Member Article

Manchester entrepreneur scoops £10,000 national funding prize

Aaron Darke from Northern Moor in Wythenshawe, Manchester has won a nationwide competition – with the top prize of £10,000 to help start up his new enterprise.

He beat hundreds of contestants from across the UK to win the final of TestTown, with his fledgling alternative brewing company - Zymurgorium.

Mr Darke, aged 23, said: “This is the biggest thing ever to have happened to my business.”

Described as a community-focused meadery and brewery, Zymurgorium offers an innovative range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, with many of the raw materials used grown or foraged in the Wythenshawe area.

The name comes from combining ‘Zymurgy’ - the science of brewing - and ‘emporium’ a shop which sells various items. The Zymurgorium range includes champagne-style mead, rosehip copper ale, lychee vodka, kiwi pale ale and hibiscus cola.

Mr Darke grows his own berries and has harvested sloes, rosehips and figs from Chorlton Water Park and Wythenshawe Park.

Organised by the Carnegie UK Trust, the TestTown contest gave young entrepreneurs an opportunity to demonstrate innovative business ideas and how they would work in a town centre environment – whether in a shop, office, green space or market stall.

Mr Darke won a regional final held in Wythenshawe in August, before travelling to Cambridge to take on contestants from Middlesbrough, Coleraine, Rhyl, Kirkintilloch, Bury St Edmunds and Perth at the national final, which was judged by a panel of six experts.

After a period of market research, he was challenged to set up his own pop-up shop in Cambridge.

He explained: “The contestants were judged on the business’ viability as an ongoing success, branding, product quality and customer service. I also had to make a presentation to the judging panel, in a room packed with local businesspeople.

“Fitting everything that Zymurgorium means to me into the six minutes available was impossible. It was a great experience, but I have to say, also nerve-wracking. However, I think the nerves actually worked in my favour, as it gave me energy and made what I had to say more heartfelt.”

Mr Darke now plans to take stock and then take full advantage of the opportunity by investing the £10,000 wisely.

He added: “I’ve had great support from the regeneration team at Manchester council to help me get this far, so I will continue to work with them and Carnegie Trust UK to work out how to best use the prize money.

“In the meantime, I’ll continue to invent new drinks – it’s business as normal.”

Around 450 teams of young people aged 16 - 30 applied to take part in TestTown nationwide, making it one of the country’s largest ever entrepreneurial competitions.

Jim Metcalfe, TestTown UK Programme Leader, said: “We congratulate Aaron on the success of being crowned the TestTown winner. It’s without doubt that his business idea has the strength to go extremely far and we wish him and all of the contestants the very best for the future.”

Councillor Sue Murphy, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “I’d like to congratulate Aaron on winning TestTown 2014 and I’m sure that the prize money will help him to go on to build a real Manchester success story.

“Aaron is just one of the many young people in the city who have the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to become successful in business.

“TestTown is beneficial for young people, helping them to get real experience of how the high street works in practice and to develop their professional skills. It’s wonderful that we were able to play our part in giving Aaron the support he needed to win this prestigious competition.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .