A mother of three who set up a business making lollipops last year has gained national recognition by making it to the finals of the ‘Mumpreneur’ Awards.
Kathryn Casely, 29, is one of ten finalists to be selected from more than 3,000 applications after her confectionery business Willow & Boo proved to be a massive hit.
Willow & Boo makes bespoke lollipops for corporate clients and children’s parties but has already secured contracts with some big names.
As reported by the Times in April, Mrs Casely has supplied Warner Music, cosmetics brand Bobbi Brown, and Rimmel London.
She said “I am truly honoured to have been recognised this way in our ? rst year of trading.
“I would be so happy to win just so I can prove to myself that I can do it.”
The success of Willow & Boo, which was set up last September, has taken her by surprise she admits, as initial expectations were simply to supply sweets to the occassional children’s party.
She said: “I had no experience of making lollipops until last year and I had spent the previous nine years bringing up her children.
“It was only after making a wedding cake for a friend, in which I used edible flower petals as decoration, when I thought, ‘they would look good in a lollipop.’
“I thought I would get a couple of orders a month, but now I get them daily.”
Determined Mrs Casely invested just £200 to get started and had recouped the cost within weeks.
It is still a one-woman operation, with help from three part-timers and business advice from her husband Geoff.
“He has mentored me when I get stuck and he is good at Twitter but he has never wrapped a single lollipop,” she said.
“When you have children you can lose your identity a bit. This was a way of reasserting myself.”
Mrs Casely, who has been entered into the future stars category at the Mumpreneur Awards will find out if she has won at a ceremony on November 14.
