Stephanie Hodson, owner of The Yog Bar in Hoylake, is preparing to celebrate 13 years in business, despite many early predictions that the shop would not survive. The dessert brand, which first opened on Market Street in November 2013, is approaching its 13th birthday and remains a popular destination on the Wirral.
From Doubt to Success
When Stephanie, originally from Upton, launched Yog Bar, she said people told her it would never last. Now living in Meols, the 38-year-old told the ECHO she would not change any of the business's journey, despite having put it up for sale last year.
“For a seasonal business, we’re still doing well and still standing. I absolutely didn’t think I’d still be here 13 years later. So many people told me I’d fail and that frozen yoghurt wouldn’t work on the Wirral,” she said. “People said, ‘Who wants frozen yoghurt in the winter?’ and asked why anyone would want it here. It’s stood the test of time in some respects, but obviously what comes with that is hard work and really having to keep up with new challenges and new ideas to keep people interested and keep people coming back.”
More Than Just Frozen Yoghurt
Stephanie said Yog Bar is not your “average dessert shop”. During the winter months, the shop offers a range of homemade warm desserts, including crumbles with custard and warm cookie dough. It also serves signature hot chocolates made using real Belgian chocolate and “turns the heat on when need be”. The shop’s signature Lotus Biscoff frozen yoghurt remains one of its biggest sellers, alongside a creation the owner calls a “yogtail”.
When Stephanie launched the business she was aged just 25. Having studied French and German at university, she had lived in Paris and Berlin and worked as a European credit analyst for US food giant Kellogg. In the meantime, she had won a beauty pageant which she said opened doors for her to the European beauty circuit - she and her younger sister Charlotte have held titles such as Miss North West, Miss Cheshire and Europe’s Miss Perfect and Miss Congeniality. A mini TV career followed with appearances on Paddy McGuinness’s ‘Take Me Out’ Saturday spectacular, where she won herself a date and a part in the Christmas special, alongside Celebrity Juice presenter Keith Lemmon and EastEnders’ star Joe Swash.
Still Going Strong
Stephanie admitted life was so hectic that she decided to quit Kellogg’s and focus closer to home. She qualified as a Pilates instructor and held regular classes in Hoylake, something she still does today, but also wanted something she could call her own. With this in mind, she began researching the frozen yoghurt sector which had taken off in America and was starting to make inroads in the UK.
Over the years, the brand has opened at the Baltic Market and Jamaica Street as well. Today, it is only the original site that remains. Stephanie added: “We have regular customers and there’s also a real community among the local independent businesses. I’ve been in West Kirby, Hoylake and Meols for 13 years now, so I know so many of the customers and parents at the local schools, and people often recognise me as the ‘yog lady’.”
“I’ve got two children now and my partner works away, so there’s a lot of pressure on me as a business owner. I actually put the business up for sale last year because I hoped somebody might take it over and continue my legacy, but that didn’t happen, so I’ve got a new team and a new general manager and we’re still going. I’m glad it worked out this as I can’t close the doors just yet because it’s still my first baby, and we’re still going strong. I think people really underestimate how difficult it is being a woman in the workplace and running your own business, but the fact that people still want to visit us shows how busy the shop is and how well we’re doing.”
