Business women aims to turn Westward Ho! into thriving tourist destination
Local business woman, Kathy Murdoch, has a passion to make Westward Ho! into a thriving tourist destination. She now owns five award winning businesses in the area and has just opened her sixth with the support of Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
Her latest business, the Blue and Green restaurant, opened this March and was supported with a commercial loan of £400,000 from the bank.
She was able to buy and refurbish the premises and hopes to attract a large amount of custom during the summer season, to improve the local economy since the bad weather hit the region, earlier this year.
The Blue and Green restaurant will employ 35 members of staff and provides freshly sourced surf and turf style dining, featuring an authentic wood fired pizza oven. Opening on the 28th March 2014, it is situated next to the Seahorse Apartments development, also owned by Kathy, which was a winner at the Devon Tourism Awards and has further won a South West Tourism Excellence Award.
Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking has supported all six of her businesses with funding totalling £2m. Kathy now expects an overall turnover of £2.6m, an increase of 150% from last year.
Her business empire started with Westward Living at Duckhaven Stud in 2010, originally a racehorse training area run by her father, Alan Smith.
Developed into luxury self-catering apartments and set in 60 acres of land, it has gone on to win a number of accolades, including a Gold Award from the Visit Devon Tourism Board. The business is actively supporting the local economy through sourcing welcome hampers, furniture and décor from local suppliers.
Kathy has 20 years’ experience within the holiday industry, originally at her family’s holiday camp, before going on to work as cabin crew and meeting her husband Chris who helps with the business.
Kathy said: “I have always been passionate about Westward Ho! and wanted guests to see how beautiful the local area is. The new restaurant will create a number of local job opportunities and diners will be able to enjoy the panoramic beach views and delicious local produce.
“The support and belief I have received from the bank has enabled my family and I to help turn Westward Ho! into a thriving tourist destination, essential since the latest bad weather hit.”
Colin Vallance, relationship director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “From the off, Kathy was determined to make a difference in her local area and at the bank we could see her vision and potential.
“Since 2013, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking has helped 120,000 start-ups, like Westward Living, and it is great to see individuals like Kathy grow their business empires and help Britain to prosper.”
Business Money editor, Robert Lefroy commented: “Westward Ho! was on my patch in my management days with Lloyds Bank, I could hardly resist this one could I?”
