Pot washing teen fulfils dream with own restaurant

A teenager who dreamed of running her own restaurant while working as a pub pot washer when she was 13 has fulfilled her wish.

Amber Day, 18, said she sacrificed partying with friends to open up Daygo's bistro in Rotherham in August.

She employs a team of five at her restaurant which regularly serves more than 100 customers a day.

The former Barnsley College pupil said: "I've missed out on things but it's insane to see my name on the front."

It was while Amber was working as a pot washer at the Elephant and Castle pub in Hemmingfield, Barnsley that she harboured dreams of owning her own business.

She said: "My mum and dad made me get a little job when I was 13 and I'd get about £14 for working. It gave me a buzz for earning my own money.

"I had a fantastic boss there too who was a role model. Seeing how she dealt with customers and the respect she had from other staff, I just found it really inspiring."

With the financial backing of her parents, Amber, who studied Level 3 Business at Barnsley College, bought the premises in Wath upon Deane and spent lockdown renovating it.

She has two chefs working for her, along with her best friend who is head waitress, her cousin who is also a waitress and her hairdresser's daughter who does pot washing.

She said: "The money my mum and dad had saved was going to pay for a villa in Cyprus but when they saw it for sale they said my ideas were wasted on working for other people.

"I'm not going to lie, I've had to miss out on things over the years like going to festivals and going out on a weekend but it feels amazing to have my future mapped out at this age."

Amber's long-term ambition is to set up more restaurants, with the aim of establishing a chain of Daygo's.

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