Made In Ely - an Ely Work Collective podcast

In this episode Louise, owner of The Beauty Loft, tells the story of growing her business from a home treatment room to a busy salon — and the recent move from Ely to a newly renovated space in Little Downham. She shares how a client-first approach, attention to detail and a close-knit team helped the salon thrive.

Louise also discusses recruitment, staying true to core services, the emotional push behind the expansion, community support and upcoming plans — plus the salon’s signature pink, spa-like welcome and practical perks like free parking.

In this episode, we chat with Luana, an Ely-based photographer who runs two businesses — traditional wedding and corporate photography, and a separate business in intimate portraiture and branding. She shares her path from learning photography with her father, going full-time three years ago, and the challenges of running a creative business.

Luana discusses authenticity in branding, setting boundaries with clients, and how her intimate portrait work helps people on body-confidence journeys by creating natural, unretouched images. She also talks about the Ely community and how listeners can find her work.

In this episode of Made in Ely, Cathrine chats with Jade Raymond, owner and director of PA Answer, about her journey from apprentice to business owner and how her team supports small businesses with call answering, diary and email management, and admin services.

They discuss practical tips for entrepreneurs such as trusting your intuition, building the right team, and outsourcing tasks to specialist providers to grow efficiently, and how PA Answer tailors services to different industries while maintaining a personal, human approach.

Jade also talks about life in Ely, team culture, recruitment, and plans for expanding specialised teams and premises; listeners are invited to try a free trial to see how PA Answer can help their business.

From Empty Rooms to New Beginnings: The Angels Foundation Story

In this episode, Caroline Deeprose, founder and CEO of the Angels Foundation UK, shares how a chance encounter led her to build a post-domestic abuse charity that provides furniture and long-term counselling to families starting over.

Caroline discusses the emotional and financial challenges survivors face, the gap in post-refuge support, the charity's growth and partnerships, and practical ways listeners and businesses can help.

Host Cathrine interviews Robyn, founder of Odyssey Games in Ely, about opening a board game shop on the high street, the shop’s community focus, and how games help people connect. Robyn shares her backstory, the shop’s evolution, and how they balance modern and classic games for all ages and abilities.

The episode covers practical start‑up lessons, challenges of running a shop in a historic building, upcoming events like Free RPG Day, and rising trends such as solo and mindful games. Listeners learn where to find Odyssey Games and how the shop aims to bring people together through play.

In this episode of Made in Ely, Tom Ramsey, Director of Coffee at Silver Oak, tells the story of the business from garage roasting and market stalls to opening The Yard in Ely. He explains speciality coffee grading, ethical sourcing, and how Silver Oak developed its roastery, menu and events.

Tom discusses the challenges of growing a business—staffing, budgets and building a community space—plus how they keep quality and consistency across their market stall, roastery and The Yard.

Find Silver Oak on the market square most days and at The Yard (35A Newnham Street), and online via their website and social channels.

Helena, owner of Helrica Massage Clinic, shares her journey from personal loss to opening a Littleport clinic that specializes in oncology massage, menopause massage, lymphatic drainage and alternative hair (wig) consultations. Named in memory of her friend Erica, Helena emphasizes a compassionate, flexible, and personal approach—donating £10 from every treatment to Macmillan and creating a calm, clock-free space. The episode covers her training, community connections, wig story, and the clinic’s opening on July 1st.

On this episode of Made in Ely, Anthe from Papas Locas talks about running a mobile food business that started with loaded fries and evolved into authentic Canadian poutine and a second ramen truck, Deruma.

She discusses sourcing real cheese curds and the right fries, building the Cambridge Food Truck Collective, pitching at events like the British Street Food Awards, seasonal menus, business challenges and practical advice for anyone starting a food truck. Find Papas Locas on Instagram and Facebook @pappaslocasuk and at www.papaslocas.co.uk.

Welcome to Made in Ely where we chat to local business owners about what they're building and how they're doing it. In this episode we speak with Gemma from eMotion Fit about her route from corporate life into personal training and breathwork. We discuss how a simple breathing practice brought quiet to a busy mind and became a tool for emotional release.

Gemma explains what to expect in her sessions — three rounds of breathwork, music-driven journeys, guided retentions and a cathartic vocal release — and why creating a safe, welcoming space matters. We also cover the role of community in Ely, men’s mental health sessions in the woods, and simple daily habits that support wellbeing like movement, sleep, hydration and awareness.

Made in Ely meets Luke and Rob from Studio Nova, a design-led agency bringing websites, advertising and creative solutions to local and national clients. They discuss starting the business, the importance of work experience, embracing new technology, and balancing creativity with commercial needs.

Studio Nova share lessons learned about client communication, hiring and nurturing talent, the benefits of being a small, responsive agency in Ely, and their passion for music, festivals and community-focused work.