How a biscuit is baking a brighter future for unemployed youngsters in Birmingham

From the Midlands

It’s hard to imagine how a biscuit can change lives – but that’s exactly what the macaroons of Birmingham based Miss Macaroon are doing every day. The social enterprise company was set up by local high-end pastry chef Rosie Ginday with just £500 in her pocket and one employee. Now ten years on, it is a thriving business achieving its mission of supporting inexperienced and often disillusioned young people into work.

Rosie’s fine art degree, chef training and passion for perfection has meant her macaroons are bought by some of the biggest companies in the UK. Miss Macaroon is the only patisserie in the world to use a Pantone matching service i.e. able to get the exact colour of a company’s branding replicated onto her biscuits.

But it’s not just the corporate world who want Miss Macaroon products. They’re also on sale to the public in her shop in the Great Western Arcade in Birmingham and in pop up shops.

Miss Macaroon has been noticed in royal circles too. The business made macaroon gift bags for Prince Harry and Megan Markle when they came to Birmingham for their engagement tour. That led to an invitation to their wedding.

Rosie, herself, was awarded an MBE for her work but she doesn’t plan to rest on her laurels. Instead, her mission continues - to change the world for young unemployed people in Birmingham – one macaroon at a time. www.missmacaroon.co.uk