Vie’s Jamaican Rum Cakes is a recipient of the Start Up Loans programme. Founded by Elaine Remy and based in Kendal, it received a loan of £5,000 in January 2020. Elaine set up the company after her mother Viola, known as Vie, passed away. She wanted to honour her mum as the generous and talented cake-maker she was and turn the loss into a legacy.
It was a tricky start for us, just two weeks after we sold our first cake, the UK was plunged into the first lockdown and all the events that we had planned to sell at were cancelled. Thanks to the Start Up Loan, we were able to get a website up and running, put some money into marketing and ramp up production. We’ve now been able to establish partnerships with rum companies and create a subscription service.
Having the support from Start Up Loans, as a government-backed programme, gave me the confidence to believe in myself and fully make the move to become by own boss. I hadn’t come from a business background, so whilst the low interest loans were brilliant, having access to the pre-and-post loan advice and guidance was crucial for me, and is ultimately what attracted me to Start Up Loans as a lender.”
