A CHIPPING Sodbury bakery director visited Downing Street to give the Chancellor George Osborne a special pastry Valentine's gift.


Trevor Herbert, 63, the managing director of Hobbs House Bakery, with its head office in Chipping Sodbury, visited Number 11 Downing Street on Wednesday, February 11 to celebrate the success of the business and to discuss what more the government can do to help small businesses.


Mr Herbert gave George Osborne MP, the Conservative MP for Tatton as well as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, buns from the bakery, with "I love you" baked on them to coincide with the approaching Valentine's holiday.


Luke Hall, prospective MP for Thornbury and Yate, invited Mr Herbert to the visit.


Mr Herbert said: "I was flattered to be asked  and a few days beforehand, I had had a meeting with the marketing director of the bakery and was shown the buns with "I love you" on them and thought, why  not take them with me to give to George Osborne.


"Around 120 other people were at the event, from small businesses across the South West, and when George came over to our group, as Rowina Moncrieffe, the chairman of Thornbury Chamber of Commerce also came along, I gave him the buns and he seemed really touched.


"I talked to him about the bakery and he came across very warm and engaged."


Mr Hall said: “As a retailer myself, I know how far local businesses go for their customers, their staff and to make their business a success.


"Hobbs House is an excellent local business and I was delighted to take Trevor to meet the Chancellor.”