Member Article

Former baker Rob has recipe for success as he plans to expand Ovenu Petersfield

Former development baker Rob Cunningham is already cooking up plans to expand oven valeting service Ovenu Petersfield as he celebrates his first year in business.

With more than 500 clients on his books and an ever-growing number of enquiries, he is preparing to recruit an additional oven valeter within the next few months.

“People told me I was mad to set up a business during a pandemic, especially one I had to build from scratch,” he said. “However, I’ve not looked back and have reached a point where I need to take someone else on to meet the demand.”

The 53-year-old, from the Waterlooville area, launched the franchised business last January after a spell in hospital with Covid-19 prompted him to reassess his career and work-life balance.

Prior to that he worked as a development baker creating sweet treats for high street names including Starbucks, Pret a Manger, Waitrose, and Costa.

Rob is particularly pleased that Ovenu Petersfield has receive 145 maximum five-star ratings on customer review platform Trustist.

He said: “I founded this business on delivering excellent customer service, which is at the heart of the Ovenu ethos. The support I’ve received and continue to receive from Ovenu has provided me with a blueprint for success, not least with its tried and tested business model.”

The cat owner’s love of animals is also endearing him to many clients after he launched a ‘pet of the day’ feature on his Facebook page. “I noticed some oven cleaning businesses take a before and after photo of their handiwork, but I like to include a family pet if possible, whether it be a dog or a goldfish. It’s a bit of fun and I’ve received lots of positive feedback from clients!”

Despite working overtime during December to cope with the increased demand in the run-up to Christmas, running his own business has generally enabled Rob to spend more quality time with his family.

Rik Hellewell, founder and managing director of Ovenu, said: “Congratulations to Rob on a successful first year and I’m certain, given our ongoing support and his passion for delivering excellent customer service, his business will continue to thrive.”

Ovenu Petersfield covers Petersfield and the surrounding areas, including The Meon Valley, Liss, Waterlooville, Denmead and Clanfield.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Joseph Sayer .