Vote now for the Huddersfield entrepreneurs
Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:26:00 GMT
Twists Pasta boys in the Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards
Pictured: Student entrepreneurs Adam Thompson [far left] and Jeff Postlethwaite [far right] with the Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan [second right], at the grand opening of Twists Pasta Bar, by special guest Huddersfield Giants star Eorl Crabtree [second left].
TWO enterprising University of Huddersfield students who have launched what they aim to be the first in a nationwide chain of healthy fast food outlets now hope to gather online votes that could earn them thousands of pounds in a prestigious contest.
Jeff Postlethwaite and Adam Thompson – who are in the final year of their business and enterprise degrees at the University – have opened the first Twists Pasta Bar, on New Street in Huddersfield’s town centre.
The ambitious duo have taken every opportunity to boost the profile of the business. For example, they took part in BBC 3’s Be Your Own Boss, impressing Innocent Smoothies co-founder Richard Reed. He told them that he would invest £50,000 in their idea for a chain of healthy fast food outlets, specialising in pots of pasta with a range of sauces.
To see the video and vote for Twists Pasta Bar click here.
But first they must establish the first Twists Pasta Bar and Jeff and Adam have entered the long established Shell LiveWIRE programme, which offers free online business advice and funding to young entrepreneurs.
Every month the Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards give £1,000 to the most promising new business and the winners are in the running for an annual Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, with a prize of £10,000.
Jeff and Adam are in the running for the March round of the Grand Ideas Awards. They entered, made the shortlist and submitted a video in which they describe their business.
Now they need online votes if they are to scoop the monthly £1,000 and progress to the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The duo hope that customers and fellow University students will log-on to the site and give their support. Voting ends at midnight on 31 March.
Jeff and Adam have received personal mentoring from University of Huddersfield Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan, and Adam was chosen as Huddersfield’s Student Ambassador for a new start-up loans scheme which aims to provide business training and affordable loans to young entrepreneurs.
The Student Ambassador Programme, which will promote the scheme, was launched at Buckingham Palace at an event hosted by the Duke of York. Professor Cryan was an invited speaker and Adam took part too.
“It was a very interesting experience,” said Adam. “It was great to go into the actual room where they knight people! And I met some great people, including Prince Andrew and James Caan from the TV programme Dragons’ Den. I made some really good contacts and had talks with others who could offer excellent advice.”
