Rhi Whitaker - Cookie God and Margaret’s Prep Kitchen
Tell us about your business.
Cookie God is a from-scratch luxury cookie business built on craftsmanship, patience, and ingredient integrity. Our cookies take three days to make. We make our own butter and have recently started milling our own flour — because we believe you’re only ever as good as the ingredients you use.
Margaret’s Prep Kitchen wasn’t part of the original plan. It came out of necessity. The shared commercial kitchen I rented from shut overnight with no warning or explanation, instantly closing my business and several others. That experience exposed a serious gap in the market: a lack of safe, reliable, and supportive prep spaces for small food businesses.
Out of that disruption, Margaret’s Prep Kitchen was born. It is now Cookie God’s home, as well as a shared commercial space for other small businesses and creators who need somewhere to grow.
Share the problem/need you are looking to address and how your business meets this need.
Margaret’s Prep Kitchen exists to provide stability, safety, and opportunity for small food businesses and creators who are often overlooked. Rather than taking on a unit solely for myself, I realised the space could serve many others. Cookie God only operates three days a week around orders and events, so opening the kitchen to others made complete sense.
Cookie God itself looks at the current cookie market and deliberately does the opposite. Instead of rushing production or cutting corners, we slow everything down and prioritise quality. Our cookies are expensive — and intentionally so. When customers understand the story, the process, and the care behind them, they’re more than willing to pay for something made properly.
What inspired your idea and business?
Both businesses were shaped by real-world experience — building Cookie God from the ground up, then being forced to adapt when my operating kitchen disappeared overnight.
That challenge didn’t stop me; it pushed me to build something better, not just for myself, but for others in the same position.
What has been the best part of your entrepreneurial journey?
Refusing to give up — especially when it would have been easier to do so.
Reconnecting with LSBU again has given the business a new energy and that student feeling again. LSBU has always opened doors for me even when I was a student at the national bakery school. I repeatedly pitched my business to Simon Squibb through his doorbell in London because I knew he could help. I’d travel from Swindon on a £3 coach with £10 in my pocket just for the chance to be seen.
That persistence paid off. I eventually met Simon in person and collaborated on a 100-cookie giveaway to support the launch of his book. He shared my business on his platform, and the support that followed was overwhelming. Eight months later, his team finally saw my doorbell pitches — and I’m now part of the Help Bank Starter Kit programme, receiving ongoing support to help both Cookie God and Margaret’s Prep Kitchen grow together.
What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs just starting their journey?
Don’t be embarrassed. Don’t let money stop you. Take every opportunity and run with it.
I hear people say they couldn’t put their face out there like I do — but I’ve never been embarrassed to fall or fail. I’m only afraid of staying stagnant. You’ll never find the “right time.” Start something, commit to it for 1,000 hours, and trust the process. Consistency beats talent, and resilience beats motivation every time.
What support would be most beneficial for your business at this stage? What are you looking for help on?
I’ve spent the last year filming everything — the highs, the lows, and the catastrophic moments. What I need now is help getting that story out into the world: turning raw footage into reach, visibility, and impact.
Where can we find more information about your business?
Follow Cookie God and Margaret's Prep Kitchen (and place your cookie order) on Instagram: @dacookiegod and @margaretsprepkitchen, and TikTok: @dacookiegod1.
