When did you become a manager?
I started my business at 14, when my gran taught me her secret marmalade recipe. I'm 16 now. I began selling door-to-door, paying four friends on a commission basis. I'd go out and get the people to try samples, and my mates would go back every few weeks and sell to them. Now, I'm shifting several thousand units a month in delis and farmers' markets, at £2 to £3 each, but I still try to get out and see those original customers.
What does management mean to you?
It's a million miles away from what I learned at school. I don't concern myself so much with profits and productivity - what's important to me is improving quality and customer satisfaction. And I'm getting into ethical practice, using fair-trade or organic suppliers and making products healthier.
You have to be determined and it's best to forget the money. That's one of the reasons I'm successful - it's clear that I'm passionate about cooking and love the product.
What do you love/hate about your job?
When I get interest in my preserves from Europe or the Middle East, it's a great buzz. Things can get a bit tedious - I do all the cooking and selling myself - but doing talks at schools and working with Enterprise Week is great fun. I've never felt my social life has suffered and I've got more cash than my friends. They're not jealous, though - they borrow money off me.
.jpg)
