Inverness Courier ones to watch in 2024: Business
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With a new year, always comes new hope but who are likely to be among the individuals to keep tabs on in 2024? Here are our ones to watch in business.
Dimitri Andreas
When Dimitri Andreas started working at Costa at the age of 16 to pay for a holiday with his pals, he didn’t even like hot drinks, much less coffee. But 10 years on, the budding entrepreneur now owns The Highland Coffee Academy: showing cafés and young people how to make the perfect cup of coffee.
The 26-year-old established his business at the end of 2022, and over the last few months his vision has gathered pace.
He offers a variety of on-site and off-site workshops to businesses and individuals, including a foundation course, with basic barista skills and an intermediate and advanced course for more in-depth knowledge.
Alongside equipping people with coffee skills, Dimitri also has his own café on wheels: The Highland Coffee Pod. It can be found at different locations in Inverness throughout the week and it will soon have a permanent home at Anytime Fitness, in Harbour Road, two days a week.
Dimitri’s dream is to be able to have a permanent base in the city that he can provide training from and set up cafés throughout the area.
“I want to hopefully get a premises in Inverness and have a hub for people to come to the academy," he said.
"I would love to be able to have multiple sites around Inverness where people can get a good quality coffee.”
Alice Prentice
Alice Prentice (25), from Muir of Ord, owns the first ever Risograph printing studio in Inverness.
Risograph printing is fast becoming a popular method amongst illustrators, zine makers, comic book artists, printmakers and graphic artists alike.
Having run several workshops this year, and always busy filling orders from her online shop, Alice also works full-time as a Developing the Young Workforce co-ordinator and has taught her skill in several schools around the Highlands.
Her studio is based at Inverness Wasps Artists' Studio, and she was also involved in creating the Pride exhibition for Xoko Bakehouse.
With a strong social media following, Alice lets people see behind the scenes of her art, and is passionate about expanding her business in 2024.
Dylan Wynne
Dylan Wynne, who works at Cobbs Group, was crowned Highland rising star at the Highlands and Islands Thistle Awards (HITA) 2023.
Dylan has been nurtured by his bosses, after they took him under his wing after spotting his talent.
Fraser Campbell, a managing director at Cobbs said: "Dylan was wrapping pallets for us at the bakery, and he was such a clever guy so we got him doing something else as he could do so much more!
“I was speaking to his tutor, and he reckons he will be able to do a PhD in tourism and hospitality with how bright he is. It’s fantastic."
