Hidden Gems: Home & Pantry
Words by Rachel O’Brien
Photographs by Lisa Elbilia
Jenny Hughes left a corporate city job to start her own interior store
“There is always something exciting happening
in Camden Passage whether it’s a new market,
street events or live music,” says 29-year-old
Jenny Hughes, founder of Home & Pantry. “It’s the
perfect destination for an afternoon shopping and
has lots of options to grab a coffee and cake or sip
a glass of wine and watch the world go by,” she
continues.
When looking for a shop premise she knew it
would be the ‘perfect location’: “It has that great
village feel that I am used to at home [Dún
Laoghaire, south Dublin] – everyone knows each
other,” she explains.
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Jenny, who moved to London three years ago
due to the recession, wanted to start her own
business from a young age. Pursuing the idea,
she worked in family businesses while at school,
completed a degree in commerce at University
College Dublin and spent four years working in
entrepreneurial roles. “I wanted to gain as much
business experience as possible before opening my
own store,” she says.
In December 2010, feeling ‘totally uninspired’
with her corporate job, she handed in her notice
to open Home & Pantry. “Having only recently
moved to London and in the midst of a global
recession it was a huge risk. I had to speak to six
banks before persuading one to take a ch ance on
me,” she recalls.