WILTSHIRE LIFE Awards 2018 23
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
SPONSORED BY
Winner Nicola Davis
Second Place Luke Wareham
Third place Jodie Francis
Jodie set up The Gourmet Brownie Kitchen in 2013, but it was not until 2016 that she
attended her first event to market the business. She has now been to 50 markets and fairs,
selling her indulgent chocolate brownies in a huge variety of flavours, alongside making up
personal orders. Jodie still works full-time as a team leader for CAPITA, but says there has been
great interest in her business, leading to rapid growth. It was featured by Cosmopolitan UK and
she reached the final stages of the Muddy Stilettos awards in 2017.
Nicola has won many
awards, appeared
on Kirstie Allsopp’s
TV show, Handmade
Christmas, and has set
up a monthly craft fair
in Corsham
This young entrepreneur set up Nicola Davis Crafts at the age of 17 and has won multiple
awards. Nicola designs and makes bright, colourful and uplifting silk paintings and scarves.
The inspiration for her designs comes from her difficult past. She has battled and beaten both
anorexia and depression. “My designs reflect positivity and happiness, two qualities which I
could not value more,” comments Nicola.
This rising young star has sold her designs at the Bath Christmas Market and has also
appeared on Kirstie Allsopp’s Channel Four TV show, Handmade Christmas. Nicola has
rapidly taught herself how to manage and run all aspects of a business, and has also set up and
developed Corsham Creative Market, a monthly craft fair that promotes all things handmade,
supports local artisans and has more than 40 stallholders and 300 visitors each month.
In 2016, Nicola launched My Super Sweet Recovery Cookbook, drawing on her experiences
of having an eating disorder.
Luke has achieved a lot in his short career. He started out working at St Luke’s School in
Swindon, with some of the most vulnerable and disengaged young people. He excelled,
opening his own Swindon Tuition Centre to help those with behavioural, social and emotional
difficulties. Some may have given up on their education if were not for Luke.
With friend Paul Farrow, Luke has expanded to open up two Funky Tutors sites in Swindon
and Bristol, to develop a brand that has the potential to be franchised on a national scale.