University News Last updated 10 January
Given 24 hours to live after contracting Covid in April 2020, Wade Lyn CBE bounced back to health by demonstrating the fighting qualities that have made him such a formidable figure in the West Midlands business community.
Now 65, the Birmingham entrepreneur also attributes his remarkable recovery to the amazing care he received from staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital as well as the elite training he did as a respected 400-metre runner some 40 years previously.
“I was put into a coma and my family were told I didn’t have long to live,” said the founder of Birmingham-based Cleone Foods Ltd, the largest manufacturer of Jamaican patties in the UK.
“After six weeks, I came out of the coma and spent several more weeks recovering. My muscles had wasted away, I needed a wheelchair to go the toilet, and my joints were stiff for ages.
“I remember spending a lot of time counting the ceiling tiles on the hospital ward as I recuperated. Even now, I remember how many there were – 32 x 32.5.
“The hospital staff were fantastic. The fighting spirit I had developed as an athlete was crucial, too. It gave me the mental tenacity to overcome the odds.”
On 10 January, Wade received an Honorary Doctorate from Birmingham City University (BCU) for his outstanding contribution to public life and his exceptional service to Birmingham.
“It’s a great accolade,” said the Jamaican-born businessman, who has held a great many business and ceremonial roles in both the UK and Jamaica.
“My mum and dad wanted me to be a doctor – and now I am.”
Cleone Foods Ltd produces 240,000 patties each week for the likes of Sainsburys, Morrisons, Iceland, Asda and Co-op. They also stock wholesalers and small businesses in every major region of the country.
That’s more than 12 million patties a year – from jerk chicken, curried lamb and chilli beef to vegan and halal options- all baked in Hockley under the ‘Island Delight’ and ‘Juici’ branding.
“I am very proud of the journey we have been on,” said Wade, a former High Sheriff of the West Midlands who is now a Deputy Lieutenant.
“We started with three staff at a factory in Newtown in 1989, doing everything from the books and the pastry to developing the fillings and delivering across the West Midlands.
“Now we employ 80 staff and our products are in the biggest supermarkets in the country.”
Wade had set out to become a secondary teacher, specialising in Craft, Design and Technology.
Having moved to the UK as a seven-year-old, he began his training at the School of Art and Design in the city before moving to Leeds, where he completed a BA degree in Education.
That’s when his career took a different path.
“A friend needed a general manager for their catering business in Wolverhampton,” explained Wade. “I never ended up using my degree.”
It wasn’t long before he decided to run his own business, first in Newtown and then, as the company grew, from its current headquarters in Hockley.
The motivating factor?
“I want to be best in class,” said Wade. “Everything I do, I want it to be the best it can be.”
He proudly cites his company’s long list of qualifications for hygiene and food standards. He also claims the chilli labelling on food packaging to tell shoppers how spicy a product may be was his invention.
“I’ve learned a lot in 30 years,” said Wade, whose prowess and expertise earned him a role as a business ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, now King’s Trust.
“I like to listen to people – and I listen to everybody. I also like to surround myself with good people, who have the expertise and knowledge to help the business.”
That includes his daughter, Cleo, who Wade regards as his natural successor.
“I’m getting ready to hand the business over to her,” he said. “We’re not going to sell the company. The brand is good, and we are number one at what we do.”
But don’t expect Wade to sit around when he does step aside.
“I look at everything as a blessing,” he said.
“It’s important to keep grabbing opportunities that come your way. And I want to continue inspiring other people, especially the younger generation.”