From brewers and knitters to smoothie-making firms, Tottenham businesses have come together to share ideas on helping our economy thrive.
A networking event was held at Five Miles bar, cafe, club and brewery – a new event space that has launched following a loan from Haringey and the Mayor of London’s Opportunity Investment Fund.
The fund supports a number of new and established businesses in Tottenham, aimed at boosting the local economy and community. To date we have loaned more than £1.8million between 13 Tottenham businesses, creating more than 230 jobs, and we have another £1.4million still available.
One of the firms that has received an OIF loan is Redemption brewery, which launched in Northumberland Park in 2009 and is now an award-winning craft beer hotspot.
Brewer Andy Moffat says Redemption chose Tottenham for its affordable rents and vibe. He says:
Tottenham felt like a raw, exciting, place – a proper urban landscape where you wouldn’t expect to find a small brewery. We grew our business from a one-man band serving a handful of London pubs to a business employing 10 people and supplying pubs up and down the country and further afield.
Andy says getting to this stage involved a great deal of hard work, a bit of luck and lots of support. He says:
We always had a good relationship with the council as I think they have recognised the value of attracting small growing businesses like Redemption. You always hear stories from around the country that the local council seems to be there to make life difficult for businesses, but we’ve always found Haringey keen to work with us and listen to us. As a business we want to be a positive part of our community and we want to be socially responsible – that seems to be what the OIF is keen to try and do.
Redemption’s OIF loan helped them to move to a larger site, modernise, grow and employ more people, including apprentices and youngsters on work experience.
Cllr Joe Goldberg, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Social Inclusion and Sustainability, said:
Ensuring Tottenham is home to a growing, healthy and diverse group of businesses is vital to our borough. As well as encouraging aspiring new entrepreneurs, we also want to help existing independent businesses expand and thrive. The Opportunity Investment Fund is already helping to bring more than 200 jobs to Haringey, and with funds still available, we encourage ambitious businesses to join us in driving Tottenham’s economy forward.
