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CASE STUDY: KATE'S COOKSHOP
Katie Jacques – Kate’s Cook Shop
Kate’s Cookshop
9 Windsor Street
Melton Mowbray
Leicestershire LE13 1BU
Tel: 01664 566 217
Katie Jacques is a young woman with vision, passion and a love of her retail cook shop. Running a retail business runs in her family, Katie’s father has run his confectionery store for over 30 years serving the community in Melton town centre. Katie joined him in recent years to gain vital retail experience, working with him to run the shop, having quit her job in the probation service 2 years ago. In 2007 Katie decided to branch out herself launching Katie’s Cook shop.
Kate spotted a big gap in the market in her home town of Melton Mowbray. There was no quality cookware store in the town centre to supply the ever increasing customer base, those used to buying the great quality local food in and around Melton. She decided to offer the buying public the opportunity to get their cooking utensils whilst they bought their food supplies!
Katie’s Cook shop is located in central Melton Mowbray. It is an Aladdin’s cave for the keen cook, stocking a wide range of high quality cookware and accessories.
Katie said, ‘Opening this business has been all encompassing. I have literally spent 7 days a week for the past 18 months researching, looking for the right property, sourcing products.“
“Here we pride ourselves in caring for the customer, we aim to please and will get them special one off orders if they ask us for them. We even have hot coffee on tap and I am always being asked for recipes. I have now started a cake decorating course so I can help the cake bakers who come into our shop! This has been (and still is) a massive learning curve as you can imagine.”
Kate has recognised that there is a massive relevance having a quality cook shop in Melton as the area is synonymous with good quality fresh food. She believes she is offering a great service to gourmet food lovers in the area and giving them another reason to shop in Melton.
This is what Kate had to say about the business support she has received from Success for Welland Women. “ I attended your workshops with a view to expand my knowledge. The workshops not only gave me information but inspired me to create my new business.
I genuinely believe that I would not be so far ahead with this project if I hadn't been from the help and support I have received from Welland Enterprise Agency.’
“I hope that you are able to continue the fantastic work you do that enables people like me to find the confidence to move forwards.”
Katie is a finalist in the 2008 Leicestershire Rural Business Woman of the Year and hopes to celebrate her successes at the awards ceremony in March.
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