Bermudian Flavour, Freshly Funded
- marketing08575
- Nov 4, 2025
- 2 min read
Founded by Dale Benjamin who brings his 26 years of experience as a chef to the table. He opened Hooked, the Bermudian café and grill to bring his culture to UK customers.
Funded by Start Up Loans
£25,000 boost towards:
Renovating the café
Marketing
Region: Nottingham
What inspired you to start your business?
What inspired me was producing amazing Bermudian Cuisine with a flair and twist, and the desire to take it around the world for other countries to experience and enjoy. I plan to eventually create a brand that will represent Bermuda across the globe, starting with our first shop here in the UK.
The concept is not just based on the food, but also the customer service that we provide by creating a comfortable and relaxed environment. Our restaurant motto is “Hooked Taste the Love”, promoting the taste of family, friendship, and community brought from my culture.
What challenges did you face, and how did the funding help?
I faced a few challenges with finding the right location and getting started. The loan allowed me to find the perfect place where I could create an environment that I could call my own.
The funding was used to create an atmosphere that represents the Bermuda feel, as well as marketing the brand to get it noticed as a franchise.
How does your background relate to your business?
I have worked in the food industry as a Head Pastry Chef, Head Baker, and Production Chef for 26 years.
Comments from our Investment Manager, and the Founder
“Dale’s passion in bringing authentic Bermudian cuisine to customers in the UK is truly admirable. He put in a lot of work into creating a warm and welcoming environment, and it was a pleasure working with him through his loan application. I wish Hooked the best of luck and I can see it becoming a popular franchise, loved by many.” Commented Inderpal Singh, Investment Manager at First Enterprise
“Finding the right location was a challenge, but the loan allowed me to find the perfect place where I can create an authentic Bermudian environment that I can call my own.
My experience with First Enterprise was amazing, they helped me out a lot. I would recommend their services if you have a great idea and have put the initial work in.
My Investment Manager, Inderpal Singh, was a great help. He guided me in the right direction and felt like a good friend giving good advice. I would like to thank Mr Singh for all of his help.” Commented Dale Benjamin, Founder of Hooked
First Enterprise is a responsible finance provider offering unsecured loans ranging from £500 to £250,000 to support both start-ups and established businesses across the UK. Since 2011, First Enterprise has lent over £77 million to 7,305 businesses.
Learn more about how we can support your business.
