My visit to Thorpe Way Industrial Estate in early March was a unique experience. As I stepped into the warehouse, I was greeted by a bright space with a separate area for the built-in cold storage refrigerator and racking with pallets of stock. The highlight, however, was the quaint retail collection bar, where I could taste the diverse collection of craft beers on offer. This experience left me eager to share Crescent Moon's story with you. 

Matty, who has lived and worked in America over time, was deeply inspired by the American Craft Beer culture. His travels to and from the USA and the UK over 2013-2014 led to the idea of introducing his hometown to the beers after finding it frustrating not being able to experience the same unique flavours and tastes of American Craft Beers on his return from the USA. Ultimately, this became the driving force that inspired the introduction of craft beers to the UK, which is an exciting opportunity for us locally in Banbury. 

The business’ planning stages were set in motion in 2014-2015, and things were well on their way when COVID struck. This unexpected block caused a slight setback for the founders. Still, they had their vision to bring these beers to the UK, and on 1 February 2023, Crescent Moon was handed the keys to the warehouse, where it currently resides, and renovations began. It was two weeks ahead of Christmas in the same year the beer first arrived. 

Matty and Crescent Moon's dedication to quality is evident in their quest to find the USA's most innovative and award-winning independent breweries. They are not just passionate about introducing Craft Beers from lesser-known areas such as the Carolinas but are committed to it. They take pride in ensuring the craft beer is as fresh as possible. The beers they choose are shipped within two weeks of being canned in refrigerated chilled containers, ensuring the freshest taste possible. 

Matty is in the USA every three to four weeks, forming new partnerships and taste testing, enabling him to find new and unique flavours to introduce to the Beers of America Core Collection at Crescent Moon. Their partnerships are ever-growing, with nine breweries already signed. They are in the process of working towards signing another ten independent breweries across the USA in the next 3 – 6 months. The next five breweries will soon be arriving in the UK, so keep an eye out for the launch of these new imported beers as they become available for tasting and purchase in May.  

Not only are they looking to form partnerships across the USA, but they are also inspired to bring collaboration and partnerships within the UK. They recently kicked off their UK partnership with local business Zimbl to supply electric vehicles for the delivery and movement of their product range. 

Overall, my visit was just the start of what is to come, with so many more visions and plans on the horizon for Crescent Moon. One of which is that they aspire to deliver a unique dining experience and add a destination bar and restaurant to the brand. I look forward to seeing the American Food and Craft Beer destination restaurant come to fruition.  

To embark on your craft beer journey with Crescent Moon, visit www.thebeersofamerica.com to order your American Core range today. Alternatively, you can arrange a tasting session with Matty and the team by contacting them at hello@crescentmoon.beer or 01295 957367.  

Don't miss out on the opportunity to experience the unique flavours of Crescent Moon's craft beers.

Having previously worked with Vicky in an old life, we were no strangers as we met at Costa in the retail park in our casuals. Yet what I wasn't privy to was how Cinnamon HR formed. 

After grabbing our freshly made cortado and hot chocolate over general chit-chat, I was eager to learn more about Cinnamon HR and how it came about. I listened intently to Vicky as she happily answered my questions. 

Read on to find out more.

So, Vicky, I am intrigued; how did Cinnamon HR start?

It's a funny story, and well, I am forever grateful to my very first client. You see, he was initially my manager. I worked for his group of companies, running around the business, introducing HR initiatives, managing a diverse group of people, and constantly adapting my approach. It was back in 2018 when he mentioned ‘you are like a HR consultant’, encouraged me to consider setting up HRConsultancy and said, "I will be your first client". And well, therest is history, and here we are six years later and still going strong. 

And the name, why Cinnamon HR?

It all started as a family affair as I sat brainstorming with my husband and daughter, aged 8 at the time, at the kitchen table. My husband and I glanced over at our daughter; the colour of her hair got us thinking of orange-related colours like cinnamon, peaches and creams. I canvassed opinions from family and friends, and very quickly, Cinnamon was the top choice. And hey, presto, Cinnamon HR was born!

Tell me a little about your team and what makes you different?

At the moment, we are a team of three, Karen, Cathryn, and me, with over 40 years of experience within HR between us. We are flexible, adaptable, and we pride ourselves on actively listening to our clients and delivering bespoke solutions for their needs. 

I am confident in our expertise, and it is safe to say that we are the trusted arm of the organisations that we help. We are people-focused and help our clients ensure that they employ the right people in the right roles. We exuberate the mantra 'look after your employees, and they will look after your business'. 

Are there any specific industries or sectors you support?

We primarily work with SMEs in a variety of sectors. We currently support over 40 SME businesses and community-based organisations here in Banbury!

Would it be fair to say that working with local businesses in Banbury is your prime focus?

We are happy to support businesses that require our support across the UK, but having moved to Banbury from Chester over 20 years ago, I have a soft spot for the local community. We absolutely love being a part of the Banbury business community and working in collaboration with a variety of organisations. The Chamber is a great advocate for us, as we have attended many networking events and received tremendous support from all involved. 

Do you have any specific offerings business owners can benefit from?

We do like to give back where we can, and for over three years, we have been sharing our Top Tip Tuesdays with the business community. We post every Tuesday morning on our company's LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter pages.

We pride ourselves on being true generalist HR Consultants, and the team offers a wide variety of services – recruitment, HR advice, training & development, personality profiling and mediation, to name but a few.We also partner with Breathe HR – the UK’s leading HR software for SMEs.Our clients love the time-saving benefits of automating their people admin.

And how about charity giving? Is this something you get involved in?

We are involved in pro-bono work with charities, village community organisations, and we often work with local schools to support with CV writing skills and interview skills. One of our values is ‘giving something back’.

How can our readers connect with you?

Well, I am always up for a coffee meeting; those that know me know how much I like my coffee; first and foremost, you can't beat an old-fashioned face-to-face meeting! 

But before a meeting, then people can freely connect with me via LinkedIn, via our website; https://www.cinnamonhr.co.uk/, or they can email me at vicky@cinnamonhr.co.uk

Take the opportunity to introduce yourself to Vicky and the Cinnamon HR team and see how you can best collaborate.

With recent advancements in battery technology, EVs now offer longer ranges, and faster charging times, and with major automakers investing heavily, economies of scale are driving down costs, making EVs more accessible to the masses.

Furthermore, the infrastructure and availability of charging stations are rapidly improving. Innovative solutions like high-speed charging stations, wireless charging, and portable chargers are being developed to provide convenient charging options. At the end of May 2023, there were 43,626 electric vehicle charging points across the UK, across 25,413 charging locations. This represents a 38% increase in the total number of charging devices since May 2022.