#BirminghamMeansBusiness: Miss Macaroon’s Rosie Ginday - doing business for the better and delivering sweet results

With Miss Macaroon, social purpose has never tasted so sweet. After founder Rosie Ginday saw the impact of someone close to her being raised in care, Ginday’s desire to improve mental health for misguided youth by giving them a second chance was sparked.

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With experience as a high-end pastry chef, Ginday had the skills and knowledge to leverage people’s universal love of dessert for social purpose, allowing macarons to be savoured beyond eating the product itself.

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Still working full time, Ginday purchased £500 worth of ingredients and used her days off to launch the business. Without a professional work space, Ginday used her old Birmingham college’s kitchen and approached a local charity to put forward three care leavers for the pilot training scheme. The business has since grown to have 27 employees, most of which are graduates of the ‘Macaroons Make a Difference (MacsMAD)’ scheme that provides wellbeing and job support to the 18-35 year olds of the Midlands who find themselves in long term homelessness.

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“I realised that anyone, no matter how ‘normal’ their lives may seem, things can always take a drastic turn for the worse and so I decided that I could change the possibilities by creating a successful company.”

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Rosie Ginday, Business Matters 2016

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Establishing one of the most prominent social enterprises in Birmingham and being a Natwest Great British Entrepreneur 2022 finalist, Ginday is a shining example of going above and beyond to do business for the right reasons. Miss Macaroon is a social enterprise like no other, working alongside the UN sustainable development goals by immersing youth into professional kitchens alongside chefs and pairing them with psychotherapists, counsellors and mentors to foster mental wellbeing.

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A champion for sustainable change within the Birmingham community, Ginday takes it a step further as an ‘Entrepreneur in Residence’ at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Women’s Enterprise, Leadership, Economy & Diversity (WE-LEAD). Working closely with Professor Kiran Trehan, Miss Macaroon provides apprenticeship opportunities, recognising that the conventional route of higher education may not be suited to all - in particular, care leavers and those who have been incarcerated.

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“We are willing to give them a chance if no one else will, without judgement.”

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Rosie Ginday

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Since starting the MacsMAD scheme, Miss Macaroon has gained nation-wide recognition, with one of their highlights being Allison Hammond joining the team for a day as an intern. The scheme impressively reports that 93% of graduates are already in work or in training. Its popular pantone-matched macarons appeal to businesses not only for their delicious taste, but also for the hard work Ginday represents.

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This story is part of the x+why's #BirminghamMeansBusiness series, sharing the stories of some of Birmingham's wonderful entrepreneurs as we celebrate being part of the vibrant Birmingham business community.

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