Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust

February 2009

Jenny Hudson trained as a pastry chef and went on to work at some of London’s top establishments, including Claridges. She’d always had a passion for puddings, but after going on holiday to Australia she was so impressed with the chocolate cake there, she decided to recreate it back in the UK.

She had been out of work and was suffering from depression since having a baby, and was nervous about starting her own business. She went to The Prince's Trust, who were incredibly supportive of her idea and gave her a loan and a mentor. The encouragement she got from The Trust gave her the confidence boost she needed, and she made up her mind to take the plunge. She launched her company Sweet As in 2005 and hasn’t looked back.

In her first year of trading she was thrilled to make the one year wedding anniversary cake for HRH the Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. She said, “I really wanted to do something to say thank you for all the amazing support I got.”

Jenny not only sells cakes for weddings and parties from her website; she also holds pamper evenings and chocolate tasting parties. When her children get older she is also hoping to open her own high-end patisserie.

She has this advice for anyone thinking about approaching The Prince's Trust: “I wouldn’t have had the confidence to go it alone if it wasn’t for The Trust. They believed in me, and helped me to believe in myself. I’d say to anyone out there to just go for it – give them a call.”