DON'T TELL ME I CAN'T...work with my daughter

There isn’t anyone else Micaela Clegg would rather be in business with

- FIONA KINLOCH

After packing the locally sourced fruit, vegetables and assortment of dairy products and meats into a box, I slide it along the countertop to my daughter, Evangeline, 26, who seals it shut. Our recipe-box service, Little Weighton Kitchen, had started out as a fun project for the pair of us during the first lockdown, but now, a year on, we’ve become a locally renowned brand with a loyal customer base. It has surpassed all our expectations, and seeing the business excel is an experience made even greater by doing it alongside my daughter.

I’d started out with a career in hospitality as a teen, working as a waitress in a hotel. But, over the years, I worked hard to climb the ranks in hotel management, and by the time I had Evangeline in 1994, aged 28, I was more determined than ever to be successful. But being a single mum, working unsociable hours as a hotel manager while Evangeline was at nursery, was tough. I hated missing out on precious moments with her.