Jennifer and Stephen discuss an accountancy firm's relocation, the developer behind a mobile chess game based on the Queen's Gambit, and plans for a multimillion-pound battery storage facility.
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00:00And accountancy firms with your location, the developer behind a mobile chess game based
00:04on the Queen's Gambit, and plans for a multi-million pound battery storage facility, featuring
00:08today's business briefing, sponsored by Shawbrook.
00:16So Jen, what have you seen this morning?
00:18So the accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has relocated 150 of its employees and
00:23partners to its new offices in the centre of Guildford, so earlier this year the firm
00:28signed a 10-year office lease agreement at the Bottleworks building, which would provide
00:32a new home that's over 10,000 square feet for 150 employees and partners.
00:38It was previously at a premises on Chertsey Street.
00:41So since then the building has undergone a full refurbishment to include collaboration
00:46areas, focus spaces, modern meeting rooms, and state-of-the-art technology to allow for
00:51hybrid working.
00:53And the new building is being developed by the commercial property developer, Kingsbridge.
00:58Oh great, good to see these big property stories still coming through, even as we get to the
01:03end of the year.
01:04For sure.
01:05While sticking with that theme, in the North East plans have been submitted for a multi-million
01:09pound battery storage facility at Teesworks.
01:13Energy optimisation solutions is behind the £62 million scheme, subject to approval by
01:17Redcar and Cleveland District Council.
01:20The storage system will be built on a three-acre plot at Longacres on the 2,500-square-foot
01:25Teesworks site on the banks of the River Seas.
01:28The facility could help cut carbon emissions by 400 metric tonnes, that's the equivalent
01:33of driving a car 11.6 million kilometres or 299 times around the world, to give you a
01:38helpful comparison.
01:39The facility could help cut emissions, the building facility sorry, is expected to take
01:44around 12 months in total and would support more than 100 jobs in the construction industry.
01:48Sounds good.
01:49Well over in Liverpool then, the Liverpool-based video game developer and publisher Ripstone
01:55is set to bring its next big ideas to market, after landing a £600,000 boost from Netwest.
02:02So since being established in 2011, Ripstone's creative team has produced 21 games, reaching
02:08an audience of about 20 million players worldwide, but the company is likely best known for creating
02:14a mobile chess game based on the Netflix show The Queen's Gambit.
02:18Are you familiar with it?
02:19I am, yeah, it's a really good show, yeah.
02:21It is.
02:22It has become the first, well the company now, has become the first UK gaming company
02:26to secure a loan from Netwest, using its intellectual property as collateral, and the move could
02:32improve funding for the games industry, which generates about £220 million each year for
02:38the city's economy and employs about 1,800 people.
02:41Hmm, well brilliant news.
02:42Last thing today in the South West, Six by Nico, the investment chain, has announced
02:46it plans to open its first site in Bristol.
02:49That would open in February next year at Quaker's Friars in the city.
02:53So Six by Nico, you may well be familiar, it's best known for its six-course tasting
02:57menu, that changes every six weeks, and each menu is inspired by destination memories and
03:03creative storytelling, so a whole different look for every city where it operates.
03:08Chef Nico Simeone opened the first Six by Nico in 2017 in Glasgow, he was inspired by
03:13his grandparents who owned a chip shop.
03:16That first venue had dishes such as a twist on the Deep Friars Mars Bar, and Einbu Sorbet,
03:23so that gives you an idea of some of the interesting dishes you might be able to enjoy in Bristol.
03:28It now has restaurants across the UK, I think a couple here in Manchester where we are as
03:32well.
03:33Simeone said Bristol had a unique energy which would help to challenge the company and push
03:38its boundaries.
03:39He has also spoken about how working with local suppliers is going to be a priority,
03:43so potentially great news for the wider business community there.
03:46Great.
03:47Well, for more on those stories, visit insidermedia.com, you can also sign up for our newsletters and
03:52find out about some of the events we're running in the new year.