Grace is cooking up sweet success
A young businesswoman from Wolverhampton is cooking up something good to tempt the tastebuds of both customers and judges in a national competition.
Grace Ripalo, aged 22, has always enjoyed baking and while in her third year at Coventry University reading economics she found herself at home because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
She decided to set up her own business, GG Desserts, with a shop on Etsy, selling brownies and blondies online.
Now her business is growing she has decided to concentrate on her baking instead of accountancy, despite gaining a First from university.
Grace will be one of 75 finalists for a Young Traders Market national competition to be staged at Stratford-upon-Avon on August 27 and August 28.
She said: "I started the business in November last year while studying.
"I love baking and thought that I would do something while stuck at home during the pandemic.
"I thought it would be a good way to contact people on social media and after a few months decided that I would take the risk and concentrate on my baking and set aside plans to go into accounting.
"Now I am constantly baking and making about 100 brownies each week which sell for £11 to £16 for six, including free delivery.
"I have also started doing local markets to get my name known to people and a wider market.
"For the competition I will be baking more than 1,000 brownies in a four-day space to sell at the market at Stratford-upon-Avon.
"Former and current market traders will be judging the 75 stallholders on various things and the winner will take home a cash prize.
"I am hoping it will provide a boost for my online service and eventually I would also like to start baking large New York cookies.
"The recipe for these is something that I am working on at the moment."
