Halloumi cheese business founder named as ambassador for start-up businesses
The founder of a Yorkshire halloumi cheese company has been selected as an ambassador representing start-up businesses, five years after launching the business.
Yorkshire Dama Cheese is an award-winning cheese production start-up launched in 2012 by Razan Alsous and her husband after they fled war-torn Syria. After struggling to secure a job in pharmaceuticals in the UK, she decided to launch her own business.
Razan Alsous said: “When I arrived in the UK, I was surprised at how popular halloumi is, but by how little choice there was in supermarkets. I wanted to create a local Yorkshire product, using a combination of cow’s milk and exciting authentic flavours from my home country. Luckily, I was able to use my experience in science to help make the cheese, paired with my husband’s experience working with food retailers.
“We struggled to get the business up and running at first, but thanks to support from The Start Up Loans Company I was able to start making and selling our products on a larger scale. The reaction we’ve had from customers has been amazing, and everyone’s support has motivated us to keep growing the business. We’re very excited to be chosen as an Ambassador for the scheme, and we want to show others that no matter what challenges you face, if you have a great business idea, give it a go!”
Finding far fewer halloumi choices in the UK than back home, Razan Alsous decided to put her science background to good use and create a new brand, inspired by authentic Syrian flavours. She began to use Yorkshire’s very own cow’s milk to create her product, and received a £2,500 loan from The Start Up Loans Company to kick-start the business.
In the last five years, Yorkshire Dama Cheese has gone from strength to strength, winning two British Cheese Awards and it now has a turnover of £150,000. It recently opened a new factory to increase production, and is stocked in shops across Yorkshire, including Fodder, Taylor’s Food and the Local Pantry in Leeds.
Yorkshire Dama is one of six start-ups that has been selected by the government backed Start Up Loans Company from amongst this year’s top success stories and inspiring businesses. The year-long Ambassador programme was launched at a reception in London to honour their hard work and dedication, and celebrate the success of UK start-ups.
The reception began with a panel discussion chaired by The Start Up Loans Company’s interim CEO Joanna Hill. Hill was joined by Keith Morgan, the CEO of the British Business Bank, of which SULCo is a subsidiary, representatives from SULCo’s Delivery Partner network, and the Ambassadors.
The Start Up Loans Company forms part of The British Business Bank’s UK-wide drive to encourage entrepreneurship, increase the rate of business creation and improve the survival prospects of early-stage businesses.
Minister for Small Business, Margot James, said: “The Start Up Loans Company has been crucial in helping tens of thousands of aspiring business owners to get their venture off the ground, and this year’s ambassadors such as Yorkshire Dama Cheese are a great example of what promising entrepreneurs can achieve with the right support.
“This Government is committed to building an economy that works for everyone and the success of small businesses is crucial to this. That is why ensuring Britain remains the best place in the world to start, grow and scale up a business is at the heart of our Industrial Strategy.”
The launch of the Ambassador programme comes as The Start Up Loans Company announces it has provided over 50,000 loans to British start-ups, bringing the total it has lent so far to more than £345million. In Yorkshire, the scheme has provided almost 4,000 loans to new and early stage businesses, totalling over £28 million.
Joanna Hill, Interim CEO of The Start Up Loans Company, said: “Yorkshire Dama Cheese is a prime example of what hard work and dedication can achieve. It forms part of the wider 4,000 businesses we’ve supported to date across Yorkshire and the Humber, totalling £28 million of funding in the region.”
Keith Morgan, CEO of the British Business Bank, said: “The UK has a strong start-up culture and infrastructure, with access to finance and support through initiatives such as Start Up Loans.
“What we hear from start-up businesses time and time again is the importance of self-belief – finding the inner drive and confidence to take that first step. Finance very often unlocks that potential and helps start-ups become scale-ups with the prospect of becoming the big businesses of tomorrow.”
The Start Up Loans Company provides loans of up to £25,000 at a fixed interest rate of 6% per annum, as well as offering 12 months of free, dedicated mentoring to each business it supports.
