Young people across Merseyside have started exciting ventures this year
James Skinner, Isla Skinner, Megan Reynolds and Ian Reynolds at The Collaboration(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Bakeries, pubs and saunas are just some examples of new businesses opened this year by young people in Merseyside. The region is full of new entrepreneurs taking risks and trying to do something unique.
Many have overcome personal and professional setbacks to get to where they are. Others have been inspired to act after spotting something that was missing from Merseyside.
The ECHO has covered many of these stories in 2024 and has compiled a selection here. The list is in no particular order and we couldn’t possibly include every young entrepreneur who has opened a new venture this year. If you are 35 or under and would like to see us cover the story behind your business, feel free to email jamie.greer@reachplc.com or news@liverpool.com.
The Mersea Sauna
Louise Gallagher at Mersea Sauna at Crosby Lakeside, Waterloo(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Lucy Gallagher, 34, from Waterloo, runs the Mersea Sauna and claims it is the county’s first mobile, authentic wood-fired Scandinavian sauna. The sauna, with stunning views of Crosby Marine Lake, has garnered a steady stream of customers since it opened in mid-July of this year, with 50-minute sessions available.
In keeping with saunas in Scandinavia, it is heated to between 80 to 100 degrees Celsius. Louise, who is originally from Belfast, moved to Liverpool for university and grew frustrated that Merseyside didn’t have the types of saunas she’d been to back home. She told the ECHO: “I first came across these sort of mobile saunas in Ireland.
“There’s one on the Antrim coast called Hot Box Sea Sauna and I loved it. I just was waiting for one to come to Liverpool, but one never really came. So I decided I was going to do it.”
Cosy Kreations
Mai-Leen Catherine with Chelsea Hughes, co-founders of Cosy Kreations(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Chelsea Hughes, 21, from Newton-Le-Willows, co-founded Cosy Kreations with her friend Mai-Leen Catherine. The community start-up helps local businesses to run events.
This involves finding places to host them and making promotional material. Ones they’ve helped create so far include classes for painting, craft making and yoga.
Speaking to the ECHO earlier this year, Chelsea said: “We run creative events that are open to anyone in local business spaces in and around Liverpool. It’s going really well, we sold out our last four events, which is insane to say.”
Crumb Together
Jennifer Lawton, owner of Crumb Together bakery in Childwall(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Jennifer Lawton, 36, from Gateacre, opened vegan waste-free bakery Crumb Together three months ago. Based in Childwall, she previously had one in Crosby, which had to close due to lockdown, but has returned to running a business after becoming a mum.
Despite being hit by a burglary just before Christmas, Jenifer’s festive orders were unaffected and she has been supported by the local community. She said: It could have been a lot worse and the community has been absolutely amazing. I’ve had so many messages from my customers offering to help clean the shop on their days off work. I’m blown away because it’s a week before Christmas and people are offering me their days off, which is just so sweet and so overwhelming.”
ATIA Active
Chelsea Kelly, founder of Love Allura, has teamed up with Adidas’ former Vice President of Brand Operations Jay Pollard to create new gym wear brand ATIA Active(Image: Supplied)
Chelsea Kelly, 34, from Stockbridge Village co-founded ATIA Active, a new women’s sportswear brand, earlier this year. Chelsea teamed up with Jay Pollard, former Adidas Senior Vice President of Brand Operations to create “beautiful pieces that can be worn in and out of the gym.”
Chelsea entered the business world in 2018 with Love Allura after her dad was diagnosed with lung cancer and she decided to quit her corporate job which was making her unhappy. She said: “I don’t think of this as the end of my journey. As I’ve evolved as a person, so has the business.
“I want to be a role model for others, and inspire them to believe in themselves, and that you can change your lives. You do have the power to change your lives.”
Mol and Joe’s Rolls
Molly McCann and Joel McCarthy at their Moll & Joel’s Rolls shop(Image: Instagram / @Mollandjoelsrolls)
UFC fighter Molly “Meatball” McCann and her best friend, Joel McCarthy, opened Moll & Joel’s Rolls earlier this month in Garston. Visitors can enjoy a range of handmade focaccias, subs and cold-cut sandwiches made daily by their in-house bakers. There is also fresh coffee and Italian desserts including sweet focaccia, buns, tiramisu and panna cotta.
The new Garston venue follows on from the success of Molly, 34, and Joel’s popular Polpetta site in Baltic Market. Joel previously told the ECHO how he and Molly dreamed of owning their own bakery and coffee shop.
The decision to do so came after Molly lost her last UFC fight earlier this year in Manchester. The new shop was so popular it had to close after its opening weekend so the staff could properly plan for the amount of customers coming through its doors.
Froppy
Sumaiya Hussain, 22, started Froppy earlier this year with her business partner Huu Loc Nguyen(Image: Supplied)
Sumaiya Hussain, 22, started Froppy earlier this year with her business partner Huu Loc Nguyen. The business aims to bring “fun, motivation and cuteness” to people wanting to improve their fitness, with a friendly frog as its main logo. Froppy also offers advice on building healthy routines, food recipes and meditation exercises.
Sumaiya, a student at the University of Liverpool, set up the business in her final year of studying which was followed by her falling in love with Pilates during lockdown. She said: “I was on the obese side. I hated to work out, I never wanted to go to the gym, I never wanted to run or do anything.
“During the lockdown-ish area, I started to watch YouTube videos of Pilates classes. That’s how I was like, you know what, this is not as intense as I thought, so let me try it. Pilates opened the door for me to fitness, and then I started to run and walk a bit more. It changed my whole mindset.
Milk and Honey
Lindsay Smith, co-owner of Milk and Honey in Claughton, Wirral(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Couple Paul and Lindsay Smith, 36 and 26, took over an empty building in Claughton earlier this year and decided to open a coffee shop despite having no experience in the field. They were inspired by high-end cafes in London.
Since then, it has become a popular destination with some travelling from as far as Warrington to try it out. Paul, from Birkenhead, said: “It’s modern but equally anyone can appreciate it. It’s very design-inspired. It has broken the mould of what I feel every other coffee shop looks like. It’s more like a high-end restaurant.”
“It was a risk and something we were passionate about. It’s refreshing and daunting at the same time. We didn’t get any time – when we opened it’s been chock-a-block every single time.
Cornhill Coffee
Mum Julie Broom and daughter Rosie Holt, who run Cornhill Coffee by the Baltic Fleet pub, Liverpool(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Rosie Holt, 24, from Prenton, and her mum Julie Broom, 53, both quit their jobs to start a coffee van in the shadow of the iconic Baltic Fleet pub, which is run by Simon, dad of Rosie and husband of Julie. They acquired a small van and put it there, naming the business Cornhill Coffee and started taking orders in June.
Despite the risks of leaving secure full-time jobs, they both feel it’s paid off. Rosie said: “It is scary, anything like that is always scary. But I think because we were doing it together, we have that support from each other. We wanted to do something that was successful but also that we were just happy doing.”
Pastille
Pastille founder Jamie Heffey (left) at Pastille Dessert Bar in Baltic Market(Image: Pastille Bakery)
Jamie Heffey opened up Pastille Bakery in Liverpool city centre back in May. The bakery enjoys lengthy queues and sells out of treats on a regular basis. Customers can expect everything from artisan creations to classic items including cereal cakes, brownies and tarts.
The business recently announced it will open a new venue in the Trafford Centre this year. Looking back on his whirlwind year, Jamie told the ECHO: “This past year has been an incredible journey. The support from our community has been overwhelming and surpasses anything I could’ve ever imagined.
The Lock Up Bar
Sophie Humes behind the bar at The Lock Up Bar(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Paul Brown, 32, from Bootle, opened up The Lock Up Bar on North John Street in Liverpool city centre in July. Keeping prices as affordable as possible is very important to Paul, whose background is in hospitality.
A sign above The Lock Up’s door reads ‘daytime drink offers’ and ‘cheap prices’ – there are cocktail offers throughout the week and you can buy a pint for £3.10 before 5pm. The pub is Everton-themed but has attracted attention from Liverpool fans and other locals since opening.
Paul told the ECHO: “My friend and I put in most of the money, then there are seven other people who are all match-going Evertonians with no interests in pubs. We’ve got a train driver, two retirees and others who all threw in some money to get it off the ground and then Leon Osman opened it on July 26.
“We haven’t tried to go obviously in your face or too much Everton. At the end of the day, I’ve got locals who come in here and we do still get a lot of Liverpool fans and we’re open for everyone.”
The Collaboration
The Collaboration craft beer micro pub in Bebington – pictured Ian Reynolds, Megan Reynolds, Isla Skinner and James Skinner(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
The Collaboration is a micro-pub found on Church Road in Bebington and, as its name suggests, it is a joint venture. Half of the team is husband and wife Ian, 36, and Megan Reynolds, 31 who have run Prost Bottle Shop in Bebington for around 18 months.
The other is James, 34, and Isla Skinner, 26 who owns The Rose & Crown down the road. The Collaboration, which sits in the middle of the two venues, serves a range of local cask ale, craft and world beers.
About the micro pub’s origins, James said: “Ian was in the pub with his friend Mark and I think it started off as a slightly drunken twinkle in the eye. But the next morning, he woke up and texted me to say ‘After a good night’s sleep and a good think about this, I’m even more convinced it’s a good idea’.
“The following day, the sign for this unit (formerly a card shop called Pinks) to let went up. We viewed it in late August and took the keys in January.”