inside THE BUSINESS :
MARIA BRADFORD : SHWEN SHWEN
WOMENINBUSINESS
BEYOND THE GLASS CEILING ...
Catering for special events , award-winning chef and soon-to-be cookbook author Maria Bradford is on a mission to bring a whole new world of flavours to people for dinner parties , corporate events , weddings , or special occasions . Born and raised in Freetown , the capital of Sierra Leone , Maria came to Kent as a teenager and her love of cooking was sparked by trying to recreate dishes from her homeland , sometimes with limited access to her favourite ingredients .
Initially , Maria started her career in accountancy , but her passion for cooking and connecting people through food soon inspired her to change career path . She studied at Leith ’ s School of Food and Wine and then started her own catering business Shwen Shwen ( which means ‘ fancy ’ in Krio ) in 2017 .
Shwen Shwen caters for private events and has a product range featuring juices and hot sauces inspired by the flavours of West Africa , including hibiscus , tamarind , ginger and chilli . As well as running the business , and being a mother to two children , Maria is also currently writing her first recipe book , Sweet Salone , featuring recipes from the heart of Sierra Leone , due to be published in July this year .
Keen to raise the profile of the food culture from Sierra Leone , Maria was recently named as winner of the African Food of the Year category at the Be Inclusive Hospitality Spotlight Awards . The awards celebrate businesses and individuals of exceptional talent and achievement from Black , Asian , and ethnic minority backgrounds working within UK hospitality . Maria is passionate about highlighting the African food and flavours of her heritage and inspiring black women and girls to follow their passions and become successful businesswomen .
www . shwenshwen . com
inside THE BUSINESS :
ALICE DRAY : BLOOM STAYS
BEYOND THE GLASS CEILING ...
Alice Dray , who has recently joined the ( all female ) Bloom Stays team in Canterbury , has , she thinks , found the golden ticket of a working life ; a senior role in an industry she loves with the flexibility to be at home , school or pitchside ( Under 6 footie anyone ?) as and when she can . It ’ s something she ’ s particularly proud of , especially with her new role which brings her back to focus on holiday letting in Kent , where she grew up and now lives .
Blooms Stays ’ 100 holiday homes are all in Kent ( well , almost , there ’ s a handful in Camber ) and Alice is enjoying getting to know owners and their houses inside out .
As an ex-colleague of the founders at a previous holiday let agency , joining Bloom Stays ’ team was a fairly simple process , and her new role is to support the co-founders of Bloom Stays , Rowena Owen and Nicky Russon . As owner manager , Alice is their extended eyes , hands and feet out on the road , working to help owners manage their holiday houses and maximise their investments . She reviews pricing , helps them make plans , whether that ’ s financial or in practical bricks and mortar terms , and keeps an eye on the market so she can give them the most up to date information .
Her experience is put to work to make sure the houses exceed expectations for Bloom Stays ’ guests too . On any average day she ’ s checking pillows and beds for superb comfort , kitchens for practicality , and gardens and grounds for , well , entertainment . Bloom Stays ’ houses are made for good times , so someone has to check out the treehouse don ’ t they ?
Bloom Stays is an independent holiday let business based in Canterbury . Its houses are hand-picked by Nicky and Rowena and are all exclusive to Bloom Stays . Visit bloomstays . com to find out more .
bloomstays . com
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