Yum Foods
Final year International Business student, Catherine Coppage has received support from The Hive's Enterprise Inc. programme to develop her business idea. Whilst having a takeaway dinner with her boyfriend, Catherine realised that convenient dinners are very limited in variety, and was inspired to start an international food business in May 2011.
Offering a range of convenient food products which are not accessible through mainstream supermarkets, Catherine has started developing a German product range, as she has a German mother and has been brought up with authentic German cuisine. She has recently been refining the product range and has gone with the idea of offering small samples of dishes in recyclable packaging, specifically aimed at local workers. The food boxes will be delivered to the recipient's workplace, offering a delicious and convenient alternative to what is currently available.
Authentic international cuisine development
Catherine has chosen to focus on lesser-known cuisines, in order to introduce the British public to different flavours that they may not have necessarily had the chance to experience. She can make a range of authentic international foods, from ready-made hot meals to salads, and also cakes. Catherine has secured a few informal taster sessions with some local workplaces, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. The fact that potential repeat business may result from this is both a huge achievement and strong motivation for her to develop her product range further.
Phil Clarke, Student Enterprise Adviser at The Hive has been mentoring Catherine and she has found his knowledge and advice to be really helpful and inspiring. Phil comments, ''Catherine's concept of providing a diverse range of international food as a replacement for standard snacks and ready meals is both interesting and has potential for growth. You should really try the sample dishes to appreciate her cooking.'' Catherine received a small bursary from Enterprise Inc. to assist with the start-up and encouraged her to bring in some of her products for the staff and visitors of The Hive to try and provide valuable feedback.
Putting theory into practice
The Hive's Enterprise Inc. programme has helped put Catherine's theoretical business knowledge into practice, and apply what she has learned in the classroom environment to her business. Catherine comments, ''I would strongly recommend other entrepreneurs to use The Hive's facilities, as the mentors offer such valuable advice, and the support is incredible. I find the atmosphere fantastic - the people are really friendly, and it is a great motivational factor to be working amongst fellow entrepreneurs! I would especially recommend The Hive to entrepreneurs who have never attempted to start up their own business before, as the experience can be daunting, so having someone who will support you every step of the way is really motivational.''
She continues, ''I love the challenging aspect of running my own business, as well as being the sole person responsible for its success. There have been many hurdles to overcome, and I have learnt many lessons, but as time has gone on, I have learnt to be more patient and take failures, as well as success, in my stride. I hope to ultimately have my products stocked in supermarkets and other major food retailers."
Catherine is hoping to lay the foundations for Yum Foods during her final year of studies at Nottingham Trent University and plans to join The Hive's HeadStart programme following her graduation in 2012.
For further information, please visit Catherine's Twitter page: @foodsbyyum.
