Apprentice winner's bakery chain in liquidation

Apprentice winner Harpreet Kaur left the business in 2024

The bakery and dessert chain founded by The Apprentice winner Harpreet Kaur has gone into administration, 10 years after its launch.

Oh So Yum, with branches in Huddersfield, Bradford and Leeds, was placed into voluntary liquidation at the end of October and according to Companies House, it owes nearly £150,000 to creditors.

After winning The Apprentice in 2022, Ms Kaur secured a £250,000 loan from Lord Sugar to invest in the business. However, in 2024 she made the "difficult but exciting" decision to leave Oh So Yum for new projects.

The BBC has contacted the company for a comment.

Lord Sugar departed from the business in 2023.

A document filed with Companies House states that Oh So Yum, which changed its name to Big Momma's Waffles in September, was started by Ms Kaur, 33, and her sister and initially, "trade was strong".

However, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and changes in how people shopped led to "significant disruption" to the business.

The document also states that a "bounce-back" loan was taken out.

But despite the growth in popularity of delivery platforms leading to some success, the business did not recover.

The Bradford branch was the first to go in a bid to keep costs down

The liquidators said: "High platform fees and increased overheads as a result of post-Covid economic conditions impacted profitability and with footfall having not returned to pre-Covid levels the decision was taken to close the Bradford outlet in a bid to reduce costs.

"The company was unable to grow in line with original hopes and as a result Lord Sugar excited the business in July 2023."

The poor condition of the roof of the Huddersfield branch of Oh So Yum led to flooding in January, forcing it to shut.

The liquidators also said: "Despite attempts to find alternative ways to continue the company's finances meant that a return to trading activity was not possible.

"The company was clearly insolvent by virtue of the fact that it could not pay its debts as and when they fell due and that its liabilities were greater than its assets."

Akshay Thakrar and Harpreet Kaur were the first Apprentice couple to wed

Before winning The Apprentice, launching her own business and marrying fellow contestant Akshay Thakrar, Ms Kaur worked in banking - which was considered a "safe" profession.

Ahead of her wedding in June 2024, she told the BBC she hoped to be a role model for other women, especially from the South Asian community, and inspire them to be confident and "chase their dreams".

She added: "Trends are changing and our culture is becoming a lot more accepting."

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