From cheese lover to business founder: the story of Mouse & Grape

For Jessica Summer, cheese and wine have always been more than indulgence – they're a source of joy and connection.

What began as a personal passion grew into Mouse & Grape, a luxury cheese and wine business specialising in curated hampers and tasting events, and a flagship deli bar in North West London.

Like many business owners, Jessica faces the challenge of wearing many hats – from managing business accounts to navigating licences – but she embraces every part of the journey.

Watch the video to hear about Jessica's story, the challenges she's faced and her advice for anyone looking to start their own business.

Transcript

Can you tell us about your business?

Mouse & Grape is a luxury cheese and wine business. We specialise in hampers, and we also do tasting events for both corporate and at-home events like hen parties and birthday parties. Then we also have a deli bar in North West London, which is our flagship store.

What are your biggest challenges you face as a business owner?

There are many challenges. I think the main one is wearing many, many hats.

I love certain aspects of the business. I absolutely love cheese and wine, obviously. But it's all the other bits as well – from accounts to HR, to pavement licences, to all sorts of different things. I feel like when you get one level sorted, a whole other level of things you didn't think of appears.

How has Grow London Local helped your business?

Grow London Local has really helped my business by allocating me someone to talk to. Also, they offer lots of resources, workshops and different things you can attend – both networking and also educational online workshops. They have been really helpful.

Why would you recommend Grow London Local to other businesses?

I'd recommend Grow London Local to other entrepreneurs and small business owners because it's really important to take any opportunity that's given to us. This is a free programme that's going to enable us to grow our businesses.

What advice would you give to other business owners?

The advice I'd give is to stick to your own path. Be really focused and drive in the path that you've chosen.

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