Every business has a beginning, but ours started long before we ever dreamed of creating one together. It began over twenty years ago, at the very start of our recruitment careers. We bonded instantly and, without realising it, planted the seed for what would one day become Darling Moo Talent.
About Darling Moo
Our story
It began long before the business did
Back then, Lucy’s surname was Caouki, a Maltese name that Emma had absolutely no idea how to pronounce. After a few failed attempts, Lucy laughed and said, “Just think of it like MooLock. Caouki is pronounced CowKey.” From that moment, Emma called her Moo, and the nickname stuck. Two decades later, it is still her name for Lucy, and Darling is Lucy’s name for Emma.
Those names became part of our friendship, our humour and our history. They are woven into who we are.
So when we decided to start our own business, we did what everyone does. We tried to be sensible. We explored combinations of our names, played with Greek and Latin roots, and brainstormed words tied to recruitment, talent, values and purpose. We tried corporate. We tried clever. We tried safe.
But everything felt forced, as though we were trying to be something we are not.
And then, almost as a joke, we said, “What about Darling Moo?” We laughed about it, and yet it was the only name we kept coming back to.
Because the truth is that Darling Moo is us. It is our story, our friendship and our beginning. It is our authenticity, one of the core values we stand for.
So we stopped overthinking it and embraced the name that had been with us from the start. The name that reflects who we are, how we work, and the genuine, human approach we bring to talent.
Darling Moo Talent is more than a business name. It is a reminder that the best partnerships, whether between friends or with clients, are built on trust, honesty and being unapologetically yourself.
What we stand for
Our Values
Authenticity
We keep recruitment human. We are down to earth and honest, with real conversations and no corporate scripts.
Partnership
We become an extension of your business. We take the time to understand your goals and culture, and we build long-term relationships that support your growth.
Empowerment
We build confidence and self-belief in people. Whether we are preparing candidates for their next step or supporting clients through their hiring decisions, we help others succeed.
Loyalty
We deliver consistently and earn trust through commitment, transparency and long-term dedication.
Reputation
With over twenty years of experience each, our reputation is built on results, integrity and word of mouth.
Quality
We take the time to truly understand both clients and candidates, focusing on long-term goals rather than quick wins.
Meet the founders
Two friends, each with twenty years of recruitment experience, one shared way of working
Meet Emma
I started my career in the travel industry, after a couple of trial and error roles because I never really knew what I wanted to do. For years I absolutely loved it, and I caught the travel bug, which has never left me. Eventually I felt ready for a new challenge, so I took a leap into recruitment, and I have never looked back. Over twenty years later, I still get the same buzz from helping people find the right role, supporting clients and building relationships that last.
I live in Cambridgeshire with my husband, Ben, and our three boys, Finley, Joey and Jesse, and life is wonderfully chaotic. Most days are a mix of work, football pitches, school runs and being a full-time mum taxi. Travel is still a huge passion of mine, and I am always planning the next big trip.
Co-founding Darling Moo Talent with Lucy was a very intentional decision for me. I wanted to build something that aligned with my values, gave me the freedom to create a healthy work and life balance, and allowed my career to fit around my busy family life.
Now I want to talk about Lucy…
She is the Moo to my Darling, the princess of our duo, and she will happily agree with me on that. She is the undisputed star of the Lucy Show. If you have ever met her, you will know she has an incredible voice and will jump on a stage, usually for karaoke, at the slightest opportunity, and I will be there cheering her on and no doubt holding the bags!
Lucy is the one person I can always rely on. She is more than a friend. She is my family. We have looked after each other’s children and stood side by side through the good, the bad, the hilarious and the emotional. We worked together for fifteen years and never had a cross word. Partnering was the easiest decision, because we know each other inside out, and we always will.
She is my constant, my calm, my chaos and my laughter, and she bakes a great cake too!
She is my ride or die, my Moo, and the only person who could ever have convinced me to start this adventure together.
Meet Lucy
Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being on stage, singing my heart out to the world. But as life unfolded, I discovered another passion; people. In 2005, I “fell” into recruitment (as so many of us do), and very quickly realised I’d found my true vocation. I loved the variety, the conversations, the chance to meet incredible individuals and build relationships that have lasted decades. Some of those people are still part of my journey today.
That same love, energy, and commitment to people, is what inspired us to create Darling Moo.
I’m based in Cambridge, where I live with my husband, David, and our two children, Noah and Florence, who keep me very busy! My daughter is a sassy little diva, while my son is a football fanatic, so life at home is never dull.
When I’m not working, I love baking, interiors and, most of all, singing. I absolutely love being on stage, so you’ll regularly find me at a karaoke bar, microphone in hand, living my best life! I love my friends and family fiercely, and I’m so excited to be starting this next chapter and going on this journey with Darling Moo.
And then there’s Emma…
I can think of no better person to be starting this business with. Emma has been my best friend for over twenty years, my confidant, my childcare and my safe space. She has seen me through the very best and the very worst times in my life and has always been there, usually with a cup of tea, a cuddle and a little stroke of my arm when I need it most!
She calls me her princess (and, let’s be honest, she’s not exactly wrong!) and has the biggest heart. She knows me inside out, puts up with all my drama, keeps me grounded when I need it and always seems to know exactly what to say, although, most of the time, a filter probably needs to be implemented when Emma is talking! She makes me laugh until my stomach hurts, believes in me even when I don’t believe in myself and is one of those rare people who makes life feel a little bit easier just by being in it.
After over twenty years of friendship, countless memories and four recruitment businesses between us, I genuinely couldn’t imagine starting this next chapter with anyone else. Darling Moo is our biggest adventure yet, and I feel incredibly lucky that I get to do it with my best friend by my side.
Let's find people and places that genuinely fit
Whether you are hiring or looking for your next role, we would love to talk.
