Food for thought for businesses in the Highlands as two new firms go from strength to strength in Inverness during the coronavirus pandemic
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One tragic effect of the coronavirus lockdown was the impact on businesses, many of which were forced to shut for good.
However, providing at least a ray of hope are two new Inverness businesses started within the past year which are bucking that trend, and have only gone from strength to strength during the pandemic.
Italian food business Tagliotello was started by 25-year-old Otello Calvert in February, while Baked By Jen launched last May with 21-year-old Jen Bowsher at the helm.
They have both been collaborating with Jo De Sylva and Bruce MacGregor, who have given them space at their Bogbain Farm site on the outskirts of Inverness and the chance to sell their wares to customers at MacGregor’s bar in the city centre.
Producing fresh pasta and “rustic Italian sauces” Mr Calvert, who is of Sottish-Italian descent, custom-built his own mobile catering trailer over a two-month period, and is now hoping to be able to take it out to various locations.
He said: “The basis of my product is that it is simple and uses good basic ingredients, which we have a lot of up here in the Highlands.
“Inverness had an open market for fresh pasta, so I decided to go with that. It was based on simplicity and feasibility for me to do everything by myself.”
Social media has helped him promote his company and build up a customer base, he said, with TikTok proving particularly effective.
“I’ve got nearly 13,500 followers on TikTok, and I started that when I started the business,” he said.
“From there it has just taken off.”
Mr Calvert hosted his first “pop-up” event at MacGregor’s and said: “The response I had from that was astounding, and I seem to be going from strength to strength – I have got lots of plans for the future as well.”
Among those plans are moves to make his own limoncello liqueur recipe available wholesale.
His own oxtail ragu and his mother’s tiramisu recipe are also likely to play a big part, having proven particularly popular with customers so far.
“I don’t think Inverness has had much fresh tiramisu before – it has all been store bought stuff,” he said.
“I have people coming and buying five portions at a time at the trailer. They go crazy for the stuff.”
Miss Bowsher, meanwhile, previously worked for her family as a fishing gillie at Loch Bunachton south of Inverness and started out baking just for friends.
She moved her baking business to a unit at Bogbain Farm in March and added: “I have actually now just taken on two assistants to help me as well.
“They are both brilliant girls and I am so chuffed to have them on board.
“They are going to start working for me part-time in the next six weeks.
“As soon as I can get my payroll sorted I will have them on board.
“I always wanted to have my own business and I always wanted to have my own coffee shop, but it just never seemed to happen.”
Being in the professional kitchen at MacGregor’s had been exciting she said.
“I was selling cakes from there, but moving into Bogbain was the biggest jump, and I still get excited coming into work in the morning.
“It’s amazing – it’s such a good opportunity.
“All the people at Bogbain are so supportive and, honestly, I couldn’t speak highly enough of Jo De Sylva and Bruce MacGregor because they have done so much to help me and Otello out.”
Mr MacGregor said it had been wonderful working with both young entrepreneurs and added: “The reaction from our customers was brilliant.
“We are now desperate to get them up to Golspie when we open the new bar there.
“What really impressed people was the fresh flavours. Our regulars were blown away. We really expect to have Jen’s cakes in all the time and have some Italian food from Otello.”
