Yorkshire Business Woman by Yorkshire BusinessWoman & TopicUK

SUPPORTING FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS ACROSS THE REGION

Yorkshire Nº1 Bi-Monthly

A TopicUK Publication

December 2020

A Majestic role for Sinead YBW meets the

MD of Channel 4

Being brave

When it’s the only choice you have

Adding personality to banking

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Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fund 2021 Join in the conversation and share your ideas on how to support and develop women in Wakefield

1pm Lunchtime Zoom Meeting Thursday 14th January 2021 with Guest Speaker Helen Oldham As Chair of Smart Works in Yorkshire, Helen believes passionately in helping other women fulfil their aspirations and succeed in their careers and businesses. The Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fund supports women of all ages and backgrounds to achieve their aspirations both at work and at home. To register your interest in attending, please contact Barbara Paterson barbara@patersonconsultancy.com or Theresa Barrett theresa.barrett@wakefieldcf.org.uk Registered Charity Number 1121884

www.wakefieldcf.org.uk

This issue

Yorkshire Businesswoman are delighted that professional photographers Lincoln Roth and Perrin Read who specialise in portrait photography are our partners for this exciting new magazine. Roth Read Photography work closely with both private and commercial clients because client’s stories inspire them to capture images which are creative, authentic, and invoke emotion. It is the attention to detail which adds value to a personal legacy or business brand. Their aim is to provide you, our readers, with the best images and experience.

Group Editor Gill Laidler Design Rob Blackwell Business Executive Mandy Taylor Official Photographers Roth Read Photography

Cover : Sinead Rocks Image : Roth Read Photography To Partner Yorkshirebusinesswoman - Tel: 07711 539047 -  hello@yorkshirebusinesswoman.co.uk

A majestic role for Sinead

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Creating success in a mans world

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Growing my one-woman company vision

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Have your cake and eat it this Christmas

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From creative arts to creative cooking

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07 19 34 70 83

Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n Whistles ‘The Cocktail O’clock Co-ord’ from John Lewis Yorkshire stores Leeds and York

Editors notes

by group editor Gill Laidler

Welcome to Yorkshire Businesswoman The team here are delighted to be bringing you the first edition of Yorkshire Businesswoman magazine!

Click here to learn about the Yorkshire BusinessWoman andTopicUK journey

The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers and therefore, no responsibility can be held by the publisher for misinterpretation. Reproduction of this magazine without the express permission of the publisher is prohibited. Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/editor and staff cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles, advertisements or programme schedules. To subscribe to this magazine contact 07711 539047 or email hello@ yorkshirebusinesswoman.co.uk yorkshirebusinesswoman.co.uk Published by Ghost Publishing Limited.

I have thought for some time that information, support and inspiration has been lacking for women in business, so as a trial around 18-months ago, we launched a section within our sister publication TopicUK to gain feedback. This was so successful it quickly outgrew TopicUK and we transferred all articles and features to a dedicated website. Fast forward a few months and here we are, Yorkshire Businesswoman has been so popular we now have a 100+ page magazine. Can you believe, we cannot find another similar magazine in the UK. Yorkshire Businesswoman is unique in that we encourage women from the Yorkshire business community to share their experiences of setting up their own business or progressing their careers, provide help and inspiration for our readers with their

stories and offer support where it might be needed. As well as business, we aim to bring you articles on lifestyle, home, family, beauty, fashion, food and much more and we will be guided by you, our readers, we want you to tell us what you want. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this first edition and to Sinead Rocks the MD of Channel 4 who features on our first cover and to all those who are already scheduled to appear in the second edition due out in January. If you have a story to tell, can provide tips that will help others and share your experience, please do.

Contents & Comments

N E W S U P D AT E

You can email us at hello@yorkshirebusinesswoman.co.uk or call us on 07711 539047

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Stay connected this Christmas with

CityFibre In a year that has been anything but normal, the likelihood of a conventional Christmas may feel like a pipe dream for many of us. Nevertheless, as plucky Brits it’s in our hands to make the most of a difficult situation and find ways to stay connected, unwind and close the distance digitally.

But what happens when every person on your street wants to video call their friends and family at the same time using an old and tired broadband connection? Cue slow loading times, glitchy audio, blurry visuals and drop-outs. And, if you’re lucky enough to have the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 under your tree this Christmas, battling it out online or even simply downloading new games onto your console could be a laggy and frustrating experience too – particularly if family members are streaming the latest festive films at the same time. For many of us, these experiences are all too familiar. In large parts of the country, home broadband can often lack speed and reliability when trying to support whole families at the same time. In fact, recent research by CityFibre revealed that 78 per cent of UK consumers felt slowed down and frustrated by their internet connection. What’s the solution? Typically, it is standard for internet service providers (ISPs) to use a copper telephone line or a copper-fibre hybrid line when setting up the internet connection in your house, and this is a

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major factor in lagging connections. At CityFibre, we use fibre optic cables for the entire length of the journey, allowing for a remarkably faster and more reliable service. CityFibre has been building and managing full fibre networks across Yorkshire since it was established in 2011.This has transformed the digital experience for countless citizens, unleashing gigabit-capable speeds, near limitless bandwidth and connectivity you can depend on. In Huddersfield and Leeds, Vodafone Gigafast broadband services delivered over this network

Getting connected with CityFibre means that come Christmas Day, you will be able to stream your favourite festive film while video calling...

and are completely symmetrical so you can upload just as quickly as you can download. Simply put, full fibre gives you what you think you may be getting, or expect, from part fibre connections. ‘Tis the Season Getting connected with CityFibre means that come Christmas Day, you will be able to stream your favourite festive film while video calling the rest of the family without a hitch. No more buffering, no more lag. The process becomes virtually seamless. It means your children can play games online without excessive loading times. You can call your friends and feel as if they are in the room next to you. It means that long after the last mince pie has been consumed and you return to working life, your ‘home office’ is faster and more efficient than any workplace. As we move into an increasingly digital age the importance of quality, high functioning, full fibre connectivity is paramount in allowing us to work, socialise and play as we please.

are now available across the town, with more postcodes coming online daily.

As far as years go, 2020 has certainly highlighted the remarkable versatility of the internet. However, it has also demonstrated how utterly dependent we are on our connectivity in allowing us to get on with our lives in a stress-free way. It is a virtual gateway to work, school, shops, family and friendship.

To put the difference between full fibre networks and other types of digital connections into perspective, the average broadband speed across the UK is supposed to be 64Mbps. Yet, as many of you will know, getting the speed you pay for often isn’t the case.

The internet has allowed us to retain a fraction of normality in what has been a challenging year for us all. We want to ensure that as many homes as possible in Yorkshire are linked to the quickest, most efficient and sturdiest full fibre technology this Christmas.

Seamless Vodafone Gigafast packages range from 100Mbps to an eye wateringly fast 900Mbps

To find out if you can connect now, or to register your interest for when services do become available, click here. Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

A Majestic role for

Images by Roth Read Photography

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There has been lots of excitement since the announcement that Channel 4 was to move its headquarters to Leeds following a successful bid expertly put together by Leeds City Council and many businesses from the city.

ince beating the likes of Birmingham and the predicted favourite Manchester, many will have watched the beautiful Majestic building in city square that originally opened in 1922 as a 2400 seat cinema, come back to life following the devasating fire that almost destroyed this iconic building in September 2014. Heading up the Channel is managing director, Nations and Regions Sinead Rocks. Yorkshire Businesswoman and TopicUK group editor Gill Laidler managed to catch up with this busy lady. Born and brought up in Belfast, Sinead did an English degree at Queens University Belfast before heading to London and taking a postgrad in journalism at the London College of Printing, now the London College of Communication. “Growing up I wanted to be a journalist, for as long as I can remember,” explained Sinead. I love the fact “I remember a reporter from the that in my job, BBC in Northern Ireland visited there is no my school which made me think such thing as my ambition was attainable, and a typical day... so giving me the inspiration I needed, I managed to talk my way into some work experience at the BBC, then followed that particular reporters career path into the same university and college.” Sinead secured her first job just before her 16th Birthday in an independent record shop.

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“I remember it was just before Christmas, so it was a bit of a baptism of fire because in those days, none of the large megastores existed. Following a spell there I began working in a new local cinema which was brilliant, I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have seen Dances with Wolves, Home Alone and Ghost,” she laughed. “My role at the small record store set me in good stead for my next role which was at a Virgin Megastore where I stayed long enough to see me through the rest of my studies and gave me one of my closest friends. Whilst there, I also worked for free at a local radio station as I wanted to get some experience. I do think that having jobs in early life, provides you with a real solid work ethic and teaches lessons that really stand the test of time,” she added. “Over the years I have worked for some great managers and some not so great, learning from both and today I often find myself applying things from that time.

Fact File

A few things we didn’t know about Sinead What car do you drive? A sensible Honda Civic What do you do with your leisure time? I meet up with friends in various parts of the country. What is your favourite food and drink? I would find it hard to beat a Sunday roast with a glass of red wine. Where is your favourite holiday destination? America - I do miss it. Where is your favourite place in Yorkshire? Wensleydale and Hawes, I love getting away for weekends there, such a great place with great food.

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Joining Channel 4 after 21 years at the BBC was a big move for Sinead. “I began my career when I left college at the BBC as a journalist in the Belfast newsroom, before moving to London to work on Newsround. I then went into Current Affairs and finally I led the Education Department based in Salford,” she added. “I could have stayed at the BBC forever as I was really happy and comfortable there but I was excited about what Channel 4 wanted to do, their plan was to make huge changes to their strategy and structure to better serve the whole of theUK and create a major base in the North was bold and ambitious. I really wanted to be a part of that.” As managing director for nations and regions, Sinead’s job is to ensure they deliver on their UKwide strategy. “I am based in our new HQ in Leeds, which for now is in Westgate but we are excited that eventually we will move into The Majestic, what a gorgeous building that is.”

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So how difficult of an industry is it for a woman like so many others I have to do most of my to succeed in? “I am now at the point where I meetings over video conferencing which means have spent more than half of my life working I spend a lot of time sitting down! in broadcasting and it has changed massively in that time,” she added. “When I started, So, now Channel 4 is here in Leeds, what newsrooms were very male dominated and if plans does Sinead and her team have? “I am I’m honest, a little bit sexist! That’s really not excited by Channel 4’s plans for the region the case anymore in my experience. A lot of and really want to keep the momentum up,” effort goes into diversity and inclusion which she continued. “We now have a team of is so important. I don’t believe being a woman senior decision makers based in Leeds and I has limited my career, but I have had to move can’t wait to see how that impacts the kind around a fair bit for it to progress. That said, of programmes we put on screen and how one of the things I have enjoyed most about my our audiences react to them. Like everyone move to Yorkshire is the really strong networks at Channel 4 in Yorkshire, I am counting that exist for women, it’s a down the days until we get really supportive culture. into The Majestic. I had a There is a genuine sense of hard hat tour of the new When I started, women supporting women offices before lockdown newsrooms which is brilliant. and I have to say, the views were very male are spectacular. I think dominated and if “I love the fact that in my my London colleagues are I’m honest, a little job, there is no such thing as going to be very envious of bit sexist! That’s our set up in Leeds.” a typical day, especially now really not the case since the pandemic started. anymore in my My day usually involves lots As our interview came to experience... of meetings with the team a conclusion, we asked from the Leeds City Region, Sinead what advice would Screen Yorkshire and the she give to her younger self LEP to discuss our priorities and work out and if starting again, what, if anything, would how best to work together to achieve them.” she do differently. “I think I would take a few more career chances,” she told us. “There Sinead is also responsible for all the training were jobs I should have applied for and didn’t and development initiatives. “I really want thinking I wouldn’t stand a chance, only to see to make sure we are providing brilliant them go to other people with similar levels opportunities for people to grow their careers of experience to me. in the cities that they choose to live. Too often, people in the media had to move to London “That said, I have been very lucky to work to get ahead, but I am hopeful that we can in a variety of roles alongside some fantastic change that. people in an industry that I love. Even things that didn’t work out as well as expected, proved “Before covid, I would have spent a fair amount to be a valuable learning experience and have of time on trains visiting our London office helped shape me into who I am today. I don’t or our new hubs in Glasgow and Bristol. Now, think I would have done anything differently.” Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

Working smart to remain in control By: Tim Guest - Managing Director Contedia - www.contedia.com

Certainly, many of the changes that have been forced upon us are restrictive, undesirable and affect our sense of freedom and safety. But, if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in an industry that isn’t in (immediate) peril as a direct result of the pandemic and its social impact, then our workplaces – or perhaps I should just say, our ‘work lives’ – are experiencing many changes, born out of a necessity to adapt, that are somewhat liberating and educational. At the heart of our opportunity to make these adaptations successfully is the technology currently available to us. And to be more precise, software and cloud-based services have been key to our ability to adopt more

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flexible working, as we are forced to limit numbers in our office and work remotely. It seems clear to me, for the type of work I’m involved in, that there’s no substitute for being physically close to my colleagues and having the option to walk across an office for a two-minute chat about. S o , i n t h i s n e w w o r l d , b e t te r communication, organisation and visibility within our business is key. Access to various platforms alone don’t make for an organisation that

really adapts and remains efficient. It’s more a case of how we use services like Microsoft 365, not just that we do. If I can offer you a little advice on how to improve communication within the business – and externally with customers and suppliers – in this new, more physically distant business landscape, it is to look at simple but very effective integrations between software and services. And, if email remains your default method of internal and project communication, ditch it for this immediately. But, don’t adopt – or continue using - new collaboration software without providing guidance for colleagues as to how your business should all use them. Create some clear policies for their use within the business that ensures consistency and avoid information sprawl. As an example, here’s how we’ve created a collaboration hub that allows communication, visibility and control over many elements of our day-to-day business: 1. We created a concise structure within Teams that is minimal but represents core areas of business administration and traditional file server storage policies. We created ‘Channels’ beneath that represent core activities or subjects, for example: Company [Team] • Company Handbook [Channel] • Business Processes [Channel] • GDPR & Data Protection [Channel] • Health & Safety [Channel] • Holidays [Channel] • D o c u m e n t & Fo r m Te m p l a te s [Channel] Customers [Team] • Customer 1 [Channel] • Customer 2 [Channel] 2. Beyond wanting to keep ‘chats’ contextual and in the right places, using the channels

to do this, Teams automatically creates SharePoint sites. So, by then creating any folder structures we need within the ‘Files’ tab in each channel, we’re now using SharePoint in a focused way for cloud-based file storage, and we migrated our traditional on-premises data into the new locations. 3. We use Monday.com to plan and control every internal or external project we undertake. Some of our project boards are more complex than others, but some are minimal yet allow for the appropriate visualisation of status and task-specific communication, either with colleagues only or with customers also. However, we add one or more project boards as tabs within the relevant Teams channels to allow us to work comprehensively from Teams. Our Monday.com project boards make use of many and varied automations, which are simple to put in place as needed. As well as using Teams to keep internal topics, customer and supplier communication organised, conversations contextual and files readily available, we also automate a few internal processes using Microsoft Forms adding them in to Teams as tabs (e.g. our ‘Holiday Request’ form is a tab in the Holidays channel and is sent to the correct supervisor for approval, automatically updating entitlement spreadsheets). So, by starting – or re-starting - with a plan to create some permanent and meaningful structure within Teams, the straightforward and automatic integration it provides with SharePoint allows you to control your collaboration and remain organised. Further integration with a flexible project management platform like Monday.com, Trello, Jira or Microsoft Planner will really allow you to feel like the business is under control, activities and progress are visible, knowledge is being shared, and small but useful automations will help reduce the burden of trying to keep track of everything manually. Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

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Caroline: Adding personality to banking

Caroline spoke with Yorkshire Businesswoman editor, Gill Laidler

Are you thinking of a career in banking? Meet Caroline Pullich, head of SME Yorkshire who will most certainly offer some inspiration.

fter finishing her A Levels, Caroline took up her first position aged 18 at NatWest in Keighley. “I started as a junior, answering the telephone, sending out statements and encoding cheques. It was very different then, we had 80 colleagues in the branch and the processes were much more manual than they are today,” she said. Caroline progressed quickly through various branch roles and got her first leadership role at the age of just 22. “I was looking after a team of 20 people which was a huge learning curve and I went on to complete several roles within retail banking, including branch manager roles, area manager roles then regional director, looking after 700 FTE.” To broaden her experiences, Caroline took a secondment at head office RBS in Edinburgh, flying there weekly from Leeds. “This role gave me the opportunity to work alongside senior executives and I was fortunate to work with the team from corporate banking. I then went on to work in the CEO office in Bishopgate, London, covering the whole of the UK,” she continued. “This was a fantastic opportunity for me, even if it meant switching my weekly commute to London as I was able to undertake presentations to the group CEO which was a fantastic opportunity.”

Whilst working in London, Caroline met with executives from Barclays who presented an opportunity for her to work back in Yorkshire, allowing her more time at home. “It’s always terrific to have a new challenge,” she added “but I was sad to be leaving NatWest as I had made many friends, but fortunately I do remain in contact with them now. So what does a typical day include for Caroline?

I am incredibly proud of the work my team have been doing...

“My main role is leadership, so much of my time is spent looking after my team with internal conference calls and supporting them wi th c l i ent r ev i ews, lending applications and external engagements. I look after a team of 50 who between them manage 6300 client relationships supporting businesses with their growth ambitions.

“I think for any woman looking for a career in banking, my advice, which has set me in good stead, is to bring your personality to work and never give up on your dreams and aspirations, whatever your environment, particularly male dominated. A previous role working with clients certainly helps too, Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

and you do need the motivation to learn and have the ability to change quickly. It also helps if you have the freedom to travel, as careers are not always on your doorstep.

Fact File

“Many businesses have had to adapt and diversify recently, due to the pandemic and our top priority at Barclays is to support them through the changes that they are experiencing. we have been able to facilitate all the Government lending schemes and whilst we’ve experienced huge volumes like we’ve never seen before, I am incredibly proud of the work my team have been doing to support our customers.

Where is your favourite holiday destination? It has to be the Caribbean or definitely somewhere warm.

“I have enjoyed a well-rounded career so far in banking, understanding the group as a whole rather than just one division and if I were to have the opportunity to start my career over again, I wouldn’t hesitate, I will do it all over again,” she concluded.

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What is the name of your partner? Richard Larking.

Where is your favourite restaurant? Rules, which is the oldest restaurant in London. What is your favourite food and drink? Steak and chips or any kind of meat pie. My favourite drink is Laurent Perrier Rose Champagne for very special occasions! Where is your favourite Yorkshire destination? I just love Yorkshire as a whole. BELOW:

Caroline and Coco

What car do you drive? A Mercedes GL which has plenty of room for Coco our Cockapoo!

Q&A

Creating success in a man’s world

Even before leaving school, Victoria Hicks was working. She had a love of the theatre and dreamt of becoming a singer or a lawyer but instead, secured a job in a local convenience store working weekends whilst looking after two children for a local family.

Northern Rock as a team manager in their loans department, this was the start of my career in finance. In late 2007, hit by the financial crisis, Northern Rock were making redundancies, so I moved out of corporate and decided to train to become a financial adviser,” she continued. “I began self-employment with no clients and no qualifications, running up debt each month, but my perseverance paid off and I became one of the youngest financial advisors within the Openwork Network, fully qualifying at the age of 24,” she added proudly. Victoria’s whole career has led her to her current role. “From gaining an understanding of financial services and channelling this into a client facing advisory role, to growing my own firm, all of these experiences have enabled me to be really understanding of the challenging but rewarding role of running an advice firm. It has given me a real passion to help the profession I care so much about.

“I think I always had a strong work ethic,” she explained, “I even took a gap year before going to university so I could save to ensure I was the first person in my family to go to university. This was with the National Australia Bank Group working in their collections department.” That work ethic paid off and Victoria headed to The University of Manchester studying and receiving a BA Hons in Social Sciences. “Throughout University I carried on working in finance in a branch office of the Halifax, then when I graduated, I was offered a job with The

“Typically, advice firm owners it’s are also large fee earners, as great to now well as compliance oversight help so many and everything else that comes firms grow, with running a business. For them to speak with a team that rather than just my own... can really understand what they want to achieve, growth or exit, allows them to get on with the day job, knowing we’ve got their backs,” she added. “It’s only because of everything I’ve been through that I can deliver this level of support and so as much as I was nervous stepping away from financial planning, it’s great to now help so many firms grow, rather than just my own.” Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

Victoria’s career as a financial adviser continued as she progressed to being one of the owners and directors of a Chartered Firm in York. At the end of 2018 they sold the group and although the intention was to remain within the acquiring firm, Victoria loved growing her own business as much as she enjoyed advising clients, so she made the decision to join the family firm City & Capital in 2019. Experience

they were able to make introductions, there was no real understanding of my business and aspirations, which often led to time spent having fruitless conversations and disproportionately high fees. I have now built a team around me that has over 30 years’ experience within regulated planning firms and over 10 years M&A experience. “Financial services are dominated by men, and I have certainly been on the receiving end of a number of comments that are entirely unacceptable,” she added. “Performance has been judged on me being a female, or comments about the outfits I wear etc. But I don’t react. I give as good as I get, and I am also aware that many comments come from a place of showing off or insecurity.

The City & Capital Group launched in February 2017 as a Headhunt organisation, placing key stakeholders and board level staff into roles within financial services businesses. Having run a directly authorised IFA firm, recruited, acquired and subsequently been acquired – Victoria wanted to bring her real-world knowledge and experiences to other advice firms to help them “That said, we really do need to encourage grow. So, she launched an arm of the business more females into financial advice. It is a that focuses on working with advice firms great career which draws upon so many skills, helping those seeking an exit or looking to grow. although I think it still perceived as a sales role. I was the only female on the board, but “My personal experiences with recruiters and this is often as a result of tenure, and we are acquisitions brokers were not great. Whilst certainly seeing more parity between men

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and women from those entering the profession.” Victoria’s day begins around 7am when she spends some quality time with the family. “Our youngest is now in year 6 so we are giving him some more independence and letting him walk to school on his own. At 8.30 when he leaves, I set off for work and arrive at my desk by 9am. My day usually starts with a meeting, directors on a Monday and with the others every other morning to discuss progress from the day before. We operate in a different way to most recruitment, broker firms, in that we all work as a team. After that, much of my time is then spent in discussions with the vendors and this is where I really strive to spend as much time as possible. I also regularly comment on advisory and M&A matters in the trade press, so usually there is some time set aside to discuss various aspects with journalists.

Fact File

What is the name of your partner? Stuart Children: Alexander 10 and Yorke 15 What do you do in your leisure time? Yoga, quizzing, loads of reading, vegan things.

exit, we are really well placed to help. Professionally this is my clear area of focus. We are a team of 12, which we have grown in 3 years and will continue to grow organically, seeking additional resource as the business requires and also focussing on attracting talent with that real-world experience.

“From a personal point of view, I really want to purchase a small holding and would love to do Where is your fathis when our youngest leaves for vourite restaurant? university. I have a plan to rescue The Greenhouse in animals, grow food and lavender Horsforth – an amazing little vegan café. I eat and have a small number of ecoin or take away at least friendly shepherd huts to offer once a week! Give a welcome break to those who me a little cafe over a michelin star restaurant want to escape for a few days,” any day. she mused. What is your favourSo, what advice would Victoria ite food and drink? give to her younger self ? I love diving into a tapas or meze - ah the days where you could “The younger me really did worry a all pile round a table lot. I’ve always put a lot of pressure share platters! Dependent on the time of day on myself, but there was a turning and in no particular point a few years ago that really order, coffee, Robinsons made me assess my priorities. One cordial (very specific), New Zealand Sauviof my good friends passed away gnon, Espresso Martini! suddenly, and the upset and shock

“I usually arrive home around 7pm and the first thing I try to do, is half an hour of Yoga. I’ve been practicing since March, as a challenge to myself over lockdown, of the finality of it all really changed Where is your and absolutely love it. It amazes me favourite place in my outlook. I try to live my life in a to see what the body is capable of Yorkshire? way that is good for mental health, and I don’t see it at all as a chore,” The Cow and Calf near which means trying not to get hung she continued. “After yoga, it’s time Ilkley. Interesting in all up on things I can’t change, but if weathers, you can rock for dinner and relax. My husband climb as well as walk I can make a difference to do so. and I are both vegans, and I am and it’s just 10 minutes In living a vegan life, and fighting really into learning about nutrition away from me. for causes I believe in, I am taking which is so important if you have a action where I can. I used to also restricted diet (although putting it place far too much emphasis on into practise is sometimes difficult). ‘things’ like Designer handbags, shoes and makeup - but the more I’ve given up those things “I see the next 5 to 7 years as crucial for the the better I feel. This hasn’t been a conscious wealth planning space. With so many advisors choice I just think as I’ve got older and with heading towards retirement and seeking an less to prove I don’t need stuff.” Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

Are you dressing up or dressing down for Christmas? “ I can’t wait to add a little sparkle!”

I was extremely lucky early this month to catch up with the team at John Lewis as they launched ‘12 Days Of Christmas Dressing’

By: B ernad ette Gl edhill After the success of 12 Days Of Christmas Dresses last year, John Lewis has this year worked in collaboration with high street brands Hush, Whistles, Ghost, All Saints and Mint Velvet to design and curate a collection of feel good outfits that reflect and respond to the lifestyle changes many of us have adapted to this year. Jo Bennet Head of Womenswear at John Lewis says - “We know Christmas will be different for many people this year, in these unsettling times we hope to bring a little joy and a small moment of escapism with this collection. We have collaborated with five of our brands to bring together these exclusive outfits that will have customers covered for the festive season no matter what their celebrations entail”

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could easily add the top to a pair of fabulous trousers or a piece of cashmere to the stunning skirt. I also love the fact that this will work into spring summer too maybe dreaming of holiday dressing in 2021! From the Mint Velvet ‘Rocking Around The Christmas Tree Tracksuit’ through to Ghost’s oh-so-easy-to-wear ‘Festive FaceTime Frock’ each piece has been selected to make every occasion magical, whether thats hosting a virtual family get together, raising a glass of champagne over zoom or in person for a family Christmas lunch. I think we are all hoping for the latter. My personal favourite is Whistles ‘The Cocktail O’clock Co-ord’ this is so versatile as you

All outfits featured are available to buy on line or click and collect from John Lewis Yorkshire stores Leeds and York or alternatively from your local branch of Waitrose. The collection ranges in price from £69 to £259 and is available in a range of sizes from 6 - 18 www.johnlewis.com Wishing you all a very stylish and safe Christmas Par t y season . Bernadette xx www.bernadettegledhill.com Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

How to create the ‘new way of working’ wardrobe Author: model - Rachel Peru

I’m sure I am not the only one who is struggling to know what they should be wearing for work right now with so much disruption and many people working from home. I spoke with stylist and image consultant Sara Anson for some tips on how to create new looks that will suit the office and home environment to freshen up this seasons’ wardrobe. Sara has been busy during lockdown and now offers an e-Styling service, so she kindly created a mood board of outfits all with clickable shopping links and lots of great styling advice. h t t p s : / / w w w. m o o n s i f t. c o m / collection/styledbysara/ OdCHlS4bZSVxHtnpzN6I

Sara’s key advice was to mix and match items that will look great with jeans, as well as smart trousers; to mix things up with biker jackets and blazers and not to forget to accessorise. Choose clothes that can be worn with heels and trainers. Maxi dresses have been popular on the high street for a while now and there’s no signs that they’re

Dress-Jolene printed maxi dress, available in sizes 10-18 £40 from www.watsonandwhite.com

going anywhere just yet. I can see how Sara’s advice would work well with this outfit as you could add a smart black jumper, blazer and boots so you could instantly add an extra level of work style.

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It would look equally as cool with a leather biker jacket. I’m all about the comfort in this outfit and I always look out for dresses that work with smart trainers too.

To add a feel of luxury to your working wardrobe you can introduce a silk or satin blouse to elevate any outfit. There are some fabulous blouses on the high street, with this seasons elaborate peter pan collars which would really lift a work outfit. I’m wearing the grey satin blouse from H&M (£12.99) and Sara recommended teaming it with a leather skirt or trousers. There’s some great leather pieces out there at the moment so for those on a budget it’s definitely worth experimenting. I love this imitation pleated skirt from H&M £39.99 and its definitely going to become a staple piece in my wardrobe. I bought the trousers from Asos last year and must admit I’ve never viewed them as work attire, but they look smart with the satin H&M blouse and blazer. Jacket- Simplybe.com (past season)

I’m big fan of jumper dresses, particularly as a curvier woman, because they are both stylish and comfortable. You can layer up with long cardigans or smart blazers and knee-high boots to change the look. I know the idea of wearing white can be daunting to some but it’s such a smart and flattering colour so perhaps it’s time to get over that fear and maybe it’s a good excuse to cut down on that coffee consumption the day you wear it!

Relaxed belted turtleneck midi dress £85.00 from Stories.com - Bag- Karen Millen (past seasons)

For more information about Sara’s styling service please visithttps://www.styledbysara.co.uk You can also follow Rachel on Instagram @rachelperu1 Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

Company born from dislike of waste Based in rural North Yorkshire, the Nearly New Cashmere Co was launched by Ali Orr due initially to her dislike for waste

Ali, a lover of vintage silk scarves, family life and everything countryside, had never been happy with todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s throw away culture that we live in and saw an opportunity to rescue and restore discarded hundred percent cashmere jumpers and transform these castoffs into luxury, highly desirable products, available to everyone at an affordable price. Previously, Ali sold vintage clothing online and at local fairs, but it was becoming clear that the cashmere items she had available was the most popular product, so she began taking

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the time to source unwanted cashmere from many different countries from around the world. The business began to grow as Ali championed these items after rescuing, repairing and restoring them, nothing was wasted from the items that would have been destined for landfill. “After a few years it became clear that the business was growing too large for me to continue running it from home,” explained Ali, “so I secured the lease on a shop in Masham where the business is now based. “Our shop would rival any upmarket high street fashion store with a large collection that offers a wide range of styles, sizes and colours. We employ three people who work in the shop, but we also have a network of local artisans who help us prepare the cashmere to sell. With the high volume we receive it is inevitable that

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“There are four main things that we champion. Affordability - it’s important that our pieces are at a price point affordable for all. Honesty - from how we do business to the way we market our products. Luxury - that all our cashmere is 100% pure and sustainability - we fine tune the way in the way our cashmere is sourced and how we rescue it,” Ali added. With the arrival of Covid at the beginning of 2020, Ali has seen the business change with all the country fairs and events being cancelled. With the realisation that many h u n d re d s o f c u s to m e r s regularly visit her stand, she made the quick decision to extend her website and increase her online presence, so customers still have access to her fabulous range. “Each item online and in our shop is a one-off,” she explained, “and there is always something new and exciting waiting to find a new home.”

Our shop would rival any upmarket high street fashion store with a large collection that offers a wide range of styles, sizes and colour...

some items are flawed or don’t meet our high standards,” she continued, “so these items are upcycled into beautiful neckwarmers, gloves or hats, or we just add appliqué, to make them truly unique, ensuring nothing goes to waste. “We also offer a repair service for customers who bought items and down the line might need a small repair, particularly for wear on mittens or gloves.

Ali was keen for us to sample an item from her range, so TopicUK group editor chose a beautiful burnt orange cashmere scarf which will be perfect for autumn and winter. “The scarf is beautiful, it feels like pure luxury. It arrived in its own cotton pouch bag for storage when not in use and I can’t wait to get out for Autumn walks wearing something so stylish,” said Gill.

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Fashion can be bought, style one must posses...

Fashion versus style By Bernadette Gledhill

As a model and fashion show organiser clothes have always played an important part of my life. I have always felt that buying clothes is a personal choice and not to be confused by current fashion trends. Over the years I have worked on many projects training in image advice, model coaching and confidence building and my advice is always to wear items that make you feel great and work with your lifestyle. If we begin with wardrobe planning the best advice is to choose your basic essentials carefully and by acquiring these your individual style will follow Firstly, look carefully into your wardrobe and be strong by choosing individual classics to keep. This would include for me, a great pair of jeans, a white shirt, a classic trench, fitted black trousers, a blazer or smart jacket, a cosy coat, a piece of leather either jacket or trousers, a great piece of knitwear and finally a little black dress. The items that you no longer love, there has

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Tommy Hilfiger Wool Baker boy Hat ÂŁ55 Sandersons Department Store Fox Valley, Sheffield

Barbour Tartan Boucle Scarf £39.95 at Harveys Of Halifax

T H E A L L I M P O RTA N T A C C E S S O RY

The ever necessary Face Masks available from a fabulous selection at Jillian Welch, Harrogate

Barbour Witford Tartan Tote £79.95 at Harveys Of Halifax

Pennyblack Croc Print Boots £379 Sandersons Department Store, Fox Valley, Sheffield Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

S TAT E M E N T K N I T S

STATEMENT KNITS

Jumper Pennyblack £149 at Sandersons Department Store, Jumper Pennyblack £149 at Sandersons Department Store, Fox Valley, Shefﬁeld Fox Valley, Sheffield

Cocoa Cashmere Sweater £239 at Helen Sykes Fashions, Leeds

Barbour Orchy Cape Pale Grey Marl £99.95 at Harveys Of Halifax

It’s very important though to ensure that we feel good about ourselves and I am a great believer that from a confidence point of view if you feel good it shows.

Warm Soft Oversize Sweater £75 at Jillian Welch, Harrogate

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This strange time made me decide to venture out around a selection of family owned businesses in Yorkshire to find a few key items for the coming months to help boost our moods.

Finally, animal print is still trending so whatever is your taste a touch of leopard, snake or zebra will still see you stylishly through the winter months. I look forward to sharing an exclusive feature on Dresses For The Festive Season very soon. Until then, happy shopping and stay safe xx

FORMAL T WEEDS

Jacket Boiled Wool & Viscose Mix £150 Black Funnel Neck Top £50 Tweed Skirt £120 All at Jillian Welch, Harrogate

Holland Cooper Marlborough Trench Coat £849

at Sandersons Department Store, Fox Valley, Sheffield

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Growing my one-woman company vision By founder and MD of Scriba PR, Katie Mallinson

No matter where you are in your professional career, making the decision to take the plunge and set up your own business can often be life-changing... But, where should you begin, and how do you know when it’s the right time to grow? When founder and MD of Scriba PR, Katie Mallinson made the decision to leave her role as an account director at a PR agency to forge a career as a freelance communications consultant, little did she know how quickly the company would expand. Here, the award-winning, self-confessed ‘word nerd’ shares her story. I was 27 when I set up Scriba PR and, until this point, my career had pretty much been mapped out for me. I loved the industry I was in but, over time, working for someone else made me realise how much I wanted to do things differently. In the end, choosing to make the break was something of an impulse decision, made on the flip of a coin – heads I stayed where

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I was, and tails I quit my job and go it alone. Ambitions I’m not normally that reckless, and will usually mull things over for a while before I make any decision – in work and my personal life – but I did have a plan, and I was at the ‘should I do it or not?’ phase. It was my partner who encouraged me to leave the decision to a 50p piece! Once the wheels were in motion, I had quite a clear vision – knowing that I wanted to challenge the norm of a ‘typical’ PR professional and not be constrained by other people’s opinions in the process. I have really high standards in all faucets of life – the classic mantra of ‘if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right’ – and I wanted that to guide my ambitions throughout. Of course, there are tonnes of PR

agencies out there, but few which really focus on who they want to help. I love anything tech or engineering-related, and the deeper I explored the sector, the more an array of opportunities came to the fore. In my previous role, I’d always looked after the more complex accounts, and that was something I wanted to continue with, alongside the idea of taking a consultative approach. I’m a firm believer in that you really need to get under an organisation’s skin in order to do its PR justice, and I wanted to spend lots of time with clients, work from their offices and prove that media relations can be done differently. Satisfaction I never had aspirations to grow into a huge company – I simply wanted to do the job how it should be done. In truth, if someone told me that by 2020 Scriba PR would have nine employees and 42 retained – plus dozens of ad hoc – clients, I would have freaked. But now I love managing an organisation as much as I do PR accounts. Business took off quicker than I could have ever imagined, and I soon got to the point where I had to turn work down if I was to maintain the high standards I’d set. This meant I had to reshape my one-woman business vision. While I probably left it longer than I should have, eventually there’s a tipping point when you realise an extra person can add value where perhaps you can’t. For example, I knew I didn’t want to look after the finances or design my own logo. Instead, I enjoyed focusing on customer satisfaction, the new business pipeline and stickiness of clients. By taking an honest look at myself, I knew things would slip if I didn’t find someone to help with the day-to-day running of the company. Once I hired operations manager, Louise Jaggar – who joined as a PR assistant back in 2015 – it

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became easier to identify when we needed to add someone else to the team. We also invested in systems to help us grow – such as our work in progress reports and a cloud server – from the very beginning, so scaling up was easier. In terms of hiring new talent, I never look for carbon copies of my colleagues. We focus on strengths, integrity and likeability, not just experience and qualifications. Every one of the team has a completely different CV, and that brings a wealth of skills to the table. As your own company grows, it’s important to keep

your ambitions fluid – while staying true to the purpose you originally set out with. In our case, the brands we work with, words we provide, and underlying ethos is coupled with a willingness to pass work – including web design, photography, videography, or digital marketing – on to other agencies we trust if necessary. Prepared While some teams might thrive on hitting very clear KPIs, others work better when striving towards a collective culture and wider purpose. Of course, there are overheads you

must cover with any business, but at the same time, I never wanted to be a massive agency with multiple in-house departments that don’t talk to one another. As much as I love to have a plan – and I am very meticulous in how I allocate my time and workload – I’ve come to realise that strategies can unwittingly end up taking a completely different path, but by being prepared, you’re better-equipped to handle such forks in the road. As the saying goes, ‘success is not final, failure is not fatal, it’s the courage to continue that counts.’ Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

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Dally Purewal signed a lease to a new studio and acquired the business she worked in for more than 7 years

Being brave when it is the only choice you have “It’s a Christmas I certainly will never forget. Most of my festive break was spent in Ikea choosing new office furniture and buying other quirky bits to create my new studio which felt like home, as well as re-branding and building my new website. “We’d always closed the business over Christmas and returning in Jan 2017 was very surreal. Here we were, new place, new brand, new owner, more or less the same team. I remember my first job as a designer, my director at the time said to me, after just a few months in – “you’ll have your own agency one day”. At the time, I took this with a pinch of salt, I was 21 and just a few months into starting my career. “I moved to Leeds 18 months later – I had studied here and met my partner, who I ended up marrying. My journey started at a design and print agency – I progressed very quickly and soon realized that my skillset was far wider than just the training I had at university – which was in graphic design. I took a real interest in business development. Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

“In 2016, the Directors decided they wanted an exit strategy after working together for 35 years – so they approached me with a proposal to acquire the business at the end of the year. So much went through my head, initially excitement over the fact that this was an easy route to becoming owner of a business I knew so well. Excitement was short lived, I suffered immensely with imposter syndrome, questioning whether I was good enough and resilient enough to run a “proper” business” she said. “Fear started settling in, even though I had said that it would be something I was interested in. Out of curiosity, I started job searching, just to see what was out there. It was at this point I realised I had become unemployable. My skillset and interests were very broad. I was no longer interested in being an artworker or graphic designer, yet account management didn’t appeal either as I thrived off creativity. This realisation left me with no choice but to go through with the acquisition and just go for it. Embraced “Christmas 2016 was unlike no other. I rebranded the business, moved into our premises and launched a website, all within 3 weeks,” she laughed. So, here we were Jan 2017, new place, new brand, same people (almost). I fell into my role quickly. I knew what I needed to do to transform the business I had acquired. I knew processes needed to be put in place, our target audience had to be better identified and our product and service had to diversify. It was difficult to break team members out of old habits – including me, but we all embraced the change. “Very quickly, I was confident that the direction I had chosen (without much choice) was the right one for me,” Dally continued. “The business went to new heights. We attracted a whole new client base, we serviced existing

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I also don’t believe in the motto “believe in yourself and it will happen.” You have to take action to make things happen. Belief alone can’t achieve things. ...

comfort. I also had to take time out from social media to reconnect with my aspirations and goals for the business. “Of course, 2020 is a whole different story – I started the year with the mindset of “this is the big one” – “we’re going to smash through our goals.” The pandemic certainly put some of those things on hold, but we’re not holding back, as a business, we’re giving the rest of the year the best we’ve got. “It would be easy for me to say, my biggest advice for anyone who wants to start their own (or acquire) business is to just believe in themselves and go for it – but that wouldn’t be very honest of me. I am not a huge risk taker, every risk I take is calculated, I think of back up plans before I make big decisions – I was always told this was a flaw and it held me back. However, I now embrace my logical and analytical side, it has served me well in making decisions that I know I can trust. Confident

clients better, which meant a higher retention rate and we were really starting to do the work that we really love, working with people who shared similar values to ours.

“I also don’t believe in the motto “believe in yourself and it will happen.” You have to take action to make things happen. Belief alone can’t achieve things. I also believe in small steps. I used to (still working on) be a perfectionist – always giving myself a hard time. However, my new motto is “progress over perfection.” I take small steps on a weekly basis to ensure we are meeting our marketing strategies and moving forward as a business. I try not to overthink the small things and worry so much about every detail, and just focus on making things happen.

I’m three and a half years in now and to be “My confidence is a roller coaster – it is up some honest I have never looked back. That doesn’t days and down others. But, I don’t mind the mean I don’t doubt myself – I do this often, low days, they teach us something too. I have in fact 2019 was a year filled with self-doubt. always analysed challenges and wonder what What helped me through this apart from my lesson I can take from them. amazing team, was having a very supportive and like-minded network around me. Trustworthy “What I am most confident about though, is people, who I knew had my best interests at that I can indeed run a “proper” business” heart were the ones I leaned on for advice and Dally concluded. Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

Do you have female photoshoot anxiety?

T Photographs encourage your clients to engage Feeling anxious is generally fleeting and can affect us for a whole range of reasons. However, let people know you are a photographer and even the most confident of women will often respond with feelings of apprehension. Regrettably, it can deter female business owners from having a photoshoot, despite professional images contributing to their overall branding and success. Market research reports that photographs encourage engagement and increase the likelihood of people to act. We are checking out the most popular statements we hear in the hope you are reassured that a photoshoot is not only confidence building but enjoyable too! T â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hate having my picture takenâ&#x20AC;? We hear this a lot . . . an awful lot! No doubt most of you have muttered this to yourselves at some point or another. In fact, you are probably reaffirming it right now. Facing lights and lenses is enough to make anyone feel vulnerable and unsettled. All those natural expressions and smiles disappear if you over-think

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the situation. The outcome usually resembles an uncanny likeness to Wallace & Gromit! A good photographer will guide you through your photoshoot session and uncover those genuine expressions. It can take time to look beyond the camera and naturally engage with the photographer, but it is well worth it for the end results. T “I don’t know how to pose” A combination of lens, lights and camera tilts can make what you love about yourself prominent and what you least love concealed. Whole books are written on posing techniques but as a rule they create shapes and space, enhance natural lines and angles, and help you to look natural and convey the message you want to get across. No need to worry about all of this though – as photographers, we’ve got you. Try this simple example for a headshot and see how you get on: Imagine a piece of string in the centre of your head pulling you up (now you should feel stretched and upright). Push your head forward (like a turtle) to define jaw line – but keep the shoulders relaxed back. Drop your head very slightly and look directly into the camera. T “I hope you have Photoshop” This statement is usually followed by “You’ll need it if you’re photographing me!”

Initially the aim is to ensure you look remarkable at the point of taking the picture using the techniques we spoke about. However, we do use Photoshop and post process our images. Typically to adjust highlights, shadows and whites but also to brighten the eyes, remove stray hairs or an unexpected blemish. To demonstrate, below is the same image taken before and after post processing, you will notice some slight adjustments, but overall it stays true to the person. Feeling a little better about having your picture taken? If nothing else do it for your business... and stand out from your competition. Lincoln & Perrin Roth Read Photography

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New travel brand for women takes flight

Girl About Travel is a ground-breaking new platform giving women who love to travel back their control, confidence and the chance to make amazing memories. Yorkshire-based lifestyle brand, Girl About, has announced the launch of Girl About Travel; an online community for travel-loving women, led by a team of travel industry experts, which took flight on September 19th. It is designed to empower wanderlust women who want to make amazing memories with their families and embark on holidays that ‘can’t be Googled’ to get travelling again, following the Coronavirus crisis.

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The brand puts the power back in the hands of the consumer, providing research, resources and a real-life community to save time, cost and heartache in the complex post-Corona travel era. The new brand is the vision of travel marketeer Lyndsey Thomas, who founded travel and lifestyle blog Girl About Yorkshire in 2016 and has grown the brand to become a team of industry experts along with a nationwide network of 35 Girl About ambassadors, each championing their local patch of the UK, with thousands of followers and subscribers. She says: “Girl About Travel evolved from what we saw in the Girl About network over the last few months. It’s been a turbulent time for

travel, with the industry crashing to its knees and confidence in all areas plummeting.

recommendations, and to help women to book their off-the-beaten-track experiences, getting back to what they love best; travel.

“We believe travel, experiences and adventures are essential to families, and an overriding Lyndsey summarises; “After months of staying theme from the thousands put women, who are just like us, of women in our community want to get exploring again, but is that people don’t just want with the assurances, safety and your standard ‘fly and flop’, security of impartial, expert advice We don’t believe ‘out of the box’ stereotype. in uncertain travel times. That’s that travel and These women want more. what we’ll give them with Girl experiences should About Travel.” More for them and more for cost the earth, we seek their families, but they don’t out and champion know where to start.“ Through the new online platform the underdogs; the and the Girl About Travel Club, small, authentic, off women are able to get expert This new approach to travel the beaten track insight and inspiration, book is set to disrupt the travel diamonds... industry by moving away from through trusted ATOL protected travel agents a one-size-fits-all approach, (forgoing risky third where travel companies set p a r t y b o o ke r s the agenda, to empowering women, especially mums, to create their own who put quantity over quality), personalised adventures which aren’t expensive access exclusive and bookable for expensive’s sake. Girl About Travel itineraries and feel confident in their “Girl About Travel and our exciting new Travel travel choices. Club will enable these wanderlust women to become part of a community of travel-lovers Girl About Travel launches who share the same values and inspire each with the Girl About Travel other, as well as give them access to independent Extravaganza; including expert advice, support and savings. bucket-list travel prizes, live talks from destination “We don’t believe that travel and experiences experts from around should cost the earth, we seek out and champion the globe and a the underdogs; the small, authentic, off the free trial of the beaten track diamonds that most people, new members especially the big OTAs (online travel agents) club. won’t shout about, and we will help our community to create a holiday of a lifetime To find out more visit: that’s personal to them.” https://girlabout.co.uk/ Alongside Lyndsey are travel journalist, Rebecca Miles, and independent ATOL protected travel agent Kate Holroyd, who between the trio have more than 50 years of industry experience. These experts are on-hand to de-bunk travel industry myths, offer impartial advice and Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

Fancy some lockdown pampering in your own home? Sigh, don’t we all need it, a bit of headspace, some pampering, some ‘me’ time, basically some time out of this global pandemic? A week away or even a weekend away at a spa seems like a distant dream these days, so how can we combat the effects of stressful time that we are living through? I know that many of us have turned to yoga and meditation as one solution, but here’s an interesting fact, did you know that both Yoga and Ayurveda originated in India? By Philippa Kaye

I doubt that there is anyone out there who hasn’t heard of Yoga, Ayurveda may not be quite as well known, but they are both ancient well-being wisdoms which originated in India around 5000 years ago, but where does meditation fit it? Well, that is an integral part of them both. It seems hard to believe when we look at India today with all its chaos and seeming confusion and teeming hordes of people that calm, wellbeing and health were once a huge part of the focus of its existence. Both Yoga and Ayurveda have their origins in the Vedas, the most ancient spiritual texts in the

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“There are a whole host of spas and wellness centres throughout the country that offer these treatments and a few of them are truly world class...”

world and are based on the fact that our body is made up of five principal elements, these are Prithvi (Earth), Agni (Fire), Vayu (Air), Jala (Water) and Akasha (Ether). A balance in the combination of these elements is essential for a healthy life, whereas any imbalance causes illnesses, physical or mentalspacing. Derived from the five elements are the three doshas called Kapha, Vata and Pitta which are the energies that perform different physiological functions in the body. • •

•

Vata Dosha: Slender with prominent features, moody, impulsive, enthusiastic. Pitta Dosha: Medium build, wellproportioned, stable weight and inklings of a fiery personality. Kapha Dosha: Solid, heavy, strong, with a tendency to be overweight.

During my travels around India, I’ve been lucky enough to delve deeper into these philosophies and have sampled first-hand the benefits of these learnings and practices can bring. There are a whole host of spas and wellness centres throughout the country which offer these treatments and a few of them are truly world class. But why am I torturing you with what you can’t do just now? Well, you see, you actually can, to some degree at least. Probably the best-known spa in India is Ananda in the Himalayas. They have adapted to the current situation and are offering online courses to help their customers, old and new navigate through these tricky times. Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

Intrigued? Well let me tell you a little bit more about it.

Ayurvedic Physician reviews your mental, physical, and emotional health to assess your body type (dosha) and current imbalances. This results in a bespoke programme of diet and activities destined to restore energy, balance and peace. Twelve individual yoga or meditation classes with one of Anandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expert teachers are also included.

Ananda in the Himalayas has been a World Class Spa Resort now for over 20 years. Their concept is based around four key pillars yoga, meditation, Ayurveda and Vedanta (the six schools of Hindu philosophy). Years of research by their Ayurvedic, Yogic and They have also teamed up with Mauli, an all-natural International wellness experts have enabled and organic skin care range so that, armed with a unique integrated focus on the core physical knowledge of your dosha type - and any imbalances and mental aspects which have the maximum - you can enhance and support your health journey impact on our wellbeing. The results are award at home, with Mauliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dosha specific products, winning programmes which help to create a with the offer you get 20% off their product range sustainable journey towards a healthier lifestyle. (excluding bundles). And whilst right now, it is not possible for you to visit them in the Himalayas, they are bringing these programs to you, online with their new Ananda Bliss Wellness virtual programmes which are an excellent introduction to what the spa offers. During two in-depth Ayurvedic consultations, an

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For example: Balance Vata - Surrender Vata Body Oil, Supreme Skin Face Serum, Vayu Age-Defying Concentrate Balance Pitta - Serenity Pitta Body Oil, Agni Radiance Concentrate, Transform & Transcend Plant Alchemy Balance Kapha - Spirited Kapha Body Oil, Sundaram & Silence Essential Oil Candle, Reawaken Himalayan Hand & Body Scrub

So, why not give it a go? It’s the pampering you need, led by world renowned experts and all in the safety and comfort of your own home! The new Ananda Wellness Bliss programme costs INR 42000 (approx. £446) and can be booked on the website here or you can email Ananda directly at wellbeing@anandaspa.com Shorter programmes, individual Ayurvedic consultations, yoga and meditation sessions, as well as group classes are also available. All the sessions are conducted online and vouchers are valid for three months.

Discounts & Codes You can take advantage of the 10% discount on Ananda Wellness Bliss through this discount link or use the code ANAMA on checkout at Ananda Online Wellbeing Services (Ananda Wellness Bliss costs INR 42000 - approx. £438).

Mauli Rituals body oils

To obtain the 20% discount off Mauli Rituals, use the code ANANDA at checkout at www.maulirituals.com*. Promotion available until 31 December 2020.

Mauli Rituals Product.

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EVERY WOMAN NEEDS AND WANTS TO LOOK AMAZING. SO, EACH EDITION, WE WILL BE TESTING DIFFERENT BEAUTY PRODUCTS THAT WILL HOPEFULLY HELP YOU CHOOSE FROM THE VAST ARRAY ON THE MARKET. THIS EDITION WE ARE LOOKING AT HAIR.

HAIRCARE PRODUCT REVIEW:

Everyone wants amazing hair that is healthy and glossy, so we asked hairdressing royalty and Yorkshire Businesswoman resident hairdresser Andrew Barton to send us some products from his range of haircare products available from Spa at Home and Asda SOS Hair Repair Shampoo. This indulgent and nourishing shampoo for dry or damaged hair not only smells divine, with its infusion of Moroccan Argan Oil and rich Shea Butter this shampoo left hair shiny and glossy.

Next we tried SOS Hair Repair Conditioner. Smelling just as gorgeous as the shampoo, this deeply indulgent conditioner works wonders on dry hair. Massaged through after shampooing, it made a huge difference after just a couple of uses. Left on for an hour whilst taking a soak in the tub will only add benefit to this gorgeous product.

Finally, SOS Hair Repair Treatment Mask. A hair saviour! We found that just a walnut-sized amount of this intensive mask worked wonders restoring the silkiness of dry hair. Left on for just a few minutes whilst showering, this luxurious treatment mask certainly made a difference to the shine and overall condition. Will we buy again? Most certainly. Priced affordably, these products were just as good as many of the very expensive products only available in salons.

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EXPERT HELP TO TAKE YOUR BUSINESS FROM START-UP TO SCALE-UP Fully funded support for businesses trading up to 3years

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The help from AD:VENTURE has been invaluable. The webinars and the grant were really helpful. And within five minutes of talking to my mentor for the first time he understood what I was talking about. I really would recommend AD:VENTURE to anyone with a new business. If you want to read more about Danielle and other companies helped by AD:VENTURE, go to https://ad-venture.org.uk/case-studies

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G E T T H AT P R O F E S S I O N A L LO O K W I T H

Andrew Barton Andrew Barton is renowned as hairdressing royalty, best known for his makeover magic on the TV shows 10 Years Younger and Lorraine. Andrew holds an Honorary Doctorate of Arts and creates hair make over magic from his Headmasters Salon in London’s Mayfair.

As the resident hairdresser “We’re all being challenged expert for Yorkshire Business- by the new way of living due woman magazine and TopicUK, to Covid-19 and it’s certainly Andrew shares in this exclusive knocked my confidence, selffeature, his hair advice and esteem and emotions, as the an exclusive offer of 50 per workplace, home life and cent discount to Yorkshire socialising with friends and Businesswoman and TopicUK loved ones has become so very readers off a haircut with him different. at his Mayfair salon in London. Valid until 30th December “Taking care of our appearance and keeping up appearances “When a woman has great hair, is a sure way of boosting our I believe everything is possi- confidence and making us not ble, after all it’s the outfit she only look good but feel good never takes off and has to work too. From the subtle to the for at every occasion, whether spectacular, a combination on the school run, the office, of a great haircut, colour special nights out and lately and styling can sum up your for those online meetings via personality and make a huge zoom,” he said. difference to the way the world Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

perceives you. From glamorous to casual, trendy to classic, cared for and nourished hair, hair has a language all of its own and can be the difference between a good or bad day,” Andrew continued.

advice and it’s all about you and spending a little more time caring for yourself. Whether it’s a pampering at the salon (and they are safe, don’t worry with all the PPE guidelines being followed, a nightmare for us pro’s working in masks and visors, but we are) or “Hair has everything from “We’re all being challenged simply spending time religious significance, by the new way of living due in a hot bath with a culture, tradition and to Covid-19 and it’s certainly hair mask, taking a iconic significance. It knocked my confidence, selflittle more time to c a n s ay m o re a b o u t esteem and emotions...” blow dry or dress fashion and time than your hair… spending any magazine article, and can bring forth powerful emotions, from tears time on oneself right now is a great way to of sadness to tears of sheer delight. Achieving feel a little happier and look better in these shiny happy hair for my clients is a life time challenging times.” pursuit. To book an appointment “My biggest piece of advice is not fashion or 12 Maddox St, Mayfair, London W1S 1PG trend led or even a product recommendation Tel : 0345 459 7719 although there are many that can transform Take care until next time every type of hair, it’s quite a simple piece of Andrew

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POWERING YORKSHIRE’S WORKFORCE SINCE 2000 Celebrating 20 years in recruitment doesn’t just happen by chance! At Stafflex we are passionate about giving power to Yorkshire’s workforce by forging long-term relationships with our customers. Whether that’s in the education, office, industrial or engineering sectors, we strive to fill temporary and permanent roles quickly across the region.

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01484 35 10 10 www.stafflex.co.uk Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

Finding the right foundations

By Sonia Schofield - Yorkshire based award-winning hair and make-up artist Where do you begin with selecting a foundation when there are so many to choose from? Not only do you need to get the colour right, you also need to decide if you prefer a dewy or matte finish. You also need to consider if you need a light or full coverage. For skin to look like real skin, go as light as you can with your coverage and apply a dab of extra foundation or concealer where you need it, to reduce the appearance of blemishes, redness or age spots. When it comes to getting the colour right, I would match it to your face and chest colour, remember your neck never really catches the sun! If your neck appears lighter than the face, just sweep on some matte powder bronzer to make sure your face and neck are the same colour. The finish of a foundation looks different dependant on what skincare you use underneath and if you apply powder on top. You can play with the texture of a foundation by adding liquid bronzer, facial oil, or liquid highlighter to create different looks to the skin. It is worth doing lots of research to work out exactly what it is you need or find a make-up counter where you feel the consultant is really listening to your needs. Private make-up tutorials are very useful if you need some extra help.

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DIOR Backstage Airflash Spray Foundation Enriched with light-diffusing pigments, this foundation instantly smooths the look of skin and the water-resistant formula ensures up to 12 hours of hold. The range includes new shades that adapt to the cool tones or warmer tones of any skin colouring. Available in various shades with a price tag of £38.00

CLARINS Ever Matte Mineral Powder Compact Although this is a powder, it acts like a foundation, it controls shine for hours and leaves the skin looking flawless. Its ultrafine texture evens the complexion and leaves a transparent flawless finish. Available in four shades with a price tag of £28.00

MAYBELINE Superstay Foundation When it comes to high-pigment coverage with a lightweight, natural finish, this mighty matte foundation goes above and beyond to transform the look of your skin. This long-lasting foundation evens out and camouflages skin imperfections, provides a flawless finish, and combats the clock for 24-hour wear. There are a huge range of shades available with an affordable price tag of £9.99

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By: Leanne Pollard

Lisa Dawson

Love it or hate it, it looks like working from home is here to stay for quite some time It has taken me until now to ask myself this. ‘Why have I crammed myself into the smallest room in the house other than a wardrobe to work 8 hours a day whilst my large guest room has laid empty, and lonely for most of 2020. I had this ‘light bulb’ moment whilst interviewing the Yorkshire Interiors Insta queen Lisa Dawson. If you love interiors and use Instagram, you may well already know Lisa Dawson, who has grown her following to a whopping 178K followers. Lisa’s love of interiors has developed from many house renovations and a passion for period properties. Her obsession with thrift caught Instagram users attention when she began styling room shoots and posting the photos. Her account began to grow, and she was bombarded with so many requests asking where she bought her items that she started her interiors blog, www.lisadawsonstyling.com. Lisa, who is originally from Berkshire,

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moved to Yorkshire 5 years ago which aligned with the birth of her blog and Instagram account. Her content was focused on her beautiful Georgian home in a pretty village a few miles east of York. The interior she has created in her dream home led her to her dream job, and not even she could have foreseen the success and opportunities that have now come to fruition. Lisa explained that Instagram was the place for a young audience who loved fashion and beauty blogs. FIve years ago, the popularity of interiors was just beginning to shine through, and she could see that these young insta users were now moving into the 25-35 age group. They were buying their own homes and were looking for insta interior inspiration. She took her followers on a journey showing them her brilliant ideas to create a beautiful home. I can see why Lisa really relates to people, she has a lovely vibrant energy and is an everyday mum who

Images: Before Transformation

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lisa now creates content to help big brands such as John Lewis, The White Company, Santander, and B&Q to talk to her vast audience and their own audiences too...â&#x20AC;?

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has a real motivation fuelled by her love of design and interiors. She finally has her dream home, and as you watch her transform it post by post, she welcomes you to unpretentious, realistic décor that is creative, affordable but also very stylish. Lisa teamed up with her incredibly good friend and interiors sidekick Dee Campling. Uniting with their insta experience, they created the #myhomevibe together, which Instagram users have tagged on to well over 1.5million posts. Lisa now creates content to help big brands such as John Lewis, The White Company, Santander, and B&Q to talk to her vast audience and their own audiences too. Just like any other profession, Lisa explained that her work did change in March. Many brands paused their media plans, to digest, regroup and refocus when the country came to a standstill. I lost work instantly with lots of my clients cancelling’’ Lisa said, but after two months things gradually started to pick up. Many brands had spent time working on a new approach, and it was great to be able to assist them in delivering it at such a strange time’’. I really needed to sort my home office situation out, and I was hoping Lisa could help me. Like myself, Lisa did have a small home office, but due to lockdown, the kids were off school, and her husband was working from home too. Spending more time at home meant we needed more space, so

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I decided to transform the spare room into a multi-tasking flexible space’’ I related to Lisa’s point immediately. My guilty pleasure is watching repeat relocation shows. In almost every episode the potential relocators turn down the opportunity to buy their dream home because it doesn’t have an extra guest bedroom, for visitors that will come maybe twice a year. Lisa continued to tell me about how she transformed the spare room into an office to be proud of.

Images: After Transformation

After decluttering and giving the walls a fresh lick of white paint, Lisa then was able to begin styling the room . Although it isn’t a huge room (17x12ft) I wanted a kind of break out area where I could relax, read or talk to my family when they popped in, so I replaced the bed with a pink sofa bed, so the room was still technically a guest room’’ she told me. I asked Lisa what she ‘had’ to include in here new workspace. ‘’I find it inspiring to be surrounded by my work such as photos and magazine I have featured in. I love pinning up my photos of family and friends and my kid’s drawings, so I installed a huge corkboard to create a collage of my favourites. Although the room is mainly used for work, I still wanted it to be homely and cosy’’ she continued. ‘’The room has double aspect window views, so the light is great. My style throughout my home is always white walls with my things being the décor. For me, plants

and candles are a must, I often have a scented candle burning whilst I work. ‘’Storage is key, although I do like to be surrounded by ‘my things’ I still like them to be organised so installed shelves, wall magazine racks, a sideboard with storage and some bamboo baskets for guests to use when they come to stay eventually’’. I agreed with Lisa about this point as storage was an afterthought in my own home office, which can be very frustrating. Lisa confessed that she is used to her home being busy with noisy, and when it is too quiet, it doesn’t quite feel right, so she always has her radio on to fill the sound void in her office. Also, one thing I do love is fresh flowers. They make the room feel just as important as the main areas of the house, again it’s a room where I spend a lot of time and need to feel inspired, so it’s worth the effort’’. She added. I love the prints, and artwork Lisa has chosen, and her new home office still feels like home but serves her and family so much more than the old guest bedroom did. She has certainly inspired me to think about how I can utilise all the space in my home to make my typical every day better, especially my working day. To see more of Lisa Dawson’s interior talents, check her out on Instagram @_lisa_ dawson_

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Daval Furniture In the heart of vibrant Slaithwaite, nestled alongside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, three brothers are combining sustainability with cutting-edge design to deliver the future of a family-run furniture company. Daval’s heritage began in a small shop set up by the brothers’ parents. Fast forward over 40 years, and today it is an uber-chic interiors brand, with designs in some of the UK’s most stylish homes, while retaining its proud Yorkshire roots and values of quality craftmanship. Yorkshire Businesswoman caught up with the Bodsworth brothers to find out more.

ABOVE L-R : Simon, James and Paul Bodsworth

ABOVE LEFT: Grassington Porcelain

LEFT: Renzo Charred Japanese Wood & Mayfair Hunter Green

Taking the reins of the company founded in Huddersfield in 1978 by their parents, David and Alyson Bodsworth, Simon, 37, Paul, 35 and James, 33, have worked together to grow Daval into a market leading bespoke fitted furniture brand with more than 100 retail partners across the UK and 70 staff working from the its 100,000 square foot HQ. “Our individual roles in the business have always been a natural fit,” says managing director Simon. “It may be quite unusual to have three brothers at the helm of an interior design and manufacturing brand but each of us brings something different to the table which means that, collectively, we’ve got everything covered. Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

“As managing director I’m heavily involved in the research and development side of the business, exploring and forecasting new trends, liaising with our retail partners up and down the country, and setting the direction for where we go next.” James is Daval’s design director. He said: “I’ve always been creative and interested in bringing colours, textures and trends together to form a finished product, so leading our design team and working with our clients to create bespoke designs to fit their home is something I really enjoy.” Daval’s production line, where everything is made to order at the company’s HQ, is managed by Paul, in his role as operations director. “I guess you could say I’m the practical brother,” he smiles. “I’ve worked on the factory floor since I joined the business, and I became operations director about six years ago.

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Simon explained: “We’re definitely seeing these stats reflected when it comes to people designing spaces in their homes. Many of our customers tell us they chose to work with us because we design and manufacture everything on site in Slaithwaite, and that helps them feel connected with the rooms and spaces they’re creating. Investing in a new kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, or office is a big decision and, increasingly, people want to know where the finished design they’re paying for has come from. They want to feel that sense of heritage and to be able to tell their friends that ‘this kitchen was made in Yorkshire’ when they have them over for dinner”.

“It may be quite unusual to have three brothers at the helm of an interior design and manufacturing brand but each of us brings something different to the table...”

ABOVE L-R : Simon, James and Paul Bodsworth ABOVE L-R : Simon, James and Paul Bodsworth ABOVE L-R : Simon, James and Paul Bodsworth

James added: “People come to our showroom in Slaithwaite and love the fact they can touch and feel the product. They can see our designs in real-life, pull out samples, build colour palettes and work right alongside our designers to bring their vision to life. It’s really important that we work with our customers to find their unique, individual style and make the design and practicalities work for them. No-one really wants to just follow the crowd, nor should they.

Seeing a finished kitchen, bedroom, bathroom or office design roll out of our workshop, destined for a client’s home, and knowing we’ve made that product bespoke for each order, is “We believe that is the experience always a pleasing moment.” people should have when they’re And when it comes to spending money spending money on their home, an on our homes, an increasing desire experience where they’re immersed from consumers to buy British is a in the process with us and have the confidence to pick up the phone and growing trend. say: ‘I’m not sure about this bit’ or A recent survey by Made in Britain ‘I’d like to change that’.” found 66% of consumers were more likely to buy British goods post Cov- Sustainability is also becoming inid-19 to help support the economy, and creasingly important for design-con40% felt that British made products scious homeowners and this is something Daval pays a lot of attention to. were of superior quality. Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

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Luxury woollens

Homewares brand celebrates fourth birthday

September saw Yorkshire-based luxury homewares brand, Adriana Homewares, celebrate its fourth birthday, just in time for the annual Wool Week Celebrations, part of the national Campaign for Wool, that took place last month. The campaign, which counts HRH the Prince of Wales as its Patron, is a cause close to founder, and proud Yorkshirewoman, Adriana Gentile’s heart. It was the Princes Trust that helped her get her business off the ground, advising on a business plan, providing a mentor then awarding her a business loan to purchase start up equipment. She has always championed the personal touch and hand makes all her products in her Leeds-based studio at Hainsworth Mill, renowned for its historical and modernday connections to the textiles industry. After graduating from the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design with a degree in woven textiles, and receiving support from The Prince’s Trust, Adriana, from Keighley in West Yorkshire, spun the business to life in 2016.

Combining her passion for colourful interiors and sustainable, local manufacturing, Adriana Homewares offers luxurious fabrics and plush products made from the finest 100% British Wool. Adriana is particularly passionate about the use of British Wool in her product ranges, which include super-soft throws, country-inspired cushions and stylish scarves. She said of her fibre choice; “We have used high-quality, sustainable British wool since the very beginning, it’s a non-negotiable for me. Wool is 100% natural and renewable, as well as being hypoallergenic and flame retardant. It’s an underrated fabric and we want to shout about all the benefits this timeless material has to offer. “Looking back on the past four years, one standout moment for me was attending the Campaign for Wool’s Wool Conference at Dumfries House. I was representing the Prince’s Trust and was fortunate enough to show my Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

brand-new fabrics to industry leaders including His Royal Highness, Prince Charles.

handmade and I never want to compromise on quality and craftmanship.”

Inspiring

Adriana concluded; “We are so grateful to all our loyal customers who have supported us over the last four years, investing in our truly British woollen wares, I can’t wait to see what the next four years brings and to share these with them too!”

“It was so inspiring to be part of this historic event and it really cemented my passion to grow Adriana Homewares to where it is today. It’s a poignant time and I reflect on it each year during Wool Week, this year more than ever as well, I think we’ve really seen people start to shop more consciously, choosing smaller, local businesses, just like ours.” Adriana is looking forward to the next four years of business growth, when she hopes to expand her product range, develop new fabric ranges and explore the use of other sustainable fibres. “The expansion will be slow because all products are

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The Campaign for Wool is a global community seeking to “educate as many people as possible about the incredible benefits and versatility of wool in fashion, furnishings and everyday life”. This year was the 10th anniversary. Head over to www.adrianahomewares. com to browse the luxurious range of products which includes cushions, throws, lampshades, scarves and blankets.

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How can you have your cake... and eat it this Christmas period? By Adam Batchelor- Personal trainer

This Christmas is obviously going to feel a little different from years gone by but I will still try to make the most of it and take a little time off work, relax and spend time with my wife and kids.

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s much as I want to reach for the mince pies and Bailey’s at 11am, I also want to try and still eat my 5 a day, stay in shape and not ruin my hard earned gains in the gym. Statistics show that we put on an average of a kilogram of weight every year, MOST of which is gained at Christmas and then never fully lost. Unfortunately after what feels like the whole year spent in some form of lockdown or restriction – that weight gain is even greater this year. So how can you go into the festive season and have your cake and eat it?

Well, the calories that you take in and the energy that you expend should be taken into account over a longer period than just a few days over the Christmas break. So, a week’s break ‘off the routine’ shouldn’t have any long-term negative effects. However, the short-term impact can be enough to put you off really over indulging! If you eat an excess of refined carbs or sugars and drink more alcohol calories than usual, this can cause a big spike in blood-glucose levels, followed by a blood sugar crash. This means your energy levels will likely crash and you could well end up with a headache, feeling irritable, bloated and sluggish. Then the vicious cycle starts again

making us crave more stodge and more sugar. It’s a catch 22 scenario! Nobody wants to feel like this, especially during an already busy and sometimes stressful time, with kids (potentially) running riot. If we’re not in lockdown! We’re also likely to be sitting in the car more as we drive to visit family and friends and be sat in front of the TV more, when we watch The Grinch or Home Alone for the thousandth time. Getting up and out for some fresh air and walking will help alleviate tight hip flexors, short hamstrings, ease strain on your lower back and aid digestion. My advice? Moderation is key. It is a time of year for celebrations and enjoyment, but it doesn’t mean that you need to forget your health completely… •

Aim to eat well 5 days out of 7. This allows you some flexibility for Christmas gatherings.

•

Don’t write a whole day or even a week off! If you have a treat or a mince pie don’t worry! Just ensure the next meal or snack you eat is nutritious to help rebalance your blood sugar levels and keep total calorie intake on track. Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

•

If you make a bad choice or are in the position where you can’t choose a healthy option easily, don’t beat yourself up. But make sure you follow it up with a good choice! The chances are you can still stick to your basal daily calorie intake by eating lighter meals before and/or after your cheat meal.

•

Drink plenty of water; alcohol is a diuretic causing you to dehydrate faster. Try to break up every couple of alcoholic drinks with a glass of water to help rehydrate. The brain often confuses the sensation of dehydration for hunger so you could end up snacking unnecessarily when all you needed was a drink (non alcoholic!). If you’re really dehydrated try using a sports electrolyte solution like ‘Zero’s’ that contain magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium, as water alone simply won’t always do the job

•

It’s almost impossible to keep in a calorie Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

deficit to keep you losing body fat over Christmas, so don’t set yourself up to fail. Giving your body a break from intense exercise and a calorie-controlled diet can actually help boost your metabolism, a process called ‘anabolic burst cycling’. Instead, aim not to lay down any EXTRA body fat that will take time to burn off in January, and come back well-rested and raring to go! •

Life is too short not to enjoy the festive period, after all you’ve (hopefully!) exercised and followed your nutrition plan for most of the year, you deserve a treat! Just don’t overdo it. Use the time to enjoy some food and drink, give your mind and body a rest and get ready to start the New Year already fit and healthy. Still aim to include some exercise – go for walk, a bike ride, fit a short exercise session in or follow my 30-min online workouts and keep yourself feeling fit and functional!

YP - Topic - Full advert NOV 2020 - PRINT.pdf

25/11/2020

11:46

CMY

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A leader of diversity and equality

FACT FILE: Children: I have three wonderful children, two boys and a girl. Lewis who is 30, Ellis who is 26 and Taylor

Jacqui Hall is president of CNG in Harrogate, the largest shipper of gas in the UK.

22.

What car do you drive? I drive a Range Rover Evoque – great to get two retrievers in the back!!

She was working at British Gas and when her colleague Colin Gaines offered Jacqui the chance to be a part of his new venture, a different kind of energy company, it was a chance she jumped at.

What do you do in your leisure time? I have two retrievers that take a lot of exercising, which have

“I knew it was the right step for me business, progressing through the to take, Colin had a passion and ranks before taking on her current combine that with him spotting a role as President, a post she took in gap in the market for a customer- January this year. focused supplier in the gas industry, the proposal was special from the start” “Historically the industry has been male dominated, and it could be British Gas wasn’t Jacqui’s first said that it was difficult for women to role though. From a very early age progress, but as the years have passed, she wanted to be a police officer. we have started to see more changes,” “Unfortunately there were height she said. “Being a female leader, I restrictions back in the day,” she have had to be a driver of equality explained, “and I was too small, then and diversity and now at CNG across by the time the restrictions were our team leaders, managers and lifted, my eyesight was too bad,” she directors of which there are 42 in laughed, “I guess I was destined not total, 27 of these positions are held by female employees. to join the force.” Her first job was working in a small “I have lots of plans for the future. hotel in Harrogate. “I loved it even I want to travel, and I want to set though the hours were gruelling, up a foundation, develop a CNG and the pay wasn’t great, I thought University and focus on coaching that I would own a chain of hotels my people and making sure I put someday, I suppose I have always something back into the community,” she added. been ambitious.” Jacqui’s first job at CNG was office manager, back in 1998 where she learned everything about the

“Over the years I have learned not to sweat the small stuff, I say believe in yourself, you’ve got this.”

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been a godsend this year. I love socialising with my friends and family when we are able, reading, running, normal stuff!

Where is your favourite restaurant? I am fortunate to live in Harrogate there are lots of great restaurants to choose from.

What is your favourite food and drink? Probably would say a good strawberry tart and a glass of sauvignon blanc.

Where is your favourite holiday destination? I don’t have a favourite being fortunate to go on holiday is enough!

Where is your favourite place in Yorkshire? Home in Harrogate would have to win this, then Yorkshire itself!

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Review of Estábulo Rodizio Bar & Grill York By Mandy Taylor - Business development executive

I have two incredible friends who were born in Brazil and have always raved about their national cuisine.

my friends were so enthusiastic about their food and jumped at the chance. If you’re not familiar with Estábulo, it is a grill restaurant that pays homage to the Brazilian Gauchos traditional method of cooking, taking the tastiest and delicious cuts of meat, skewering them and cooking slowly on open flames. All cuts of meat are sourced locally and served fresh and there’s also an extensive range of vegetarian, vegan, halal and fish dishes on the menu.

Brazil (and Argentina) claim to be South Americas champions of the barbecue. And while each country takes a different approach to its meat, from the cuts to the accompaniments, some things remain the same – namely, the ogre-sized quantities of meat, best appreciated at a leisurely pace and with an elasticated waistband. When the opportunity arose to lunch at the latest Estábulo restaurant located on the bustling Vangarde shopping park in York, I was curious to understand why

Address: Vangarde Retail Park, Huntington, York YO32 9AE www.estabulo.co.uk

As for my guest on this occasion, to my delight Annie Stirk accepted my invitation without hesitation. Annie has enjoyed a high-profile

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career, including as a TV presenter where she shared her love of food. Until she retired three years ago, she ran an award-winning PR firm, Absolutely Food and was the food and drink consultant for Yorkshire Life – and this is where our relationship began over a decade ago.

Greeted There are various fixed price dining options at Estábulo, with lunch served from 12pm to 4pm and dinner from 4pm till late (check the website for further details). The meat-based menu priced at only £18.95 for lunch has a selection of 8 cuts of meat on offer and the evening menu priced at £28.95 has 15 different cuts to choose from! Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly by Victoria, the General Manager who was clearly incredibly proud of the newly opened venue and keen to impress. The restaurant was light and airy, spotlessly clean, and diners were well distanced apart yet at the same time, there was a buzz about the floor. It was apparent that the team thoroughly enjoy their roles, bright smiles, great service and knowledgeable too- a winning combination. Annie and I received our two-sided disc “Green means you’re ready to be served delicious cuts of meat by the Passadors, then flip it over to red when you’ve had enough” Victoria explained. In happier and healthier times, prior to tucking into the meaty delights, you can visit the huge and impressive salad bar, offering hot and cold dishes,

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meats, pasta, rice, beans and so many others. However due to these unprecedented times, we were offered the alternative of choosing a significant number of options on a tick list – my selection included vegetables, rice and beans, to name but a few!

Flavoursome Much to my delight, the fresh cuts of meat come to to your table at a steady pace (Annie and I had lots of catching up to do) and the service is carried out in style.

“The meat is generally cooked medium, which suits most tastes however they can cook the meat to your liking” Orlando explained as he expertly started to carve. From lamb to pork, chicken to beef, we were tempted to indulge in the various optionsAnnie adored the “Picanha” – a flavoursome could of rump, which “melted in the mouth” whilst I particularly enjoyed Linguica – a powerful tasting cured beef and pork sausage.

Delicious Looking around the tables it was clear that this type of dining appeals to all, with couples taking a leisurely lunch in between shopping and families introducing their youngsters to the delights of such a taste-bud tingling experience (children up to four years eat for free). Both Annie and I were driving on this occasion and unable to sample the extensive drinks menu however we did ensure that the disc was turned to red in ample time to allow room for a delicious dessert. My Triple Berry Crisp fruit crumble was absolutely delicious and most generous in size and most certainly challenged my calorie count for the day, whilst Annie opted for a less calorific choice of white chocolate ice cream. After lunch it was great to chat with Victoria and discover that despite a limitation to the number of tables and opening hours, this latest edition to the group has proved to be a roaring success – with her guests (she was keen to express that she prefers this title, rather than customers) returning again and again. And this is exactly what both Annie and I will do no doubt - what’s not to love? Fine food, service with a smile, parking and premium shopping on the doorstep too! Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

How we made sure that Covid didn’t steal Christmas in Halifax When we first starting hearing about the Corona Virus in early 2019, we never imagined it would have the impact it has had on all of our lives. Making the decision to cancel events like the annual Christmas Lights Switch On felt overly dramatic - surely it’ll be all over with by then - little did we know what a profound effect it would still be having on us all nearly a year later.

We’ve all heard far too many times that ‘Christmas will be cancelled’ and here in Halifax, we were adamant that that wouldn’t be the case. With businesses forced to close, it’s been incredible to witness the determination and resilience across our town centre. Businesses have adapted to offer collection or delivery services, video shop tours via zoom and takeaway meals. Of course online shopping is always tempting, particularly in times such as these but the Halifax businesses really showed that it is still possible to Shop Local, support independent businesses and make sure more money goes into Halifax people’s pockets, then back into our local economy. Christmas 2019 saw the launch of the Halifax Gift Card, and a year on, we’ve sold over £10,000 of cards, a great sign that people really do want to support local businesses. The Halifax Gift Card is accepted by over 80 businesses, ensuring that the recipient has plenty of choice and a good excuse to explore the quality and variety available in our town centre.

One part of Christmas in Halifax that we were able to deliver was our 12 Days of Christmas painted window trail, luckily our fabulous painter Jenny was able to complete all of the painting during October, so wasn’t effected by lockdown restrictions. It’s been so great to hear all of the positive comments, in a time when social media can be so negative, it’s wonderful to give people something positive to talk about. In an attempt to look for the positive in what hasn’t been a great year, we’ve really embraced the opportunity to break away from the ‘norm’, look to what we can do and how we can support businesses as we move forward into 2021. All of the work we’ve done on support local will not just be for Christmas, we will keep working to encourage people to Discover Halifax in whatever way they possibly can.

discoverhalifax.co.uk 80

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Deep B2B

We make your voice heard above the crowd.

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Email: info@halston.marketing Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

From creative arts to creative cooking Caroline Barton was a teacher of 3D design and later ceramics, to undergraduates at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, Surrey, a job she combined with her artistic practice of designing sculptural work for public spaces.

After the birth of her first child, she decided to move away from teaching and focus on her own work which ultimately took second place to looking after her daughter. “I still felt unsettled, so we made a decision to move closer to our family making the move to Yorkshire,” she said. Deciding to give up dairy and gluten a few years ago, mainly for health reasons, Caroline scoured the supermarket shelves looking for milk alternatives, but quickly realised that they were invariably 98% water, which she thought and still thinks is poor value for money. “That was when I decided to make my own almond milk and Nooj was born. “I realised that I could make a fairly thick almond paste, storing it in a pot before diluting it as and when needed,” she explained. “At the time we had a tiny fridge and as a family of four there was little room to introduce another fridge door item already diluted in a bottle, so a ‘concentrate’ in a pot that could lend itself to a variety of uses, soon proved a very useful and delicious milk alternative that is completely vegan. I soon realised that there was nothing quite like it on the market and that if I found it useful, easy to store and a pleasure to consume, other people would too. So, a couple of years ago I set about refining the product for market,” she continued. However, it is not easy to bring a new product to market, there are so many new products and Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

brands fighting for a place but having a product with a distinct point of difference helps. “As with any new product, we just had to be persistent,” Caroline added “it was at a trade show last November I met a buyer from Planet Organic and 4 months later she listed our products. This was the start for us.” Today, Caroline, who was brought up on a dairy farm and her husband Stuart who is an accountant work from a small factory, funding the project themselves, with investment from Caroline’s share of the dairy farm when it sold. In May this year, and after adding a second flavour, Cashew, Caroline contacted the head of the Future Brands scheme at Sainsburys who, together with the dairy alternative’s buyer

FACT FILE: Huband? : Stuart Where is your favourite holiday destination? We both love Italy for great food and culture, also the Northumberland coast for wild beaches and great pub food. What car do you drive? A Golf Where is your favourite Yorkshire Restaurant? This is a difficult question, I think I’ve yet to find my favourite. I recently enjoyed ‘Issho’ in Leeds, great food, interior and fun, Leeds vibe. We all in our family like The Lister Arms, Malham and The Craven Arms, Appletreewick for good food, welcoming staff and great locations to enjoy the surrounding countryside. On my hit list though are The Black Swan at Oldstead and The Star at Harome, both not far from York, friends have said great things about the food there. I think I’ll treat myself to a visit there and celebrate the Sainsbury’s listing.

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liked the sound of the product and branding, requesting samples. “We had a few Zoom meetings during June and agreed terms to supply 150 stores in the Autumn. We have a 12-month exclusivity period with Sainsburys and if the trial goes well, we will expand to all 300 stores in January 2021. Here in the TopicUK office, we were lucky enough to sample both flavours. Containing 60% nuts, it is easy to store in the fridge and makes delicious milk. We tried it as a milk, drinking it alone which was delicious, but also added the almond to overnight oats and traditional porridge which added superb flavour. We also found that cashew was a delicious addition to chicken stir fry, adding instant creaminess. Each pack comes with a few recipe ideas to get you started, but the product is so versatile, you will soon be making up your own delicious recipes.

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Capturing Italy in a glass

Due Sorelle Gin was launched last year by sisters, Steph and Ali, who were driven to produce the ultimate Gin.

Fuelled by the desire to create a London Dry and creative process for us, working with local gin that captured ‘Italy in a glass’ and could be design house Work Creative, we believe we mixed with their other favourite other tipple – have found the perfect partnership.” Fizz - they took their first brave steps into the world of gin distilling. “Warren and the team at Work Creative really understand our design ethos,” added Steph, Using locally sourced premium ingredients “and they are an integral part of how we have they set to work to create the perfect flavour shaped the look and feel of the bottle and logos.” combinations, making sure the gin had the perfect balance and palate to make it a brilliant The D ue Sorelle Gin cocktailing gin. “We use the finest Nidderdale website launched in water in our distillery,” Steph told us, “along January and the first with the classic botanicals of juniper, orris batch of handcrafted gin We want to spread root and cinnamon along with lemon, honey sold very quickly. “We the word when and thyme. The result is a smooth, citrusy Gin were really surprised it comes to Due which is perfect for mixing with tonic or our but delighted at people’s preferred choice Prosecco!” r e a c t i o n to t h e g i n ” Sorelle, it’s a very continued Steph, “it’s flexible gin which As part of their journey, the sisters selected very humbling to have allows customers to the perfect bottle shape and design, creating a people tell you how much become their own striking label, which features them in an elegant they love your product cocktail bartender... pictorial form. “The design of the label was one and we get a real sense of of the toughest parts of the whole experience,” satisfaction knowing that added Ali. “We wanted to create a label that our customers love Due stood out and looked different to other Gins Sorelle as much as we do.” on the market, but finding the right look was a bit of a rollercoaster, until we hit on just And the positive reaction hasn’t just been local, the right design! Equally the branding of our in February the sisters were approached by business and website was also an important the National Film Awards to be the sole Gin

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of the ceremony and party. They were due to they want to build their network of distributors attend the glitzy red-carpet award ceremony locally and look to make new contacts who they and mingle with A list celebs, but unfortunately can collaborative with, especially in the mixology COVID interfered with their world. Ali agrees “We want to plans. The sisters are not too spread the word when it comes COMPETITION disheartened though as the to Due Sorelle, it’s a very flexible event has been rescheduled gin which allows customers Together with Due Sorelle Gin, we are for next year. to become their own cocktail offering our readers bartender and make amazing the chance to win drinks all in the comfort of their Since lockdown they have a bottle of this gorgeous gin. All you own home”. both been busy, making new have to do is send contacts all over the world your name, phone with a view to establishing new If you want to learn more about number and email to hello@yorkshirecollaborative adventures. They Due Sorelle Gin, check out businesswoman. have also managed to get the website Instagram, Facebook co.uk before the gin stocked in a wide range of and Twitter. deadline of Thursday 10th December, you exclusive bars and shops all in could be the lucky the local area. TopicUK are delighted to have recipient of one of sampled Due Sorelle Gin and 2 bottles we have to give away, just in They have also found time to can confirm that it is an elegant time for the festive add ‘The Great Gin Adventure’ addition to any cocktail bar. We break. to their website, which is a first tried it with tonic, making a tour around the world through traditional G&T adding a touch NB: No contact details will be retained on file and are not shared cocktail recipes, allowing of spice with a star anise. Then with any third parties and you customers to ‘travel through agreeing with Steph and Ali, we will not be contacted in relation to any other feature. The winners taste” as travel is very restricted added it to our second favourite will be the first to be drawn after right now. tipple, Prosecco and once again, the closing date of 10th December and the editor’s decision is final. this gave us a refreshing cocktail There is no cash prize alternative. that was delicious and elegant So, what’s next? Steph says Entrants must be over the age of 18 (proof of age will be required). and would make a perfect prethat even though things are Please drink responsibly. Christmas lunch aperitif. difficult in hospitality right now

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How to apply false eyelashes correctly Author: award-winning makeup artist Sonia Schofield

If you are a beginner to applying lashes, start by choosing lighter more natural lashes. They will be easier to apply and will look more like your own lashes but enhanced. Here is a step by step guide to help with lash application: Remove the first false lash from the case by gently lifting off from the outside with tweezers.

Once on and dry, apply mascara to help blend the false and natural lashes together. Apply liquid liner across the top of the lash line to cover any gaps between the lashes. When shopping for lashes I always head to: crueltyfreelashshop.com - All lashes are cruelty free and made from synthetic hair and cotton. They are all packed and shipped with zero plastic packaging and absolutely fantastic to wear.

Lashes are rarely the right size for everyone, they will need to be trimmed to fit an individual eye shape. Hold the lash on your eye before you put glue on to get the right size. The lash needs to finish just before the outside of your natural lashes. This will give a more natural look and your eyes wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t appear droopy. Trim any excess off from the outside with nail scissors. Apply a thin layer of glue and wait about 20 seconds before pressing the lash as near as your natural lashes as you can.

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Lisa Pogson Lisa Pogson is managing director of Airmaster, a mechanical services company based in South Yorkshire. Airmaster specialise in design, installation and maintenance of bespoke, energy efficient heating and cooling systems. Lisa has been working since 1983 when she was 14 years old in a local news agency chain. She worked all day Saturday and eventually Sunday morning. “I left school at 16 with a handful of GCSEs. I enjoyed the social side of school, more than the academic side of things. I didn’t apply myself enough, my main interest was my love of music and spent all my earnings on CDs and books. All I wanted was to get out to work and earn some money,” she explained. “After leaving school I started on a YTS (Youth Training Scheme, that would be similar to the current Apprenticeship schemes now). I worked full time for a small Sheffield architectural practice, whilst attending a local college for a business administration course. I loved it, working there, I was doing everything from typing notes, colouring deed

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plans, printing drawings and being a ‘runner’ – basically a dogsbody, but I learned loads.” Lisa spent a lot of her early years playing with her till and pretending she had a shop in the garden with her friend and as soon as she was old enough, she began working in a shop for extra money. “I worked in a popular Sheffield bookshop aged 16, again at the weekends, and eventually worked at B & Q on Sundays, whilst working full time, which helped with the mortgage when I bought my first house,” she said. “I also loved my first typewriter, I wanted to be a journalist, but when I did the YTS I lost sight of that, I was always making lists and organising; that is what led me to what I do now really.” “Lisa returned to education in her mid-twenties when she attended

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college. “By then, I had gained loads of experiences in different offices, all around construction and worked with some amazing people. I had risen to be office manager, then in 1997 I went to work in an admin team at Sheffield Hallam University Computing school. There, I received loads of training and I realised that to push my career further, I would need to get some more qualifications,” she continued. “I started with a great tutor at Rotherham College, and did an HNC/HND in business and finance. This resulted in me teaching night school and doing a master’s degree, MSc Management (Resources) with the University of Hull. I managed to do all this at night school and weekends. It was hard work, though graduating was one of the best days of my life.” Lisa met her husband, Don, in 1992 and that same month, his brother Richard started Airmaster. “Richard was just starting out and as my background was admin in the construction industry, I helped out generally, and worked at the firm part time from 1995, then in 2001 I started full time as office manager for Airmaster whilst finishing my degree. The business grew over time, with me progressing to resources director before becoming joint managing director in 2016 with my colleague Mark Staniland. Mark sadly passed away May 2019 and I have continued as managing director.” Although Lisa doesn’t feel her industry is difficult to succeed

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I would advise anyone coming into the industry, particularly young women, to keep your confidence up! Don’t let it be knocked by people that don’t have that right....

bit more, which is good to see,â&#x20AC;? she explained.

FACT FILE: Husband / partner name: Don Children ? Daughter Hannah ( just 13â&#x20AC;Ś) What car do you drive? Nissan Qashqai and I love itâ&#x20AC;Ś especially the reversing camera đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x160; Where is your favourite Yorkshire Restaurant? Ferdinandos in Sheffield What is your favourite food and drink? Smoked Salmon, Scrambled eggs, avocado and granary toastâ&#x20AC;Ś yum

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We plan to carry on growing our team, as it is their talent that helps us grow as a business. I would like to continue learning about our industry, sustainability and aiming towards the net zero targets

Where is your favourite holiday destination? Too many!! Any of the Greek islandsâ&#x20AC;Ś Skiathos was special.

in generally, she does believe it is challenging for women to become directors/leaders in this and similar industries that have continued to be male dominated â&#x20AC;&#x201C; positions of influence are key. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Things are changing slowly, in an industry where AI and robotics are starting to do some of the checking, controlling and monitoring, we are seeing some changes. I see a change amongst our younger staff, that have seen their own female family and friends excel and they challenge the status quo a

At the moment, during the pandemic, Lisa is checking that everyone is safe to work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel like a GP not a managing director,â&#x20AC;? she laughed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have continued to work through since the start of lockdown. I am usually based in the office, though we did work from home for a while but found that we work much more effectively and collaboratively in the office. My main role is working with staff, customers and suppliers/ sub-contractors to get through our workload and support our senior team who do most of the day to day wherever possible.

Where is your favourite place in Yorkshire? My home in Rotherham, for the last 25 years and my favourite place to visit, Wentworth Woodhouse, just up the road from me.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would advise anyone coming into the industry, particularly young women, to keep your confidence up! Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let it be knocked by people that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have that right. Believe in yourself and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t self-sabotage â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is not only you who thinks that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deserve what you are doing. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t regret anything at all, things happen for a reason,â&#x20AC;? she added â&#x20AC;&#x153;and where you are now is a sum of everyone that you have worked with or been friends with so far. I think I would have liked to have travelled more when I was younger; I was keen to get my first house. Maybe I will travel more in the years to come, I would love to do that.

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A festive gift for all the family at Leeds Playhouse

Tessa Parr

Stephen Collins

Lladel Bryant

Lisa Howard

Jack Lord

Everal Walsh

Director Amy Leach

Dan Parr

It’s Christmas Eve in Victorian Leeds, but cold-hearted Ebenezer Scrooge hasn’t an ounce of festive cheer to spare. As the cold night draws in, four ghostly spirits take him on a life-changing journey through his past, present and future to show him the error of his miserly ways. Packed with Christmas spirit, fun, music and magic, Charles Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL is being brought vividly to life in a new retelling at Leeds Playhouse, inspired by the evocative beauty and intrinsic hope of the ghost lights that continued to burn bright while theatres across the land were forced to go dark when the pandemic hit. This festive season, audiences in the Playhouse’s Quarry Theatre will be transported back to a

traditional Victorian theatre, where spectral performers have been patiently waiting for a chance to share an incredible adventure. This exciting, timely adaptation by playwright Deborah McAndrew is directed by Amy Leach, Associate Director of Leeds Playhouse, whose groundbreaking and highly acclaimed reimagining of Oliver Twist with Ramps on the Moon was brought to an abrupt halt by the lockdown restrictions in March. Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s sWo m a n

‘It feels particularly lovely this year to be sharing a Sikes in Oliver Twist. Nadia, who was due magical Christmas story with audiences featuring this year to star as Cleopatra in Antony and ghosts waiting to perform in a dimly lit theatre, Cleopatra at Shakespeare’s Globe, is making reflecting the hopeful stoicism her Playhouse debut. The cast of the many wonderful artists also includes some familiar This will be who have been waiting for faces from the Leeds Playhouse theatres to reopen in the wake Pop-Up Ensemble. a unique and of the pandemic. A Christmas perhaps unusual Carol gives us a truly magical The Playhouse is offering 1,000 Christmas for opportunity to come together tickets for NHS workers many of us and free again and to share a story infused for A Christmas Carol as part we want to play of the #LeedsSaysThanks with goodwill, festive spirit and our part in optimism,’ said Amy. scheme with further offers helping it to still for other frontline workers A Christmas Carol, builds on be a celebratory to be announced for future the creative foundations of the productions. time... show’s last iteration as part of the Playhouse’s Pop-Up Season Artistic director James Brining and on the knowledge gained in explained: ‘This will be a unique terms of accessibility and inclusion during the and perhaps unusual Christmas for many of creation of Oliver Twist. The result is a festive us and we want to play our part in helping it production for all the family, rooted in the past to still be a celebratory time by expressing our but with themes that reflect our lives today. heartfelt thanks to the key workers – especially those in the NHS – who have worked tirelessly Set and costume designer Hayley Grindle has throughout the pandemic. Their selfless and created an ingenious design that integrates social brave dedication has been a lesson to us all. distancing and Covid guidelines to magical effect. It feels appropriate – and, indeed, is a real pleasure – to show our appreciation on behalf Jack Lord, last seen at the Playhouse in Oliver of the Playhouse and our audiences.’ Twist, will be playing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. He will be joined on stage by Stephen Collins In line with current government guidelines, and Nadia Nadarajah as Bob and Mrs Cratchit. audiences will be limited. Social distancing Stephen was last seen at the Playhouse as Bill and temperature checking will also be in place.

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Christmas all wrapped up With lockdown over the last month and all essential shops closed, many of us have found it difficult to do our Christmas shopping. Here we have done some of the hardwork for you and found these fabulous products all available online.

Maisie Chains Hands-free Phone and Card Case ÂŁ26 A Maisie Chains phone case is the perfect everyday accessory. Designed with ropes, this case can be carried like a sling bag meaning you are less likely to drop your belongings. Stylish and secure. www.maisiechains.com

Fitbit Versa Smart Watch limited edition strap - ÂŁ118 The Fitbit Versa Smart Watch is the ideal companion for anyone who has taken up fitness during lockdown (which seems to have been everyone). It can store over 300 songs, has 15 different exercise modes and its battery lasts for four days. www.amazon.co.uk

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Sage Juicer £149 Whether you’re getting a bit more crafty in the kitchen, or just planning a health kick to start off 2021, a juicer is a great gift idea this Christmas. Sage’s Nutri Juicer has everything you need to make sure you start each day with freshly squeezed juice, thanks to the innovative cold extraction system, which avoids heat damage to vitamins and minerals. With the capacity to make two litres of juice at a time, you can make more to store, taking advantage of the seal and store juice jug at the same time. www.johnlewis.com

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Fortnum’s Milk Chocolate Caramel Truffles Bauble £10.95 Not only is this bauble a shimmering, festive delight, it also contains their extraordinary handmade milk chocolate caramel truffles. Perfect for gifting – and more bang for your bauble – it can be refilled for many Christmases to come

SMEG Espresso Machine £320 This bright pink espresso machine looks like something straight out of a Wes Anderson film while still having the sophisticated qualities of an hi-tech coffee maker. www.selfridges.com

www.selfridges.com

Two’s company Gift Box £50 A romantic Christmas tea for two is all the more cosy with this alcohol-free gift box. Settle into a piccolo panettone, salted caramel, orange and cranberry, warming brews and so much more. www.harveynichols.com

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Inslee Fariss Twelve Days of Christmas Menagerie Candle Gift -£66 Featuring twelve candles with festive fragrances inspired by a classic Christmas Carol, this giftable set is sure to surprise and delight just about anyone on your list this season. www.anthropologie.com

Wakefield First aim to promote Wakefield as a vibrant, dynamic place in which to work, live & visit. We promote inward investment, economic growth, job creation, & business news & events.

HOW WE CAN SUPPORT BUSINESSES 

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Business Growth & Innovation: We can break down funding streams & programmes that may be available to your business Starting a business? We can offer support for start-ups & scale-ups via AD: VENTURE Skills Support: We can provide your businesses with skills to grow via recruitment/ & redundancy support, skills-gap auditing to futureproof your organisation Business news & Events promotion: Share your good news with us so we can promote it on our platform, or alternatively get in touch with us to request for PR support which we will be happy to assist with FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: WWW.WAKEFIELDFIRST.COM OR CONTACT: INFO@WAKEFIELDFIRST.COM

Souped Up:

UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top Restaurant Dishes Re-Created in New Recipe Book

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Food fans can now re-create some of the most indulgent and luxurious soups from the UK’s top restaurants thanks to a free recipe book from Morphy Richards and MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Matt Healy. The award-winning chef, who runs his own Michelin-plate restaurant in Leeds, has joined forces with Morphy Richards to scour the menus of the most prestigious eateries across the UK, recreating 10 of the most impressive soup recipes for you to enjoy from the comfort of your own home. The new recipe book – named Soups of the Day – takes inspiration from the likes of The Ivy, The Ritz, The Savoy, Langan’s and Le Gavroche, and is available to download for free from the Morphy Richards.

Mouth-watering recipes include: •

Cauliflower Velouté with Chorizo Oil

•

Roasted Carrot and Coriander Soup

•

French Onion Soup with a Gruyère Crouton

•

Cream of Tomato Soup with Cheddar Cheese Toastie

•

Chicken Noodle Soup

•

Gazpacho with Rosemary Oil

•

Hot & Sour Soup

•

Pea & Coconut Soup with Sourdough Croutons

•

Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Truffle Oil. Roasted Vine Tomato Soup

Matt Healy, who owns The Foundry restaurant in Leeds as well as Grön – a chain of Scandi-inspired eateries – said: “Enjoying a delicious soup at home doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. We’ve taken inspiration from the menus of some of the fanciest restaurants in the UK and re-created their dishes using simple ingredients and utensils. With Morphy Richards’ fantastic range of soup makers and our new recipe book, it’s never been easier to re-create restaurant-quality soups at home.” Annaliese Curtis, Marketing Manager at Morphy Richards, said: “With winter almost upon us, it’s the perfect time to learn some simple soup recipes. Matt’s easy step-by-step guide will help even the most basic cooks create mouth-watering soup recipes in minutes, with minimum fuss.” To download the free soup recipe book, visit www.morphyrichards.co.uk/soup.

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premises, if suitable (minimum delegate number applies). All courses can be delivered at Backstage Academy or at your industry trainingdelegate experts can also applies). design bespoke training premises, if Our suitable (minimum number courses around your needs through our Backstage Bespoke Our industryservice. training experts can also design bespoke training courses around your needs through our Backstage Bespoke service.

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Corsa-e a perfect little runaround If you are thinking about making a change on your driveway for the first time in a number of years, you now have far more options than you would have had last time you were car shopping. Where your choice was once restricted to either petrol or diesel cars, you can now consider a selection of hybrid options along with the latest and greatest electric cars too. Electric car options now vary from plugin city cars to luxurious large hatchbacks and supersized SUVs. This means that as long as you can afford it- thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more electric car choice than ever before. In light of recent UK moves to ban petrol, diesel and hybrid cars by as early as 2030, the Corsa-e presents a very appealing proposition.

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Vauxhall claims that if charged at home, paying around 13 pence per kWh (unit) of electricity, the Corsa will cost about ÂŁ65 a month less than the equivalent automatic 1.2 turbo Corsa, a saving not to be sniffed at! Boasting 0% Benefit-In-Kind (2020/2021) for company car drivers and 30% less maintenance costs as electric vehicles

The AC synchronous electric motor gives a maximum power output of 100kW/136PS and 192 lb ft. of torque plus there is also an enhanced regeneration braking mode, which increases the amount of electricity flowing back into the battery on over run. This car is appealing to the eye with 17-inch bi-colour diamond-cut alloy wheels, black roof, high gloss black A and B-pillars and dark tinted rear windows. With keyless entry, once inside the cabin the fabric/premium leather seats are comfortable and although not required at the time, the option of heated seats is always appreciated. The fascia is simple, clear and concise and the 10-inch centre touch screen offers great graphics and a very easy to read satellite navigation system. Electric rear windows, rear-view camera, parking sensors and a heated steering wheel are just some of the many features on offer in this Elite Nav model. It is roomy in the back however the headroom is slightly restricted and for any particularly tall passengers, this may be commented on during long distance journeys.

have fewer moving parts and less wear on brakes. When offered the opportunity to test drive a Corsa-e Elite Nav, I was curious to see how this high spec model, priced including options at £30,875 would perform on the hills and valleys in Yorkshire. While it’s not super fast (and to be honest I’m no “speed queen”) this little Corsa is brisk. Like all single speed electric cars, it shoots from a standstill and at medium speed, overtaking can be done with confidence. I noted that on slippery roads the traction control is gentle with a good grip on the ground, and it is clearly a car that is firmly sprung.

The on-board 7.4kW battery can be charged via a domestic wall box from 0-100% capacity in just 7.5 hours and 80% of the vehicle charge in 30 minutes from a 100kW rapid charging station – subject to the type of station, outside temperature and battery temperature at the time. I thoroughly enjoyed my time behind the wheel of this comfortable, quiet car and felt extremely safe and secure, it is nippy, stylish and good for the environment too.

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