A WINCHESTER business owner is one of this year’s winners in the UK's longest-running awards for female entrepreneurs.
Cait Salanson, founder of the Little Kitchen Company, was crowned ‘Mumpreneur’ at the everywoman Entrepreneur Awards.
Ms Salason left a senior role in financial services in 2010 to start her own business.
The Little Kitchen Company was inspired by her passion for food, customer experience and a desire to better balance the challenges of a young family.
READ MORE: Little Kitchen Company owner in final for Entrepreneur Awards
The Hampshire catering business now employs more than 70 permanent staff.
The Winchester businesswoman was one of 11 women from across the country, beating nearly 1,000 other entrants, to take the title.
The Mumpreneur category was awarded to a woman who founded her business while raising a child aged 12 or under.
The everywoman Entrepreneur Awards, in association with BGF and NatWest, was held on Wednesday, December 6 at The Londoner Hotel in Leicester Square, with more than 400 talented women and supporters of female entrepreneurs.
Maxine Benson, co-founder of everywoman, said: “The everywoman Entrepreneur Awards have a central role to play in highlighting the disconnect between the growth ambitions of female-founded businesses and their access to funding. These brilliant women are wealth and job creators and the businesses we must be investing in for the growth of UK Plc.
SEE ALSO: Community First fears funding cuts for vital services and champions volunteers
"The awards are a call to arms for the investment and finance communities to double down on their efforts to understand how they can better serve these ambitious, unstoppable female founders.”
Daina Spedding, investor at BGF, said: “We’re delighted to shine a light on these worthy winners. Their resilience, tenacity and determination is even more inspiring given the challenging economic backdrop in which they are operating. We hope that by raising awareness of the financial and strategic support available to ambitious founders we can build even more successful business in the future and act as a beacon to women-led businesses across the UK and Ireland.”
Julie Baker, head of enterprise and climate engagement and partnerships at NatWest Group, said: “The everywoman Entrepreneur Awards are, as always, a fantastic opportunity to come together to celebrate and showcase the remarkable women entrepreneurs who make an invaluable contribution to business and are fantastic role models. I am proud that NatWest is associate sponsor of the Awards and congratulations to all winners and finalists.”
For more information go to everywoman.com/entrepreneur-awards/.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here