Updated: 6 August 2020
Michaela is the founder and owner of award-winning healthy lifestyle bakery, Arapina. The bakery focuses on reinventing Mediterranean cooking, specialising in free from and guilt-free treats.
After finishing university, Michaela went straight into work. It wasn’t long before she became bored and found herself dreaming about running her own business. Being an avid home baker herself, Michaela began trading in food markets in 2013 with one single product – the Arapina chocolate cake. Her delectable treat was an instant hit, and she started to receive requests from wholesalers. Demand kept growing and there quickly became a need to relocate into a larger premises. Shortly after, they moved into an industrial kitchen between Greenwich and Deptford.
The bakery was minimal and there was a need for funding to refurbish the premises. Michaela came across Funding Circle through an advert on social media and decided to take a loan in May 2017. “I found that I could communicate with them. They understand the mindset of an entrepreneur and that really helps” she said. Since receiving funds from Funding Circle investors, Arapina have doubled their turnover. “Without them we wouldn’t be in the position we are today”.
In this short video, meet Michaela and discover more about the exciting evolution of Arapina.
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