Small Business Saturday: ‘Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and I’m proud to be part of that’

Greta McDonald founded her confectionery brand Sweet Lounge in Brixworth back in 2014, and has scooped a number of prestigious accolades over the past decade.

Sweet Lounge was launched when Greta knew there were better alternatives waiting to be discovered than what was already available on the sweet shelves, as no brands had endeavoured to offer vegan sweets in plastic-free packaging.

The business has already eliminated single-use plastics in its kitchens, is conscious about electricity usage, and is the only sweet brand in retail that has compostable packaging.

Hundreds of thousands of pieces of single-use plastic have been saved from entering oceans and landfill by Sweet Lounge, and Greta hopes the business is leading by example.

“I think Small Business Saturday is very important,” Greta told the Chronicle & Echo. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and there wouldn’t be as much innovation without them.

“Some people don’t realise the support that is out there for small businesses and this is a great initiative to showcase how well they are doing in this economy, with the cost of living crisis and after Covid.

“It’s incredibly important to shout about and get more people involved in starting small businesses.”

Despite being a brand with national and international reach, Greta says it “means a lot” when they have the support of customers from the area where the business was established.

Talking about the importance of consumers adopting an open-minded approach to the businesses that are out there, the founder said: “People need to look into what kind of diverse businesses are run here.

“Northampton is very much a central hub to England and there’s a lot of innovation here. Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

Greta is “absolutely” proud to be part of the diverse business community in Northampton, and she wanted to spotlight the food and drink industry in particular.

“People seem to think that everyone in the food and drink industry is London-based,” she said. “They aren’t and there are diverse companies all over the place. I’m definitely proud to be part of Northampton’s business community.”

It is Sweet Lounge’s dedication to sustainability that sets them apart, and the team is continuing to shout about the important behind the scenes work that consumers typically do not see.

The modern twist that Sweet Lounge puts on nostalgic sweet flavours also keeps customers coming back for more.

Join us tomorrow as we continue the countdown to Small Business Saturday by spotlighting some of the amazing independents at the heart of Northampton.

For more information on Sweet Lounge, visit the business’ website here.