Harpreet Kaur: I won The Apprentice in 2022 and here’s my advice for the new Leeds contestants

Harpreet Kaur is the co-founder of Oh So Yum! dessert brand, which has a parlour at the White Rose shopping centre and is now stocked in Selfridges. 

The 32-year-old described winning The Apprentice in 2022 as an “almost life-changing experience”, as she reaps the rewards of Lord Sugar’s investment and mentorship. Oh So Yum! now turns over more than £1million a year and has a partnership with the largest Hilton Hotel outside of the US. 

Harpreet, of Huddersfield, told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “Going on the show, the platform, the support from Lord Sugar’s team, it’s been almost life-changing. I’ve been exposed to so many opportunities that you wouldn’t normally have as a small business owner.

“It can be quite a lonely place, so it’s been really good to expose the brand and attract new opportunities. We’ve grown so much and we now turn over more than seven figures, so it’s going really well.”

Rachel Woolfoord and Dr Paul Midha will be hoping to follow in Harpreet’s footsteps as they appear on the latest series of the BBC One show. The Leeds business owners have had a solid start to the competition, with Rachel winning the first two tasks and Paul avoiding the bottom three. 

Harpreet said: “Sometimes it can be a good thing not to stand out in the first few episodes. If you’re a little bit quieter, it might be that you’re more serious about the experience - and I’m hoping that’s the case. It would be lovely to see someone from Yorkshire win again.

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“I got so much support locally when I was on the show. We’re always hearing about people from London, so it was like I automatically had the whole community behind me.”

As well as growing her dessert brand, Harpreet will soon launch a community for entrepreneurs and small business owners, following requests for tips and mentorship. The plans are set to be announced on her social media channels very soon.

In the meantime, Harpreet will be watching Series 18 and rooting for Paul and Rachel. Her advice for the pair? 

“Be yourself and be truthful,” she said. “If you are trying to pretend you’re good at something and you’re not, it will come out. 

“Don’t fluff it up and recognise that you have to work as a team to succeed. To get anywhere in life, you can’t do it by yourself, you have to gather the support. The goal each week is to win the task, not to prove yourself.”