Jack Jenner, 22, first started working in a kitchen at the age of 16 to gain experience on a catering course at York University. A former Manners School pupil, he quickly rose to the position of head chef and went on to develop several businesses based in Sparks, York.
At the age of 18, Jack met his current business partner, Jason Hundley. A year later, he opened Baby Boy's Kitchen for pop-up events. “Baby Boy's Kitchen started as a food account just to share what I do in my spare time,” Jack said. “I was posting things I made at home, and it wasn’t until one of the traders here (at SPARK) asked me if I had ever thought about turning it into a business that I thought why not? Ta.
“We decided to do it, and it was really cool and even a little surreal. Whenever a unit of SPARK became available, I just went and did one day, and it was It went really well.”
He then went to work at the newly opened tavern, formerly located at 21 Grape Lane. “That was a big part of my fine dining experience,” Jack added.
By the age of 21, Jack decided to open his first business, Baby Boys Burger, in Sparks, York.
The self-funded venture was “scary” at first, but it started to pay off once Jack asked friends for business advice and began growing his brand.
“It was such a learning curve and around April when the roof came off, that’s when things started to get a little mental,” he said.
“Rather, it was a challenge to execute everything, and the social media work we have been doing has really paid off.
“We were trying to push ourselves to get out more. I think some of us were like, 'Who is this kid?'
Now, a year later, he and his small team are celebrating their success with a new menu and custom products.
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He added: “Our goal in the first year was just to survive. Many companies don't make it past the first year. There's a lot to celebrate about this journey.”
Jack said he was “very relieved” after seeing a vision of Baby Boy taking off. “We have been doing well. We have goals for the new year and we want to expand. We have many new menu items developed and ready, and we will also expand the brand,” he added.
“I recognize that the first year was mental, but it's about thinking about whether I want to spend another year mentally and taking risks, or do I want to focus on building.
“There are a lot of things in marketing and business that are not my background, so it's important to continue that education. Next year is also about solidifying the framework we've built. You need to build that framework before you can create it, otherwise it will break. ”
Baby Boy's Burgers is celebrating its anniversary today (January 18) with an event at SPARK starting at 6pm.
