Tim Carr: Cooking up a storm in business banking

From fine dining to street food, Tim Carr is a chef who has worked in all sorts of kitchens. He was born in Cornwall, raised in South Africa and now runs his own catering company in Nottingham.

Tim first found out about Starling through our social media and was inspired to open up a personal account. When he met Team Starling at the Ideal Home Show in 2018, he found out about Starling business accounts, and opened up his business account.

Catering for all

At 18, Tim completed his catering qualification from Cornwall College and moved to London where he worked for The RAF club in Piccadilly. He went on to become the Sous Chef at De Beers Diamonds when he was just 21 and later became an Executive Chef for Marriott Hotels. But, after a few years working in hotels and restaurants, Tim, 52, came to realise that he really wanted to be his own boss. “I couldn’t work for anyone else,” he says.

Tim Carr Catering is now his fourth business startup. Previous enterprises range from a street food trailer called Tim’s Kitchen to a sandwich shop of the same name.

The experience he’s gained across his career, both front and back of house, means he can cater for everything from conferences to wedding anniversaries, BBQs to private dining. “I’m a people person and I have a can-do attitude,” he says.

Cornering the market

For anyone looking to start their own food truck, café, restaurant or catering company, Tim’s advice is to “do your marketing and find your audience - this is paramount.”

He’s learned marketing on the job over the years. While he had his street food trailer, he shared updates on Twitter to broadcast his location and draw in the crowds.

Funding your business

One of the biggest challenges for Tim has been funding. “I’ve always believed that I can succeed in what I do, but getting off the ground can be hard,” he says.

He was encouraged by a friend from college. “We worked together in London and then he started his own businesses and later gave me the money to buy a burger van so that I could do the same,” he says.

His catering business has been funded through savings as well as investments from family and friends. His plan is to continue building his client base and catering for larger events that could bring in more profit for the same amount of time.

A business account that saves time and money

For Tim, saving time is key and Starling has been part of this: “I don’t have to carve out time to do my banking; it’s instant. I can see exactly where things are, literally within seconds, and I feel it’s very secure,” he says.

Starling business accounts have no monthly fees and have features to help customers manage their money, such as real-time notifications for money in and money out. “It gives me real control over what I need to have control over,” he says. “If I go to the shops to buy ingredients, my phone pings and I know the payment has gone through,” he says. “The balance is instantaneous.”