Cafe brews plans to win mentoring

Eteaket on Frederick Street is one of 12 remaining UK entrants in the Local Business Accelerators (LBA) contest, a nationwide challenge backed by newspapers across the country to support up-and-coming companies.

When announced last year the competition attracted 3000 entrants and the support of Prime Minister David Cameron.

Up for grabs is the chance to win mentoring from TV’s Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden and an advertising campaign by a top London agency.

Erica Moore and husband Stewart, both 34, set up their business in December 2008 and their plan is to expand by opening up tea bars across the UK.

Back in January they won the Edinburgh round, and mum-of-one Erica from Portobello said: “We’re a small, family-owned company so we don’t have lots of money to spend on advertising so it’s been a really big boost to be able to speak to our potential customers in the Evening News.

“We are over the moon to win the regional heats. Business is really going well at the moment so to go one step further and win the entire competition would be fantastic.

“The prize on offer is priceless really. If we could choose one of the ‘dragons’ to mentor us it would be Deborah Meaden, as I think we’d work well with her plus we need advice on branding and marketing and communication strategies which she is very good at.

“A lot of people have the impression when they walk in to Eteaket that we are a big company and have got lots of backing and money behind us, but in actual fact it’s just me and my husband.

“He’s working full-time and I’m working on the business and looking after a baby at the same time.”

Eteaket offers more than 42 different types of loose leaf tea.

Explaining how she came to set up the business, Erica said: “I used to be a lawyer in London and got a little bit jaded with it, and wasn’t sure I could do it for the next 30 years.

“I discovered loose leaf tea and thought there should be somewhere on the high street where you can get a proper cup of loose leaf tea. I decided to quit my job and set up Eteaket.”

Eteaket was chosen as the central/north Scotland winner by an LBA judging panel of Helen Loveless, Mail on Sunday business editor; Stephen Welton, Business Growth Fund chief executive; Graham Goodkind, Frank PR founder; Al Young, St Luke’s creative director; and Lynne Anderson, NS communications and marketing director.