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Two Dogs: where bold flavours meet inclusive vibes

Grow London LocalMatching London small businesses to support

Posted: Thu 8th Jan 2026

Two Dogs started as a popup in Catford Mews Market before evolving into a full-throttle flavour operation offering private catering, bold sauces, café, restaurant and kitchen consultancy and regular appearances at popups and markets.

Here, founder Jen Greenhalgh talks about what prompted her to start the business and the challenges she's faced as a small business owner.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your business.

I've always been a chef. I grew up in the Lake District and left school at 16 to train professionally.

A teacher once told me that being a chef was "for people who couldn't read or write", which only made me more determined to do it.

Over the years, I've worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, private members' clubs and even taught cookery for Jamie Oliver at "Fifteen".

Later, I took a corporate development chef role, creating food for first-class travel, until I was made redundant right before the COVID-19 pandemic.

That's when I decided I didn't want to work for someone else again. We started Two Dogs small, in an indoor market stall in Catford Mews, and it grew from there.

We've done pub residencies and popups and now focus on our sauces.

Where did the name Two Dogs come from?

There are two stories.

Originally, when I was doing popups during my corporate job, it was called Two Doors Down, after the Dolly Parton song, because it was literally two doors down from my friend's café.

Later, when we started serving gourmet corn dogs, it evolved into Two Dogs Down, and then just Two Dogs.

Everyone assumes it's about our dogs, and since we used to have two (one was named Dolly Parton, a Parson Russell Terrier), we just go with it!

What have been some of your biggest challenges since starting the business?

Definitely finances and cash flow. We started during lockdown with about £500 as I used my redundancy pay on rent. So, every step since then has been about making enough to reinvest and grow.

Marketing myself has also been tough. I've had to learn to be more confident about putting our story out there.

We've done everything ourselves without external investment because I like the freedom to follow my own direction without anyone telling me what to do.

Do you manage everything yourself?

It's just me and my partner Vic. She's a special needs headteacher, so she's brilliant with organisation and business management. I handle the creative and cooking side.

She also helps me slow down and think before I say yes to everything. I tend to take too much on because I want to help people.

How did you first hear about Grow London Local?

Vic found them on social media via the LGBTQ+ Centre on the South Bank, where we attended the Queer Business Networking event.

We've found the networking really valuable. I've always hated networking in the corporate world, but this felt different. It was inclusive, friendly and supportive.

We've met amazing people, including Ru and Stu, who run Where Have All the Flowers Gone? market, where we now trade.

What support have you received through Grow London Local?

Our Business Support Manager, Darya, referred us to some great programmes. She linked us to Wenta, where I've done several online marketing and Facebook masterclasses. Really practical stuff.

We've also used Digital Boost to help with setting up our online shop. Darya's been fantastic – approachable, well-connected and she really understands small businesses because she's been there herself.

Would you recommend Grow London Local to other small businesses?

Absolutely. It's one of the best things we've done. I was hesitant at first because of bad experiences with corporate networking, but this is completely different.

Even if you just go to an event, take a step back and think about your business, it's worth it. You meet great people, share ideas and get real support. I'd recommend it to anyone.

What's next for Two Dogs?

Right now, we're expanding our sauces. We just delivered our first wholesale batch to a restaurant in Brockley and we're getting them lab-tested so we can work with bigger stockists.

We're also doing more markets and popups, and I'm doing some consultancy work on the side to help fund our growth. It's going to be a busy but exciting year.

Looking back, would you have done anything differently?

I don't think so. Everything has evolved naturally. But I'd tell my past self to be more confident early on and to own who we are.

In the last 18 months, we've really embraced being queer caterers. Some people asked if that was a good idea, but it has worked brilliantly for us.

It filters out the clients we don't want and attracts those who get us. I wish I'd done that sooner.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting a business?

Go with your gut. Don't change for other people. If something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.

And don't give up. There will always be challenges, but you'll get through them. The right people and opportunities will find you.

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