Taste of success for cafe ‘olderpreneur’ Alison
A Bicester cafe is celebrating its first successful year in business after being opened by one of an older generation of entrepreneurs.
Alison Frost, from Adderbury, is part of a new generation of 50-somethings who are opening their own small businesses after facing prejudice in a tough jobs market.
She opened the Peacock Cafe last year near Windmill Nurseries on the A41, and now estimates around 70 per cent of her trade is repeat custom.
The emergence of older entrepreneurs, dubbed ‘olderpreneurs’, has been a growing phenomenon in recent years.
After months of a gruelling seven-days-a-week solo schedule, Alison has now taken on two employees, and is about to take on a third part-time worker.
She said: “I had been an employee for quite a while, and I was finding it very hard out there.
“There just aren’t a lot of jobs. And some will tell you they aren’t prejudiced against older people, but a lot of them are.
“I’d worked in catering and cafes over the years. The cafe had been empty for a year, so it was a totally blank canvas.”
While the cosy stone-built cafe pleases hungry tradesmen with its traditional all-day breakfast, it has also diversified to appeal to lunching ladies and office workers.
Cakes prepared by local WI members have become a popular fixture, as have the cafe’s quirky antique tea pots and vintage china sets.
Most items on display are available to buy, including the eclectic range of ornaments and furniture used inside the cafe.
Visit www.peacockcafe.co.uk for more information.
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Monday 20 May 2013
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