When it comes to food and snacking, these three successful female entrepreneurs haven’t just made things a whole lot healthier, they’ve also managed to crack one of the toughest and most competitive industries to launch a new business in.
With stiff competition and customers bombarded with more and more choice everyday, if you’re thinking of venturing into this space, then you need to be prepared for what really lies ahead.
Pippa Murray Founder of Pip & Nut
Let’s face it, who doesn’t love peanut butter, apart from anyone like my brother whose allergic, it’s a big hit! And Pip & Nut have managed to turn what was already a household favourite into an even more exciting and healthier snack-who knew this was possible!
Pippa Murray was inspired to set up Pip & Nut from her own love of peanut butter.
“I run a lot and have ran lots of marathons. I have always been really interested in healthy eating and eating food that will give me energy. For me, I was completely addicted to peanut butter, I would eat it pre and post training all the time”
But for the health conscious Pippa, the options available just didn’t align with her healthy values.
“I think it was at some point I noticed that most peanut butters on the shelf always contained palm oils and sugars. For someone that was interested in healthy food it sat badly with me, I felt that the products on the shelf were not transparent and a lot of them were dated. I felt there was room in that area of the supermarket for a challenger that would bring it to life, with more exciting flavours, but make a product that was also nutritionally credible.”
The self-confessed peanut butter addict didn’t come from a food related background and had to start from scratch and learn as she went.
“My first foray into food and drink, into this product, was making it in my own kitchen. I started making the product using my own blender at home and I developed a range of flavours that I thought were tasty. I then started making them more on bulk, 100 jars at a time and taking them to Maltby Street market which is in Bermondsey in London and I would sell them there. I did this for about 3 months and still had my day job, so I would do this at the weekends.”
The brand has reached incredible and impressive nights, and is now stocked in more than 2500 stores, with stockists including Sainsbury’s, Fortnum and Mason, Selfridges and Holland & Barrett, and the list goes on!
But Pippa warns that anyone looking to enter the exciting world of food needs to be prepared for the long haul.
“For me I would tell myself 2 years ago to just be patient. Whilst things can grow really quickly sometimes, at the same time things don’t always go your way and things will get in your way that you didn’t anticipate. You’ve just got to learn to be really patient and accept that when one door closes there will be one that opens and if there’s a problem, sometimes a good thing can come out of it.” When I first started I thought I would be in Waitrose in 6 months’ time and then another store and then global. Actually it does take longer than you first think, so don’t be disappointed by that, but be accepting of it.”
You can listen to more of Pippa’s great advice and tips in her full interview on the podcast
Cassandra Stavrou Co-Founder of PROPERCORN
The days of popcorn being a snack for the movies are long gone and we’re now eating more popcorn than ever before and our love affair with the tasty snack grows every day.
With this, a new wave of posh popcorn brands have hit the shelves and today one of the leading brands in the category is PROPERCORN, which was founded by Cassandra Stavrou and Ryan Kohn in 2011.
In 2009 Cassandra Stavrou decided to quit her job and move back in with her mum in order to set up her own business. Cassandra wanted to create a guilt free snack that was still packed full of flavour and build a business that would be a global player and a household name in the process.
Today PROPERCORN holds the position of one of the fastest growing snack brands in the UK and is a leading popcorn brand in Europe.
But success never comes easy and Cassandra’s journey is no different.
“I hit a bit of a low point where I was feeling very alone, I really have my hats off to anyone who’s seen it through on their own, “Cassandra explains, regarding the early stages of the business.
She highlights that new entrepreneurs should be clear on why they are starting the venture to make sure they are able to survive this challenging phase.
“I think starting a business is never going to be straight forward, if it’s rooted in conviction and that passion, that can really help you in those early months or even years”
And loneliness hasn’t been the only obstacle that the female founder has had to overcome. Raising money to get the business going proved to be difficult.
“I was working in a pub evenings and weekends just to try and save a bit of money. There were definitely some really challenging times, I was having to do some pretty funny jobs to get a bit of extra income to pay for the bits that I needed”
In addition to this, the manufacturing industry wasn’t ready for the innovation that Cassandra was bringing to the world.
“At the time the world of manufacturing was not set up to season popcorn in the way that I wanted, there were lots of people who seasoned popcorn but not how I wanted.”
But she points out that starting a business means being resourceful and she soon came up with her own solution to the seasoning dilemma.
“The initial batches were me, a cement mixer and a spray gun!”
If you’re thinking of starting your own food venture be warned. While PROPERCORN has enjoyed a turnover in excess of £10 million and continues to grow into European markets, this road requires a thick skin and Cassandra herself admits to having lots of doors shut in her face.
For those who are brave enough to take a leap remember
“The idea is only 10%, 90% is in the execution”
For Cassandra’s full adventure listen to the full interview on the podcast
Maria Trechman Co – Founder of Well & Truly
We all love our snacks and Maria and Sara Trechman are no different. After being unable to find options that were allergen free, low sugar and low fat the sisters realised there was a gap in the market. They were both into healthy snacking and so they set out to create a healthy snack brand that would tick all three boxes while not compromising on taste.
On the challenges of the journey so far Maria says,
“The biggest challenge for us was really to get our first supermarket listing. It was a really long journey and it was really nerve wracking putting ourselves and our brand out there for scrutiny by supermarket buyers early on.”
But Maria highlights that while difficult and nerve wracking, this approach was instrumental in getting it right.
“There was lots of feedback and suggestions to start with and we used that to improve our product offering and it really got us to the best possible end product”
Both Sara and Maria are into early starts and kick start the morning with daily exercise and thinking time before team meetings.
When it comes to their responsibilities within the business the sisters have managed to strike a great balance that would be the envy of most people in any business partnership.
“A big learning for us on this journey has been to really recognise what our strengths and what our weaknesses are, and to be able to ask for help when we need it. Sara and I are from different backgrounds and that’s a strength for us as a team. She’s from a marketing background and I’m from a sales background which works really well. It’s great to work with a co-founder that compliments your skill set”
But Maria admits that working with family means they have definitely been guilty of talking business at the dinner table and have often found it difficult to switch off.
Success has not happened overnight for Well & Truly and Maria advises anyone wanting to start a business should be prepared for this.
“However long you think things will take, double it!”
