If you’re looking to start or grow a new food business, we have spoken to successful UK business owners who have shared their experiences of setting up the business, the challenges theyve faced as well as the lessons theyve learned along the way for people starting out in the industry.
First up we have advice from Carey Davis-Munro, the founder of Sweet Virtues. The company specialises in creating health-conscious food products based on holistic health and wellbeing, which are stocked in department stores including Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges.
What made you decide to start your own business
I have run various businesses of my own, all born out of my lifelong passion for health, wellness and fitness. It was inevitable that I would concentrate on food having changed my own diet and habits quite radically some 15 years ago and following a course from the Institute of Nutrition. I have idea after idea for businesses and I am lucky now that I have a team around me to manage this and reign me in when necessary.
What has been the biggest challenge youve faced
The biggest challenge has been taking my own recipes from my own kitchen and scaling up production. Letting go and handing over and then managing this has been the hardest part of all for me.
What is the most important lesson youve learned
To keep going. There have been many times and many issues where I have thought this is the end. But there is always a way forward if you are prepared to work hard enough and not let go.
Even seemingly unsurmountable problems have a way of working themselves out eventually but it is so important not to let go of the bigger picture and endgame.
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What do you differently to your competitors
Our USPs are very different from competitors. We set out to make the holy grail of chocolate which for me was sugar free, dark, raw, and enriched with super foods to enhance the nutrient value like creative nature superfoods. Our chocolate also contains bio live cultures.
We were first to market with super food chocolate truffles and to be using Maqui berry in our chocolate which is one of the highest rated foods on the ORAC scale. We have even had our truffles tested over and above that which they are required to be to verify a nutrient profile rich in a range of vitamins, fibre, pantothenic acid and zinc.
What advice do you have for entrepreneurs looking to start a new business
Be very clear about what differentiates you from your competitors and ensure that your passion for the business will get you through the hard times. It is not good enough just to have an idea or see a gap in the market and go for it. Unless you have a real feeling for your business, a connection and the BELIEF, then dont even start!
Basic good housekeeping is also a must although you will be small to begin with; ensure you have all the necessary agreements and protection in place and it worth paying some money to ensure you are covered legally for all you do.
There is also so much advice out there on social media, by joining likeminded groups and signing up to message boards that you can save yourself a lot of money. People who have been through it all before are very willing usually to give you a step up and pass on advice. Networking as ever, is invaluable!
Continue reading on the next page to find out how one IT worker left his industry for food to mix together the best of Indian and British flavours.
Next up we have insights from Asif Walli, founder of Duke of Delhi.
Using a diverse approach, the business creates bespoke food products that combine the tastes from both India and England, which are sold online and are stocked in a number of retail outlets.
What made you decide to start your own business
Working in IT for many years I was getting bored with doing the same thing daily. I have always had thoughts of creating my own food brand and producing something very different to the norm.
After a number of years of just thinking about it and dreaming I decided to take that first step. I want to challenge myself and see if I could create something out of nothing.
What has been the biggest challenge youve faced
I think my biggest challenge has been to get things on the right track from the off with my brand image, name and target market clear in my head. Meeting the right people around you to do this was challenging with mistakes along the way but I’m so glad I had this in place.
Sometimes buyers will see you once and if your product has a clear thought out brand it will show. Things will always evolve but having that good base at the start really helped me. However, with business there is always another challenge with another quickly filling the void.
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What is the most important lesson youve learned
My lesson has been to never give up – although my journey is relatively just beginning in terms of brand building there are times when you think is this right for you Is this what you really want Can this business succeed However, when you persevere, amazing things can happen.
What do you differently to your competitors
My sister and I are British Indians and so we wanted our brand to reflect that. We mix the two cultures and tastes but in a quirky and unique way. We produce chocolate bars and buttons with Bombay Mix and reversing that product we make Bombay Mixes with chocolate chunks, with orange and another with honeycomb. There really is nothing quite like this on the market. It’s great being different.
What advice do you have for entrepreneurs looking to start a new business
Have conviction to push ahead with whatever hurdles appear. Perseverance really does pay off. It’s amazing how many people told me I don’t know the first thing about food, or it wouldn’t work.
I never stop listening to customers or other food entrepreneurs who I meet along my journey and take as much advice as I can get. The other thing I would say is to enjoy the journey and have fun with the business.
Tom Mercer is the founder and MD of MOMA Foods, a specialist producer of nutritious oat-based breakfast and snack foods.
