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Cathy Meats BizFizz for Prime Support

Years of hard work and training have paid off for an Ashington woman who seized a golden opportunity to start up her own Butchers business within a busy Northumberland supermarket.

Cathy Woodward had previously worked as a meat cutter before being made redundant due to the closure of the Butchers Shop where she worked. Rather than face the dole queue and the bleak prospects of unemployment, Cathy decided to use her trade skills and start her own business. With the help of various grants and practical business advice she has now opened “Cathy’s Fresh Cuts” within the Netto Store at Ashington.

Business in the first week has been brisk and already Cathy is looking to recruit two part time employees to help cope with demand. As well as sourcing meat from the finest local suppliers, a new speciality market is also emerging; as Cathy, originally from Selkirk in the Scottish Borders is bringing in food with a distinctly Scottish flavour. New delicacies include Beef Olives, Haggis, Lorne Sausages and Best Scotch Beef.

“It’s been quite scary starting out on my own but it’s also a great feeling knowing that I’m doing something I’ve always wanted to do” said Cathy “I’ve had a lot of help with various grants and practical business advice but none of this would have been possible without the help of the BizFizz team”

BizFizz provides free, confidential and professional advice to local entrepreneurs. It works by employing a BizFizz coach who provides tailored one-to-one support to individuals who want to start or grow their business.

Graeme Trotter, one of two BizFizz Coaches for the Wansbeck Community, was delighted that he was able to help Cathy in her first steps towards running her own business. “Cathy was a joy to coach; she has a lot of passion for what she does and battled every obstacle in her way.”

Although Cathy is now up and running, it is by no means the end of support from the BizFizz team. “Our aim is to help people at every stage of their business, so help is on hand if Cathy encounters an unexpected problem with any aspect of her work” said Graeme. “We wish her the very best of luck”