Ep. 2430 Jessica Summer of Mouse & Grape | Voices with Cynthia Chaplin

How a layoff turned into a lesson in craft, credibility, and commerce

The moment that rearranged Jessica Summer's career happened in the space of ten days. A new job in central London began on March 9, 2020, and folded by March 19. That abrupt ending coincided with the wider collapse of hospitality and retail. Rather than retreating, she used the pause to dislodge certainty and to rebuild a business around pleasure: cheese and wine. The result, Mouse and Grape, began as an Instagram account and evolved into a luxury online hamper business, tasting events, and a bricks and mortar deli and wine bar opened in November 2024.

Foundations first: why qualifications mattered

For many founders, credibility grows with time. For Summer, credibility was purchased up front through study. She completed WSET to level three, earned Academy of Cheese certifications, and took practical cheese hands-on roles to learn the craft. Those qualifications became a form of fast-tracked trust, allowing a premium price point to sit alongside authentic expertise. The credentials also changed the language of her brand, moving Mouse and Grape from hobbyist curation to a professional, high-end service.

Credentials as a business lever

Qualifications helped secure corporate clients, informed tasting event scripts, and reduced friction when pitching press. They were not vanity badges; they functioned as a concise, verifiable resume that opened doors to partnerships and media spots that would later propel sales.

Social presence, professional photography, and PR

The Instagram account was initially a research and discovery tool, a place to test pairings and learn an audience. That platform became a marketing lab: understanding what resonated, building a visual language, and collecting assets. A turning point came with investment in professional photography and early PR support. Coverage in national recommendation lists and targeted media placements amplified Mouse and Grape beyond the founder's immediate network.

From photos to bookings

High-quality imagery converted social proof into commercial leads. The same material that sells hampers also secures corporate tasting bookings, and provides a consistent brand story across website, events, and retail packaging.

Mentors, microgrants, and young enterprise programs

Not every founder discovers a navigable route alone. The King's Trust, formerly the Prince's Trust, offered a structured five-day enterprise program, mentorship, and small funding that allowed early experimentation. A will-it-work grant funded a market pop-up stall that proved the concept, while ongoing mentorship supplied perspective when expectations outran reality. The trust of an external mentor reduced the emotional cost of early setbacks and reframed modest early sales as evidence of product-market fit rather than failure.

The value of a disciplined mirror

For entrepreneurs, someone who can temper overambitious projections and suggest incremental goals is often more valuable than another cheerleader. That disciplined reflection kept the business steady through uneven first seasons.

Diversification as survival strategy

Mouse and Grape rarely leaned on a single revenue stream. The business model now blends curated hampers, online retail, corporate and private tastings, writing and content income, a physical deli and wine bar, and a soon-to-launch subscription. That diversity proved decisive in an unpredictable retail landscape where one channel can falter while others sustain cash flow.

Why a shop made sense

Opening a physical space in Pinner might read as contrarian amid thousands of store closures, but it answered several strategic questions. A small bar and deli creates margin through by-the-glass sales and plates, provides real-time customer feedback, and anchors the brand in a local community. The shop also acts as a tangible trust signal for buyers who still prefer to anchor online reputations in physical presence.

Sustainable values woven into a luxury offer

From eco-friendly packaging to organic producers and vegan options, Mouse and Grape models an inclusive and sustainable version of luxury. The business treats sustainability as non-negotiable, not a marketing afterthought, and aspires toward B Corp accreditation. That ethical framing shapes supplier choices, product formats such as canned wines and non-alcoholic pours, and packaging decisions aimed at reducing waste while preserving the aesthetic customers expect for gift purchases.

Inclusivity as product strategy

Offering vegan cheeses, non-alcoholic wines, and varied packaging widens the addressable market and signals that luxury need not exclude dietary or ethical preferences.

A portfolio of recognition and momentum

A steady accumulation of awards and national media appearances can be a currency when scaling a niche food business. Shortlists and prizes in cheese and drinks circles, plus an appearance on a national weekend food show, brought visibility that translated into bookings and a spike in sales. But the founder treats accolades as opportunities for connection rather than as the sole engine of growth.

What small brands can emulate

• Invest in craft — technical qualifications accelerate trust with premium customers.
• Build diverse revenue streams — combine products, events, retail, and subscriptions.
• Use mentorship and small grants — structured guidance reframes expectations and validates experiments.
• Make sustainability integral — ethical sourcing and inclusive formats broaden appeal.
• Create a visual story — professional photography and PR turn curiosity into commerce.

Jessica Summer's story resists easy formulas. It is part pandemic pivot, part cultivated expertise, and part practical hustle: ordering too much packaging at first, testing markets, accepting small wins, then reinvesting into a coherent brand. The commercial choices are imbricated with taste—curation that respects producers and invites people into a sensory conversation—and with a steady appetite for growth that includes more shops, a stronger team, and international trips to deepen supplier relationships. The arc is not miraculous; it is methodical, sustained, and shaped by a conviction that quality credentials and community matter as much as aspiration.

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