Entrepreneur hungry for success in new venture

Feb 15 2010 by Karen Dent, The Journal

A FORMER administrator has been bitten by the entrepreneurial spirit of the people she worked with and has set up her own catering business.

Leanne McHugh, 23, spent two years employed by the John Buddle Work Village in Newcastle, which provides offices and workshop units for new businesses in the Benwell area of the city.

But now she has been inspired to start her own catering business with Jonathan Wardale, the former head chef with Fresh Element which also used to be based at the Work Village before moving out to run the Six Restaurant at the Baltic.

Their fledgling firm Love Food operates from the Work Village’s kitchen providing catering for occasions including weddings, celebrations, corporate events and private dinner parties.

Ms McHugh said: “I learnt so much from working alongside business owners at the John Buddle Work Village and this helped me to grow in confidence and inspired me to set up my own business.

“Seeing young people launch their own businesses helped me to realise that I could do the same.”

Manager of the Work Village, Alexandra Johnson, said: “It’s great that the success of other Work Village clients has inspired Leanne and Jonathan to take the leap and launch Love Food.

“We’ve been really impressed with the catering they’ve provided for us and we look forward to helping their business develop in the coming months.”

The centre has worked with more than 40 firms since it was set up five years ago.