Yvette Farrell, order business owner at Harts Barn Cookery School in the Forest of Dean has been crowned a Local Star, for sale winning an award for providing outstanding customer service and community support from Groupon.
The school, which offers affordable and diverse cooking courses such as pasta and chocolate making, has achieved significant business growth and seen a 30% rise in repeat visits. Groupon’s Local Stars campaign is designed to showcase some of the UK’s most exciting and best loved businesses.
As a self-taught cook, Yvette has grown Harts Barn Cookery School from strength to strength since it opened in 2011. Yvette and her colleagues have taught 1,300 Groupon customers, helping her to increase turnover by 20% from 2012-2013 and 50% from 2011-2012. Its success has also been recognised nationwide as a leader in the culinary field starring in ITV’s ‘Britain’s Best Bakery’ and appearing alongside British foodie, Gregg Wallace at local events.
Roy Blanga, Managing Director, Groupon UK commented: “Our Local Stars campaign celebrates businesses that go over and above to provide a fantastic service to their local community. We’ve been working closely with Harts Barn Cookery School for three years now and they have fantastic customer satisfaction scores.”
As an avid supporter of the local community, Yvette attends various events such as the Forest Showcase Food & Drink Festival and sources high-quality ingredients from local suppliers for her classes. One of her goals is to encourage children to take an interest in food and cooking by running lessons with local schools and youth groups such as the Brownies, while donating to the local children’s charity, Forest Pulse. This support is echoed in her work with other local organisations including the WI and County Council.
Yvette said: “When I first started my business, marketing and generating brand awareness cost-effectively was a big challenge for me and one that many small businesses face. We have built a very strong partnership with Groupon and have been really impressed with how it has helped us significantly boost customer numbers and drive local awareness in the area and beyond. We are delighted to receive this award as recognition of our business success and ongoing community support.”
To discover the Local Stars in your area, please visit local-stars.groupon.com