No Kidding Around: Young Cambridge Entrepreneur Launches Bite-Sized Business
While most
teenagers spend their days glued to TV shows or video games, one Cambridge
whizz-kid has swapped Xboxes for gift boxes with the launch of her own food
bizz – at just 15-years-old.
Year 10-school
pupil Amelise Burr, from Melbourn near Royston, has created a new online gift
box and hamper company called Cambridge Artisan, selling the best bites from
across East Anglia.
Each
thoughtfully curated hamper presents the very best of Cambridge's artisan food
and drink—and is available in a range of sizes, priced from £59 to £135. Gift
boxes start from £20 and there's free P&P for all orders over £50.
Giving food
lovers a one-stop farm gate to regional food and drink, with beautifully
packaged hampers and boxes that include everything from cured meat to coffee
and chutneys to chocolate, the idea for Cambridge Artisan came from Amelise's
love for her local market – and for business.
“I couldn't
believe how many yummy foods were on offer at my market square, but I realised
shoppers were finding it tricky to source their favourites all in one place –
so I hit upon the idea of an online shop where local food traders could come
together under one 'virtual roof',” says Amelise, a pupil at Melbourn Village
College. “I've always wanted to start my own business – and make my first
million! For years, I've read articles and watched TV programmes about teenage
millionaires, and I just couldn't stop thinking 'why can't I do that?'”
With Cambridge
Artisan's focus on sourcing only from small, independent, East Anglian
producers, Amelise has spent many months visiting local traders, taste testing
samples, compiling a database of contacts and (with the help of her parents!)
designing the new website.
So, while her
friends are preparing for their mock GCSEs, with her new company launched last
week Amelise is juggling homework with writing Cambridge Artisan newsletters,
sourcing new traders and putting together hampers and gift boxes.
But she's no
stranger to multi-tasking. As well as launching her own business, Amelise is
also coaching a local rowing team, practicing for her Grade 4 piano, studying
for a D of E award and learning to play saxophone with her school band!
Dad Robert
Burr—owner of local food truck: The Churros Bar—is helping Amelise manage the
company. He says he knows the business is in safe hands. “Amelise has always
been a high achiever – and has always been a food lover. She was passionate
about supporting local artisan producers and offering shoppers their favourite
East Anglian goodies in one place, delivered direct,” he says. “Voted the
fastest-growing food and drink city in the UK, Cambridge has become a hub for
remarkable artisan food recently – and we're glad to be in the thick of it!”
Find out more
at www.cambridgeartisan.co.uk
If you want to find out more about Chef
Wise go to the Chef Wise web site just follow the links below.
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