Recognised as a leading female entrepreneur , Sarah Willingham , mother , businesswoman and ex-Dragon ’ s Den investor , speaks to us about her career so far , balancing parenthood and business , her time on Dragon ’ s Den and her plans for the future .

THE DECISIONS I ’ VE MADE SINCE

I WAS 18 HAVE ALL BEEN DRIVEN

BY WHAT I WANTED OUT OF MY LIFE AT

THAT TIME .

S ONE OF EUROPE ’ S

Beyond our TV screens , Willingham has led an incredibly successful career in the hospitality industry . In just her 20s , she led the international expansion of Pizza Express and turned Bombay Bicycle Club into the UK ’ s largest chain of Indian restaurants .

Most recently , Willingham launched her new business Nightcap PLC , which has since acquired the nation ’ s beloved The Cocktail Club ( formerly London Cocktail Club ), as well as The Adventure Bar and most recently , Barrio .

Here , Willingham lifts the lid on her career journey , tells us how she has balanced motherhood and business and why she ’ s optimistic about the future of hospitality .

‘ Lightbulb moment ’

Having worked at Planet Hollywood and Pizza Express in her 20s , Willingham travelled the world opening new restaurants . But , as she thought about her 30s and her desire to be a mother , she realised she could not continue down her current path , in which someone else was entirely in charge of her diary .

Armed with her experience of growing Pizza Express internationally , an inherent curiosity about business and an understanding of a business model that did not work – via Planet Hollywood – Willingham recognised how shareholder value could be created .

“ I understood the simple , replicable business model and where the magic was ,” she said . “ I wondered what I could apply this to . There were no large chains of Indian food and I had this dream of having the largest chain of Indian restaurants in the UK – applying the business model I ’ d come to learn – and that ’ s what I did with Bombay Bicycle Club .”

“ There was no lightbulb moment , per se . The decisions I ’ ve made since I was 18 have all been driven by what I wanted out of my life at that time ,” Willingham added .

Overseeing business growth

As a mother of young children , Willingham made a conscious decision that she would not be responsible for anybody else getting up in the morning other than her own children .

“ That ’ s when I then made the shift into minority shareholding , investments and some consulting ,” she said . “ I started with a little business , an online money-saving website , and I started to do more TV and columns , which were more flexible with my time and I was in charge of my diary .”

One key investment was in the The Cocktail Club – of which there are now 13 . It was a business she was this year able to buy , through her new venture Nightcap , marking a new chapter in her 10-year connection with the brand .

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