Hull entrepreneur grows university side hustle into retail store

Lara Roberts, a graduate of the University of Hull, has successfully transitioned her student side project into a permanent retail business named Plant & Paint. The venture began in 2010 while Roberts was an undergraduate, focusing on upcycling secondhand furniture found in charity shops and selling items via eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

After graduation, Roberts operated the business for five years from a converted caravan workshop. Due to increasing demand, she established a physical retail location on Humber Street within Hull’s Fruit Market district. The shop has since expanded its inventory to include indoor botanicals and is currently the only dedicated houseplant specialist in the city. Roberts noted that the business was established without commercial debt, supported instead by financial assistance from her partner and family.