“As my business grows, I hope to employ St. Patrick Center clients and give back.”

After her husband was re-located to Missouri for a job in 2000, Jane Muscroft moved her family from England to the Show-Me-State. While raising her two girls in St. Louis, she decided it was time to get back to a career. Jane always had a love for food, so she approached Dierbergs’ Market to see if they’d consider her for their cooking school. In turn, they offered her an instructor position, allowing her to teach about British food and later, the art of afternoon teas.

Fueled by the newfound demand for her culinary knowledge, Jane knew it was time to start her own business. She formed Queen’s Cuisine and rented a small kitchen in Illinois, where she began making scones and other English pastries to sell at area farmers’ markets. However, she says, making her product in the kitchen she rented wasn’t easy. “The kitchen I was using was very small and the hours I could have it were very restrictive.” Then, someone at the farmers’ market where she sold her scones told Jane about the BEGIN New Venture Center (BNVC) small business incubator and culinary suite at St. Patrick Center.

Jane visited St. Patrick Center and the BNVC and was thrilled when she walked into the brand new, commercial culinary suite. “The facilities were wonderful and had everything that you can’t afford when you’re starting a small business.” Jane worked with the BNVC team to draw up a business plan and moved into the kitchen. “It’s been wonderful, and having St. Patrick Center clients here, I hope to eventually hire them as my business grows. It’s just a great place to be.”