What do you currently do?
I am Founder of Miss Macaroon, a former Patisserie chef/Pastry Chef and a provider of opportunities for young people.
What was the inspiration behind your business?
I have a desire to help disadvantaged young adults in the local area and my ultimate aim is to help youngsters break into a highly competitive industry and improve their future prospects.
I have always had a Passion for beautifully hand crafted food and patisseries as when I was 17, I met a homeless man who was living on the streets and he told me about how he had a normal life up until the passing of his mother, then things started to go downhill for him.
I realised that anyone, no matter how ‘normal’ their lives may seem, things can always take a drastic turn for the worse and so I decided that I could change the possibilities by creating a successful company. I started off with just £500 worth of ingredients whilst still working full time, I used my two days off a week to launch Miss Macaroon off the ground, asking my old college to see if they would allow me to use their kitchens and then approached a local charity to put forward three young care leavers for the pilot training scheme.
Who do you admire?
There are two people whom I admire and have gained inspiration from. Firstly, Anita Roddick, a British businesswoman, human rights activist and environmental campaigner and founder of The Body Shop, however most importantly, she had built a brilliant socially conscious business and completely changed the market.
Secondly, Sahar Hashemi, a UK entrepreneur and business woman, best known as the founder of the coffee chain Coffee Republic who built and set up a scalable food and drink without any prior experience in the business field – I truly think both these women are fantastic.
Things you would have done differently?
I have a regret for not being ambitious enough during the baby steps of our company and earlier in my company but everything happens for a reason!
What defines your way of business?
As a social enterprise, we as a company use our profits to provide employment and training programs aiming at youngsters who may have slipped through the education system or are care leavers or people who have found themselves homeless. We are willing to give them a chance if no one else will, without judgement.
Through the sale of our premium quality delicious macarons, our social enterprise activities are supported successfully. At Miss Macaroon indulgence is also a virtue as our social enterprise activities are supported through every macaroon we sell. We provide employment and training programmes aimed at youngsters who may have slipped through the education system, are care leavers or find themselves homeless. This adds an entirely new and unique flavour to our macaroons, and one that can truly be savoured and enjoyed beyond the mere eating of the Miss Macaroon product itself.
Miss Macaroon are passionate about providing premium quality macaroons. We can ensure that each and every macaroon you sink your teeth into are beyond perfection, thanks to our highly trained pastry chefs.
We are the only company in the world to Pantone match our macarons, harnessing art and scientific techniques by utilizing a complex algorithm which matches colour swatches via the RGB and CMYK values.
What advice will you give to someone who is just starting out?
I always try and attract the best people, so if you can, find mentors and advisors who have already been there and done it. Peer mentors are fantastic too as they can provide you with the type of advice that your mentors may not have given to you.
You should always be willing and prepared to take risks and face tough times during your career, never fret about making errors as you’re able to learn from them and in the end you’ll come out as a better person for experiencing it.
Rosie Ginday is an O2 Business ambassador
