STORY: Miss Macaroon named “one of most exceptional UK entrepreneurs”

The founder of a business making 7,000 macaroons every day – not to mention a 2018 National Bakery Awards winner – has been named one of the most exceptional social entrepreneurs in the UK.

Rosie Ginday trained as a high-end pastry chef and worked in a Michelin-starred restaurant before creating Miss Macaroon, a social enterprise combining premium quality food with opportunities for young people seeking a career.

This week Rosie was named one of three UK finalists for the Social Entrepreneur of the Year category in the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards, funded by the Citi Foundation, an annual celebration of Britain’s microentrepreneurs that have accessed responsible business finance.

Rosie Ginday MBE said: “I'm delighted that Miss Macaroon has been shortlisted in these prestigious awards. It's fantastic that our work enabling young people who need a helping hand to gain the skills and experience needed to re-enter the world of work has been recognised in this way.

“Many of our Macaroons that Make A Difference course trainees and graduates have mental health issues, are on the autism spectrum, are lone parents, care leavers or ex-offenders. They thrive when we as social enterprises, the business community and the public sector collaborate to support them.”

Since opening its first retail store in Birmingham, Miss Macaroon has grown from producing 500 macaroons per day to over 7,000. It is the only patisserie in the world able to create macaroons matched to specific Pantone colours, enabling the firm to secure numerous corporate and wedding customers.