One of the things I’ve come to really like
about living in Maidenhead is that its relatively small…. And that once you get
to know a few people, you start to find that you actually know a lot more.
Dropping off the little one at nursery I’ve recently bumped into Jo Randell who has taken the plunge and set up her own business, Perfect Friday
Wine. Through her Facebook page I got to hear about a launch event at
Norden Farm on the 30th January for a company called The Papercup Kitchen, set up by Nelmarie
Rennison.
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Sign at the door- Yep, this is my kind of event! |
I have to admit I was a little bit unsure
about what to expect for the evening. I knew there would be wine and cake, so
there were two very positive things straight away, (I’m easily bought!) but I
also knew that there would be some other local businesses. Its always good to meet new people in Maidenhead and get ideas for the blog so I was keen to drop by. I went along with
a friend of mine who has also recently set up her own business as a virtual personal assistant - Millie, from
Miracle Millie. (If you ever need anyone to wave a magic wand and sort out
your admin/ travel/ event organisation or just to help get your diary organised, she’s the lady
to call) www.miraclemillie.co.uk
We got there a little bit too early and
opted to have a quick drink before we went into the event and started to meet people. It’s a funny thing
networking- we all know we need to do it, and we all enjoy talking to people,
but sometimes those first few moments can be a real challenge!
But we needn’t have worried. We were
welcomed in with a glass of bubbles and then signed up for a wine tasting
session with Jo from Perfect Friday Wine. www.perfectfridaywine.com. Jo sources wine from UK and French
suppliers and only sells wines that she would actually drink herself so it was
great to hear her knowledge first hand (and try the wines!)
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Wine tasting with Jo. |
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Jo Randell from Perfect Friday Wines |
Walking round the room it was a real eye
opener to see how many other small businesses and ‘mumpreneurs’ there are
locally. Quite a few had similar stories- it seems that having children can be
the driving force for change and many of us get inspired to follow our passions
and turn them into a business. Having a little one myself, and trying to
balance being a mum, a blogger, a photographer, oh and a Marketing Manager, I
know how hard that can be! I have enormous respect for these ladies that have
managed to juggle their work and home life and create a business.
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Just a small selection of some of the companies that were there. |
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Lovely designed cards by Kate Kingham (www.facebook.com/poptiniart) |
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And I couldn't resist these great cards from Sally's handmade cards and gifts (sallyatthecroft@googlemail.com) |
Nelmarie herself was in popular demand all
night, as were her cakes (!) which were a bit of a show stopper in the middle
of the room. With over 8,000 followers on Facebook, Nel has already created a
bit of stir over the last few years with her range of homemade cakes and
wedding cakes, but the evening was her first official ‘launch event’. Plus she
was also keen to give people the chance to network at an evening event as
opposed to during the day when we have our little ones in tow.
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Nelmarie from The Papercup Kitchen. |
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Gorgeous mini cupcakes. |
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The carrot cake was very popular! |
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And pink shoes! This is my kinda lady!
A really enjoyable evening- great to meet some other Maidenhead mums and creative people and to see the hard work and passion they put into their businesses. Top marks to Nel for not only baking great cakes, but for having the drive to organise the whole event. I hope she had a well deserved rest and large glass of vino at the end of the night! You can see more of Nelmarie's lovely cake creations on Facebook and on her website http://thepapercupkitchen.co.uk
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Labels: Berkshire, family, Gift ideas, Local Companies, Maidenhead, Norden Farm, Papercup Kitchen