A Zest For Success - Bella Starr

One young local entrepreneur is busy preparing for the Woodstock Memorial Show this weekend. Thirteen-year-old Bella Starr has started her own business selling dehydrated citrus under her Broadview Botanicals label.

When asked why she wanted to start her own business, Bella responded, “I thought it would be a fun way to earn a bit of pocket money, but I also thought it would be a great experience for me to learn how to be more confident around people in public and to learn some good social skills.”

“My mum likes the occasional gin and tonic and she gave me the original idea of dehydrated citrus. I did some research on the internet and thought – hey, I can do that!”

Bella has been running three dehydrators non-stop for 4 weeks, dehydrating the oranges, lemons and lemonades she has picked from her great uncle’s farm. She has packaged the fruit in 50g bags and 30g jars as drink garnishes.

“People can use the dehydrated citrus in drinks, but they can also be used for decorating cakes or to just eat and enjoy. The oranges are even more delicious when coated in chocolate!” said Bella.

Woodstock Memorial Show President, Ben Johnstone is excited to have youth engaged with the show. “It is awesome to have young entrepreneurs taking initiative and showcasing their wares within the Market Laneway. It is great that we can act as a motivator for young people and harness their enthusiasm for being involved in rural communities,” said Ben.

Bella has mixed feeling about her first market stall this weekend. “It is exciting to have my own business, but it is also a bit nerve-wracking because I have never done something like this before and I am not sure how it will go.”

The Woodstock Memorial Show is on this Sunday 4th September at the Woodstock Showground from 9am - 4pm.

• Topics:
• Food
• People