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Newcastle entrepreneurial double act launch Jesmond frozen yogurt café startup

Two Newcastle school friends Michael Carling and Simon Coward, both 24, have launched Iglouu, the North East’s first dedicated frozen yogurt café and shake bar with help from TEDCO and its Ready for Business programme, as well as Virgin StartUp.

The former RGS pupils who returned to the region after graduating in law and politics, are bringing a new food and drink concept to Jesmond after seeing the success of similar chains in London and Leeds.

The pair who have ambitious plans to grow their Iglouu brand both organically and through franchising opportunities, received help from TEDCO Business Support and its investment readiness programme Ready for Business.

They not only received support and advice on business planning but help to secure a start-up loan with Virgin StartUp – a not for profit organisation launched in October 2013 to provide low-cost business loans and mentoring support to entrepreneurs across the UK.

Ready for Business is supported by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund and Barclays, and is delivered nationwide by the Cavendish Consortium, a partnership between some of England’s leading enterprise agencies, together with the National Enterprise Network.

So far the programme has created more than 3,500 new jobs across the UK, more than 500 across the North East, and provides individuals with concentrated support in the pre-start and early stages of their business.

Sir Richard Branson partnered with TEDCO last year to officially launch Virgin StartUp for entrepreneurs in the North East and Cumbria. TEDCO is the main access point for people in the region looking to source funding through Virgin StartUp.

Its team of advisors will guide aspiring entrepreneurs through the application process, offering additional help and wider enterprise support as part of the Ready for Business programme.

Michael said: “We originally had the idea for a shake bar years ago but decided to head to university instead.

“However after graduating we were both hugely underwhelmed by our chosen office based professions and decided the time was right to set up our own business.

“We had watched with admiration some similar chains in London and Leeds and were pretty confident that we could roll out our concept across the north east.

“Frozen yogurt is a fast emerging market and is big business in other countries and cities owing to its indulgent taste yet low fat qualities.

“Ready for Business has provided us with invaluable support.

“Our business adviser not only challenged some of our initial business plan, encouraging us to think of things we had originally omitted but she also helped us to secure a business loan from Virgin Start-Up which we needed to purchase equipment and alter premises.

“It’s currently just Simon and I but we have plans to recruit staff both here in Jesmond and as we roll out the concept to other parts of the region.

“It is early days but it certainly beats those mundane office jobs we both found ourselves in.”