Aberystwyth Apprentice winner to open Caernarfon store

Aberystwyth-based Apprentice winner Alana Spencer has announced that she is going to open a second store in the north of Wales – this time in Caernarfon.

The move comes after she opened up two new stores in Llandudno and Cardiff over the past few weeks.

The new store in Caernarfon will be in Victoria Dock, on the former site of the Celtica specialist gifts retailer which closed in 2016.

“We are discovering more and more how beautiful it is in north Wales,” she told her YouTube followers. “And this time we have chosen a site in Caernarfon which we are absolutely in love with. And I’m really excited to see what we can do with it.

“It’s obviously going to be pink and pastel and very lovely and cutesy. In the windows we’re going to have very nice window panels. There’s  a lovely view of the harbour.

“We’ve been down there now to do some planning. We’ve done it three times. So now we know a little bit more about what we need to do to get it open. So it felt a little bit like deja vu but deja vu with a little bit more knowledge.

“This one, although it looks huge, doesn’t come with as much risk as Cardiff. I’ve very much learnt now, Cardiff is our flagship, we’re so proud of Cardiff and how it looks and how big and amazing it is.

“But we need to keep an eye on the finances first and foremost. So although this is a big site and it’s going to cost a lot to do it, the risk with this site is nowhere near the risk with Cardiff. So it’s very exciting.”

The Aberystwyth baker won the Apprentice in 2016 and secured a £250,000 investment from Alan Sugar in her business Ridiculously Rich.

Three years after going into business together she bought up the IT and property tycoon’s share of the company so she could go it alone with the bakery.

Before announcing that she was opening a store in one of Wales’ Welsh language heartlands, she had recently been sharing with her followers her journey to learn the Welsh language.

Spencer said: “Tweeting in Welsh has lost me so many followers this week. So, after careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision, to do it far more often.”

The businesswoman then received an outpouring of support on the platform for her support of the Welsh language.

She later said: ““Wow. What an amazing response to my Tweet yesterday from ALL over the UK (really important to note that I think!) Thanks so much for your support – diolch i chi gyd am eich cefnogaeth.”