Nicole Page and Whitney Papa, graduates of London Met, are making London a sweeter place with Oh Gee, Pie! a sweet pie and baking company. They plan to open Wanderlost – a café which provides a mentorship-led employability training programme for care-leavers. Wanderlost won the Social Impact and Overall Champion categories in this year’s Big Idea Challenge. We had the chance to speak to them to learn more…
How do you feel after winning the Big Idea Challenge?
It was that moment of “Yes! We’re going in the right direction! This is what we’re supposed to be doing!” It’s powerful, its confirming, you know you really put the work in, challenged yourself and the idea and it worked, keep going!
I want some pie! How do I go about ordering some?
Great! Take a look at our current menu here and email us at info@ohgeepie.com with your order. We have full size, “mini” and “pie lettes”- which are the best for things like office treats as they are individual portions! We really want to target offices and businesses to purchase our pies as office treats!
I can’t decide what to buy! What are your best-sellers?
We’ve developed our current menu based on what’s in season and flavours that reflect Spring. But our salted caramel apple pie and chocolate chess pies are our best sellers and that we’ve got the most praise for!
OK, you have my attention… tell me more! What else is on the menu?
We believe that pie tastes the best when it’s been freshly handmade and delivered within a day of it coming out of the oven. We make everything from scratch from our all-butter pastry down to our salted caramel sauce.
We like to divide our pies up into two categories: old school and new school. Our old school pies are recipes we would make with our grandmothers and families- things like traditional American dessert staples such as apple pies. Our new school pies are recipes that we have added our own personal touch to. We’re hoping these two different approaches will appeal to both American expats who crave home, and Londoners who want to try something different.
Were you always interested in baking? How did you become so passionate about it?
Whitney: I’ve grown up baking for friends and giving baked goods as presents since I was a teenager. Handmade gifts add such a personal touch to things, and I think people respond so well to baked goods that they know the giver spent their own time preparing.
On a slightly sadder note, I lost my grandmother at a young age and don’t have many memories of her except for baking after school. I think that baking helps me remember her and feel closer to her, which is why I feel so passionate about it.
What has winning the competition meant to you?
Nicole: Winning, getting to share my dream/idea with the support of Whitney and London Met and Accelerator on such a platform as this… is surreal!
What’s the next step from here?
Whitney: Making more connections, hitting the pavement to promote, taking orders!
Nicole: Reaching out, using the resources we have obtained through the competition to build our business. We’ve entered new and unfamiliar territory and we need guidance and support, we can’t do it alone!
How will winning this competition advance Wanderlost?
Whitney: It has turned it from a dream into an actual, tangible reality. The interest we’ve received has only grown since winning. It’s motivated us to really push towards our goal.
Nicole: Getting the word out, raising awareness and hopefully allowing it to connect with others who can help us build this!
What has the support from Accelerator meant to you during this process?
Whitney: Everything. We wouldn’t be here without Accelerator. We know that no matter what questions we have or advice we need, it’s always there for us. We know they are on our side and want us to succeed.
Nicole: We may not know what we’re doing with starting a business and making these dreams/ideas into reality, but we are surrounded by an amazing team at the Accelerator who know what they are doing and can help guide us.
What advice would you give to other young entrepreneurs now?
Whitney: If you have an idea, give it attention. And if you have a great tool like Accelerator- use it! Being able to build on this passion and start our own business has been amazing. I’ve always had a fear of getting stuck in a 9-5 that I’m miserable at, so while starting your own business is extremely hard and time consuming, it’s something we are both passionate about. Nicole and I work well together and each have our own strengths that have helped us succeed thus far!
Nicole: Share your idea, your dream with anyone who will listen, and then allow others to come up beside you and help make it into a reality! Find a mentor, someone who can help guide you.
