Meet The Glowgetter Serena Whitefield from Pearl & Groove

What was your light bulb moment for creating Pearl and Groove?

I went into building a business in a relaxed way because it was part of our family culture. Our parents brought us up to believe we should not be afraid to try things and my family is full of entrepreneuers. My father ran a chocolate factory, my brother George runs the entertainment company Sharky and George and my sister runs the Wedding Present List company.

Working for a ski company in 2013 doing sales. I kept thinking there is more to life than this. I wanted to be proud of what I did. Food and and art were my passions and so i decided to bring them together.

Where did you start?

I started baking from home and selling wholesale delivering to cafés on a sale or return basis. It grew from there.

In 2013 there was no one else was selling gluten-free cakes. Suppliers came to me like Selfridges and Fortnums. I didn’t have to make a single sales call.

We don’t use gluten free flour- we use almond flour.

I played around with the recipes and I went into the second year doing a summer of festivals. It was a huge learning curve and a challenge. I would bake all week and then every Thursday I would pack up the van, work all weekend and sleep in a tent. It was exhausting but I loved it and it was great marketing. Festivals like Wilderness were amazing as they were packed with families interested in gluten-free cakes. In 2016 we opened the shop. I liked the area and it felt like there was a nice sense of community.

Where did you learn to bake?

I learnt on the job. I was a chef in private villas and chalets before starting the business. My background is in fine art. The creative side is very much a passion of mine to keep things interesting. With cakes you can always be more playful.

What are the highs and lows of running an alternative bakery?

When we opened I had a business partner who was a friend. She came in when we opened the shop and put some money in. She had 20% of the business, but she left in October. Now it’s back to being completely mine again. I can make decisions quicker.

The highs are being creative with flavours and developing recipes and seeing peoples pattern and working out what they like and what they don’t like.

I love our regular customers. Shop life is fun as people come in to talk to us all the time.

The next 5 years for Pearl and Groove?

We want to start delivering nationwide in the next few years. We are going to fill the shelves with sugar free jams and more vegan produce. I want to create more exciting healthier deserts to sell too.

What makes you glow?

Exercise: I like doing any sort of exercise. I’ve just decided to get into running.
Nature:  I love being outdoors paddle boarding in the summer
Friends: I love being with friends
Food: I don’t like cooking when I go home. I get Deliveroo. Ramen or Poké Sushi or Pho. I love vegan food and tofu
My dog: I have a whippet so do lots of dog walk in Kensington Gardens or Richmond

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