best practices within our clients’ facilities, and also make sure we mirror those actions so that the work we do has as little disruption to the environment as it does to the facilities we work on.

In your opinion, what makes Ambrey Baker a unique, go-to specialist when it comes to food & beverage construction?

We’re unique in being able to work with older properties. We can modernise these facillities, bringing them up to speed with contemporary practices and processes.

Whilst many other companies chase shiny new facilities to get their desired results, we work at the ‘dirty end’ of the industry, reinvigorating existing properties. Food factory refurbishments are hugely overlooked, but we’re able to get the same results that a new build would yield for our clients again and again at a fraction of the price.

Refurbishments are also more sustainable reducing carbon emissions. They’re also much more time efficient. The process of securing land and planning permission to then oversee a construction project from the ground up is especially time consuming. We’re alone in our emphasis on the benefits of a refurbishment over a new build – just as we’re alone in refurbishing existing and ageing properties, turning them into modern, first class facilities. That is helping us achieve some great results on projects up and down the country.

What are some of the biggest achievements you have helped oversee in your time at Ambrey Baker?

We’ve enhanced our offering to be able to provide real commercial honesty which I feel sets us apart. That honesty allows us to shape projects around the budget, expectations and wants of our clients on a case-by-case basis. During my time as executive director, we’ve turned Ambrey Baker into a one-stop shop for our client’s needs. Maximising our service offerings in a way that is adaptable enough to be optimised for each specific project.

What are your personal goals for Ambrey Baker. How do you see the business growing and adapting over the next 5-10 years?

I envision steady, sustainable growth. Ambrey Baker will stick with what we’re best at – small to medium-sized projects around construction, refurbishments and improving hygiene and safety standards. The recent development of the business has widened the range of services we offer. From pre-project feasibility studies and cost-planning to stainless steel fabrication, firewalls and high-care drainage, meaning we have all bases covered, whatever the shape of your next project might be.

For more information about the Ambrey Baker team, head over to the company page or follow us on LinkedIn. If you’re looking to start your own career with Ambrey Baker, get in touch.