Baby Bathhouse gets helping hand from HBV Enterprise

Daniel Wright at the Baby Bathhouse, Stoke Newington. Photograph: Tim Sullivan

The Baby Bathhouse on Stoke Newington Church Street was in full-swing for the first time in early June. Since the bar’s opening earlier this year, the approach has been careful and considered.

Co-owners Tava O’Halloran and Daniel Wright are now putting the final touches to the food and events that the venue will boast over the summer. Unlike the original Bathhouse cabaret club in the City, the Church Street bar will not be offering burlesque performances and will have less of a focus on the dining experience.

Wright said: “The clientele for the Stoke Newington area is different, what they are looking for doesn’t really match what we do at the Bathhouse. It’s a lot more progressive and a bit more forward-thinking. At Church Street we play a much wider spectrum of music.”

As Wright and his colleagues prepare for a variety of summer events, he admits that both houses exist today as a result of the support of a local organisation that encourages new businesses: “We were struggling, so we got a bank loan agreed for £50,000, then we met up with David Lobley and he helped us to secure an additional £25,000 from HBV.”

HBV Enterprise, formerly known as Hackney Business Venture, is a registered charity that has offered help and advice to start-ups since 1984. There has been less interest in new enterprises and self-employment opportunities in recent years but HBV Enterprise has remained available to offer their expertise.

Wright explained the process of applying to the charity for assistance. “We had to provide a business plan, figures, cash flow projections, forecasts etc. Then we had to have an interview before five or six people from local and high-profile businesses.

“It’s sort of a Dragon’s Den thing. Tava made some mood boards, we did a presentation and then answered their questions afterwards.”

They were successful in securing the additional loan and the Bathhouse proved so popular that its founders were soon searching out an appropriate spot for a second project. “We called up David again and asked if he’d be interested in working with us. He mentioned to us that they have an allocated amount of money to give out to people and they were struggling to find people suitable to loan money to.

“If they don’t loan the money then it gets taken away from them so they were more than happy to support us. This time, because they already knew us, we didn’t have to do the second interview.”

The Baby Bathhouse’s summer line-up includes three Stoke Newington Literary Festival events; acoustic acts and comedy could become a regular fixture.

Their menu looks set to create sociable meals, with pizzas and antipasti served up on rustic wooden chopping boards designed for sharing. This is apt for an enterprise that has made full use of its financial slice to supplement a sense of style and entrepreneurial spirit.

More information on HBV Enterprise: phone 020 7254 9595 or drop in to speak to them at 34-38 Dalston Lane E8 3AZ.