Member Article

Rosie marks 5th birthday with new jobs plan

One of Birmingham’s best-known social entrepreneurs is celebrating five years in business in style after reaching a manufacturing milestone.

Rosie Ginday, founder of Miss Macaroon, has just produced her 1 millionth macaroon, a blueberry and white chocolate ganache that forms part of her Spring/Summer range.

She made the announcement at a special birthday party and also used the event to reveal ambitious expansion plans that will see the company become a national retail brand by 2021.

This will involve the launch of a number of luxury handcarts selling macaroons in high traffic transport hubs and premium shopping centres across the UK, a move that could create up to 100 new jobs.

“I started Miss Macaroon with just £500 of personal funds, free use of a kitchen at University College Birmingham and a desire to offer young people - not in education, a job or training - new opportunities,” explained Rosie, who previously trained as a pastry chef with Glynn Purnell.

“Five years on and we have now reached £200,000 in annual sales, provided skills and employment to 19 people and supplied the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and John Lewis’ Grand Central store.”

She went on to add: “However, I don’t want to stop there and this milestone marked the start of the next stage of our growth with the announcement that we are looking to create a social franchise model where Miss Macaroons can be sold all over the UK.

“We’re in the process of finalising some new funding, which we’re hoping to reveal shortly. This will be the catalyst to kick-starting our expansion.”

More than 50 people attended the 5th Birthday Party and enjoyed jelly and ice cream filled macaroons, networking, passionate addresses from Andrew Harrison (Managing Director of Midlands Corporate Banking), James Powell (Enabler at business accelerator Entrepreneurial Spark) and Miss Macaroon Chairman and mentor David Clarke.

Teams from RBS, Jaguar Land Rover, Entrepreneurial Spark and Miss Macaroon did battle in the second edition of the ‘Macaroon Wars’, with the banking giant coming out on top with its ‘Macaroon Tower’.

Speaking at the celebration was Zee Mwale, who has been working with Rosie since 2014 when he took part in her Macaroons Make A Difference (MacsMAD) course.

Previously unemployed for four years and with no previous catering experienced, he enjoyed one-to-one mentoring and a work experience placement before starting a full-time apprenticeship.

“Miss Macaroon has really changed my life around and given me skills and employment that I never thought possible in 2012,” explained Zee.

“I’ve achieved nearly all my five year goals in just two years and am neck and neck with Rosie when it comes to macaroon per minute filling speed. It’s a really exciting time to be involved in the business and I just want to play my part in the nationwide growth.”

From its dedicated kitchen in Hockley, Miss Macaroon makes, hand pipes, bakes and hand fills 5000 macaroons every day.

All of its products are gluten free and, over the course of the year, there will be up to 40 flavours, with passion fruit and mango and tonka bean to be introduced in time for Spring.

The social enterprise has also secured a number of high profile clients thanks to its ability to personalise macaroons with logos and offering pantone match colours to any brand colours…the only patisserie in the world to provide this service.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .