Business Name: Pot O Rizotto
Support received: Start Up Loan and Start & Grow
Location: Colchester, Essex
Website: http://www.potorizotto.co.uk/
Selling delicious risotto from their eye-catching vintage Citroen HY van, Beata Illes and Christopher Vine, with support from enterprise agency Nwes, have turned their business dream from idea to reality.
We spoke to Beata and Chris about Pot O Rizotto and their dreams for the future.
Tell us more about Pot O Rizotto and how the idea began?
With a passion for food, and Chris’ background as a fully qualified chef, when we were considering starting our own business, we knew we could make a success of mobile catering with a unique product. The idea for Pot O Rizotto was born.
We make a number of different risotto options from scratch, including vegetarian dishes and arancini rice balls.
Where are you based?
Since launching Pot O Rizotto in September 2016, we visit events and festivals in and around Colchester.
We also take our vintage catering van, affectionately named ‘Betty Bleu’, to local events and festivals to encourage visitors to ‘get some rice into their life’.
What have the highlights of your business start-up been to date?
The highlight of our business start-up to date has, without a doubt, been the great customer feedback and kind words about our food.
Having gained our first customers on our very first day of trading, we were delighted with the praise we received. It gave us both an incredibly satisfying feeling.