Ploughing profits back into the business, preserving its 'oldy-worldy' feel and a long-awaited refurbishment have helped a north Norfolk family business experience a record year.

Eastern Daily Press: Managing Director of Bakers and Larners of Holt, Michael Baker, pictured at the Holt department store.Picture: MARK BULLIMOREManaging Director of Bakers and Larners of Holt, Michael Baker, pictured at the Holt department store.Picture: MARK BULLIMORE (Image: Archant Norfolk 2015)

CT Baker, which includes a department store, builders' merchant and two supermarkets, has seen turnover climb 5.8pc to £23m, and pre-tax profits rise 17.8pc to more than £825,000.

And managing director Michael Baker, who took over the running of the Holt-based business 43 years ago, said the firm would rise to the challenge of budget rival Aldi moving into the town next year.

But it is a refurbishment of the historic Bakers and Larners department store, which had a turnover of about £8m last year, Mr Baker said had driven the success.

'We hadn't really done very much since 1976, so the last refurbishment was when we rebuilt the store,' he said.

Eastern Daily Press: Managing Director of Bakers and Larners of Holt, Michael Baker, pictured at the Holt department store.Picture: MARK BULLIMOREManaging Director of Bakers and Larners of Holt, Michael Baker, pictured at the Holt department store.Picture: MARK BULLIMORE (Image: Archant Norfolk 2015)

'What we didn't want to do was to become all modern and everything else because we are not all modern.

'I got out a cigarette packet and a pencil and sketched up a few ideas.

'We didn't go to some national or regional firm of shop fitters who would have made us look like everyone else. We wanted to keep the oldy-worldy feel.'

Local building contractors completed the work, and the store's beauty department was given extra light and space.

'We don't see why Norwich should be the Mecca for everything to do with cosmetics,' said Mr Baker.

The group, which employs 287 people, opened a Budgens store in Holt in 2007 and took on an ailing Aylsham branch three years ago.

Of the Aylsham store he said: 'We took it on two and a half years ago as a total loss-making business. It has tripled its turnover and is going very well.'

But with Aldi soon to open in Holt, Mr Baker said he would introduce a new range in the face of a price war.

'We are already working on upgrading the offering in Budgens to take that into account,' he added.

'We are looking to put in some new ranges of budget lines which will certainly compete with Aldi.'

Other improvements include an upgrade in the department store's own food hall, and a new fleet of delivery trucks for the builders' merchant.

Mr Baker said: 'We reinvest a minimum of a third of the profits back into the business every year.

'The accountancy profession think it's good if they can take every last penny out of the company so it is in debt. We don't do that, that's silly.'

The Post Office at Budgens of Aylsham recently won the Post Office Retailer of the Year Award at the Retail Industry Awards.

Is your business celebrating a record year? Call Sabah Meddings on 01603 772879 or email sabah.meddings@archant.co.uk