AN award winning Chipping Campden kitchenware designer has opened a £3 million state-of-the-art business hub in Evesham.

The family-run firm Robert Welch has used the funding to combine its warehouse and office functions onto a single site in Evesham, while keeping its Cotswold headquarters in Chipping Campden.

The new 3,600 sq ft hub will house more than 40 members of staff and includes facilities such as cloakrooms, showers and a leisure space for colleagues to enjoy.

The hub was made possible through a a seven-figure finance facility from HSBC.

Rupert and Alice Welch, who joined the company alongside their father Robert Welch MBE in 1990, officially opened the site on October 6 - the same day the business was awarded its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise for outstanding achievement.

The new hub will operate alongside the Old Silk Mill site in Chipping Campden, where Robert Welch founded the business more than 60 years ago.

Rupert Welch, co-owner of Robert Welch, said: “We are delighted with the new facility, which represents a positive move forward for both Robert Welch and the British design industry.

"We’ve held a longstanding relationship with HSBC which has supported our business for more than 30 years.

"The team, led by Mark Wilton, has a thorough understanding of the company and is highly supportive of our plans and passion to continue fulfilling our father’s legacy of beautiful and timeless designs.”

James Shephard, from HSBC, added: “As a treasured British brand which has been in our kitchens for over 60 years, HSBC has been honoured to support Alice and Rupert in their latest venture.

"The new business hub is a testament to the company’s success to date and its ambitious plans to drive exports and increase its turnover year-on-year.”

Robert Welch, who became Royal Designer for Industry, set up his first workshop in an 18th century silk mill in Chipping Campden in 1955 and pioneered the introduction of stainless steel cutlery to the UK.