POST-RIOT funding has given a Purley woman the chance to set up her dream cake shop.
Antoinette Frucilla, 37, who moved over from Canada to be with her husband in 2005, believes Purley has nothing like her new shop, Dolce Dolce, on offer, and that demand will be high.
The Foxley Lane resident told the Advertiser: "I started a cake-decorating course when I moved here.
"Then I began making cakes for weddings out of our kitchen and last December, one of them featured in the magazine Harper's Bazaar.
"Costco got in touch to see if I wanted to start selling my cakes online but they thought I already had a premises.
"That was when I was walking through Purley and saw 10 High Street empty and thought it would be perfect – both for the town and for my business."
However, Antoinette had no capital behind her and went looking online for funding and loans.
She explained: "I came across a lot of scams at the beginning, you have to be very careful.
"Then I found GLE Croydon Loan Fund team who did 15 hours work with me creating a business plan and then put me through a two-hour interview.
"In the end, they loaned me £13,000 to cover the deposit, a few months' rent, initial heating bill and things like that. I couldn't have done it without them."
After the August 2011 riots, the GLE Croydon Loan Fund was promoted by the council and made £250,000 available to boost trade in the borough.
The team also provided a source of advice and offered help with negotiating insurance claims, banking and business planning.
The pastry chef said she will be selling cupcakes, pastries and biscuits – as well as cakes – in a "'Marie Antoinette boutique"-style shop.
Antoinette said she was planning an opening for June 1, with a possible free event, and will also be taking part in the Purley Festival this year.
