Send us a text

“Don’t take on a national account [such as] Woolworth’s… just because they came knocking on your door if that doesn’t actually fit in with your strategic plan” said Chris de Bono, co-founder Meru Miso and Umami Pantry brands.

“If you are going into the supermarkets, the reality is from a margin point of view, you are looking at being a higher volume, but lower margin product, that’s just the reality of your price point that you can achieve in Woolworths versus the price point that you can achieve in Harris Farm.”

Chris has a sharp focus on his goals and it’s paying off. His clarity about what he wants to achieve, why, and with whom, means his actions are aligned with his plan, every-step-of-the-way. 

Chris and Meagan, his wife and co-founder, are strategic foodpreneurs and that’s why when Chris says, “you don’t need more doors, you need to be able to sell more in the stores that you’re already in” he’s mastering that strategy with a keen eye on the prize of serious growth in the next few years.

In this week’s episode I chat with Chris about mastering: 

🌾 velocity in retail; 

🌾 repeat purchase in foodservice; and

🌾 scaling with purpose so you actually get to the place that’s good for you and your loved ones.

If you want to know the best place for you to make money with your food and drink product, either selling through ‘The Independents’ or ‘The Majors’, you’ll want to listen to this week’s episode.

Links & Resources

• Meru Miso.
• Umami Pantry.
• Chris’ Instagram.
• Attica restaurant.
• Asana.
• Waitlist for Foodpreneurs Formula®.
• Pricing for Distribution workshop.

This episode is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Formula®, my business acceleration program for packaged food and drink brand owners ready to scale and my Pricing for Distribution workshop to learn how to engage a distributor to help you sell more products and put more money in your pocket.

If you haven’t listened to episode 39 (18:17 mins), Protecting your foodservice business as you win retail accounts, listen

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

Did you start your foodpreneur journey in foodservice before landing on retail shelves? 

Do you find it easier to approach foodservice accounts and build relationships with those stockists in comparison to retail buyers? 

What happened when you started to win retail stockists? Did your foodservice buyer, the same one that gave you your big break, not like it when they saw that your product was now available in the retail store down the road from their cafe?

This is what happened to one of my Foodpreneurs Formula® members. 

In this episode I tell you how to stop foodservice accounts from leaving you when you start to get your product into retail. I help you know what to do to scale in foodservice and keep winning in retail. 

You'll learn how to keep all your accounts happy, keep making sales and how to keep putting money in your pocket for every product you sell. 

If you have foodservice outlets complaining that they no longer want to buy your product now it’s in retail, especially if it’s in the majors, you'll want to listen to this week's episode, this is more of what you’ll learn:

🍪 Pack and product sizes that are right for each sales channel.

🍪 How to price right so you don’t lose business.

🍪 Which distributors to approach that will help you be a success in both the foodservice and retail channels.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Waitlist for Foodpreneurs Formula®
• Pricing for Distribution workshop

This episode is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Formula®, my business acceleration program for packaged food and drink brand owners ready to scale and my Pricing for Distribution workshop to learn how to engage a distributor to help you sell more product and put more money in your pocket.

If you haven’t listened to episode 38 (51 mins), Market research: what do shoppers really think of your brand, listen here.

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

Have you had that experience when you think a ‘brand’ is made just for you?

It’s your thing. You couldn’t have created it better yourself.

Getting into the minds of your consumers is what you want for your food and drink product, so they pick it up and put it in their basket.

But how do you do that?

In this week's episode I speak to Tessa Stuart, English Market Researcher and 'Shopper Stalker' who helps food and drink products get maximum attention and sales from shoppers in the super-competitive supermarket aisles.

​​Tessa is the secret weapon behind many retail brands that have had successful product launches or critical pivots.

In our chat, Tessa spills the beans on her methodologies so you can more easily connect your brand with your consumers, and get your product noticed by retail buyers, even when you don’t have a huge marketing budget.

What you'll learn from this episode is how to make the most from consumer insights you gain, and get your product landing in more consumer baskets, because your:

• Packaging;
• Brand voice;
• Pricing;
• Formulation; and
• Pitching.

... is all en pointe.

Links & Resources

• Tessa’s Website
• Pip and Nut
• Rude Health
• Tony’s Chocolonely
• Graze Snacking Company
• Waitlist for Foodpreneurs Formula®
• The Foodpreneur Journey™ roadmap

This episode is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Formula®, my business acceleration program for packaged food and drink brand owners ready to scale and my roadmap on how to grow a profitable food and drink business, The Foodpreneur Journey™, to help you discover what lies ahead and the mistakes to avoid.

If you haven’t listened to episode 37 (43.07 mins), Creating a memorable brand to get your product off the shelf, listen here.

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

Think about some of the products you purchase when you visit the grocery store. Do you tend to buy the same brands repeatedly?

Well, you’re not alone; most consumers do.

This is usually because of an emotional connection to them, whether it’s their eye-catching packaging, what the brand stands for, or because of their ability to elicit childhood memories. This can be tough for products on shelves without an existing brand personality, or familiarity with consumers – making it harder for these products to get off the shelves and into consumers' hands!

On this week’s podcast episode, I speak to David Thomson, English Creative Director and Branding Expert with 20 years of experience growing brands for a variety of FMCG, including the hugely successful Pukka Tea. We discuss the importance of moving from a ‘product’ to a ‘brand’ mindset for F&B businesses to scale, whether you’re DTC or Retail.

In this episode you’ll learn top tips on how to create a memorable brand: 

• That gets your product off shelves and into consumers' hands. 
• That has a huge effect on opening doors to buyers (and major retailers!) 
• Without a huge marketing budget. 
• That makes it easier to branch out with multiple products. 
• That helps you go against the grain and stand out from your competitors.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• The Space Creative
• Dorset Cereals
• Locako
• Waitlist for Foodpreneurs Formula®

This episode is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Formula®, my business acceleration coaching program for packaged food and drink brand owners ready to scale; and my free on-demand masterclass that gives you the framework to help you navigate your scaling journey.

If you haven’t listened to episode 36 (52 mins), how Doughlicious founder, Kathryn Bricken won multiple retail accounts and scaled her dough product in just a few short years, listen here.

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic, Ocado UK, Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Costco… these are some of the big names that Kathryn Bricken has won listings in for her incredible cookie dough products.

Pretty impressive, don't you think?

Kathryn chatted to me about how she's scaled her dough product from her London based factory in just a few short years and right now is about to expand her reach further by launching into BENELUX and France, and then in 2023, into her country of origin, the USA.

In this episode, you'll be spoilt for choice for a real insider’s knowledge on what it takes to scale a chilled product, especially as Kathryn has now moved into ready-to-eat product lines which means even more production compliance requirements.

Here's some of what you'll learn:

🍪 Co-manufacturer versus in-house production.

🍪 How to manage the fun but complex NPD process.

🍪 Raising money and sharing your company with investors.

🍪 Winning retailer after retailer and what the secret is.

Don't miss this one!

For further help refining YOUR wholesale offer, join me for ‘Money For Jam’, my FREE masterclass, and learn my 6-pillar pitching framework to help you stand out from the crowd and land more wholesale accounts. The last class is today! 


LINKS & RESOURCES

• Doughlicious.
• “Money For Jam” FREE Masterclass to help you stand out from the crowd and land more wholesale accounts.

If you haven’t listened to episode 35 (35.56 mins), Digitising your wholesale strategy, listen here.

And, I invite you to come and join my community of female foodpreneurs, and catch up on the conversations, in Kiosk. For Women in Food and Drink, my free Facebook group.

This episode is brought to you by “Money For Jam”, my FREE masterclass helping you stand out from the crowd and land more wholesale accounts.

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

Want to tell your brand story to more buyers but don't get the opportunity? Thought about digitising your wholesale strategy so you reach more stockists? Since Covid-19, options to digitise your go-to market strategy have become easier to tap into and a less expensive way, than traditional marketing, to scale.

Digital business-to-business platforms, like TradeSquare and Faire Wholesale, are set up for this. 

In this episode I chat with digital nomad and Head of Marketplace for TradeSquare, Quentin Williams. TradeSquare brings together local suppliers and retailers online.

Quentin and I give you the steps to digitise your wholesale offer.

Listen to Episode 35 and learn:

1. What type of food and drink product offers do well on digital platforms; 
2. Why some products really struggle and what to do about it;
3. What type of retailers are on the platform; and
4. What you need to have prepared to hit the ground running.

For further help refining your wholesale offer, join me for ‘Money For Jam’, my FREE masterclass next week and learn my 6-pillar pitching framework to help you stand out from the crowd and land more wholesale accounts.

See the link in the show notes for more details and to save your place.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• TradeSquare.
• “Money For Jam” FREE Masterclass to help you stand out from the crowd and land more wholesale accounts.

If you haven’t listened to episode 34 (20 mins), Reviewing Q3 and and sales tactics to increase velocity in Q4, listen here.

And, I invite you to come and join my community of female foodpreneurs, and catch up on the conversations, in Kiosk. For Women in Food and Drink, my free Facebook group.

This episode is brought to you by “Money For Jam”, my FREE masterclass helping you stand out from the crowd and land more wholesale accounts.

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

That’s a wrap quarter 3, thank you for the past twelve weeks, it’s now time for foodpreneurs to bring home their full year revenue in quarter 4. It’s this quarter that 75% of foodpreneurs make most of their revenue that carries them through the full year. If this is you, focus on making your money by doing two things really well; selling to new stockists (yes, it is not too late, October is the time in Q4 to be doing that), and increasing velocity in existing stockists.

In this episode, I spell out how to do both. This is what you’ll learn:

1. What you should be measuring from your Q3 activity to set you up for Q4 success; and
   
   
2. What your focus needs to be in Q4 to win new stockists and increase velocity in existing accounts.

If anyone tells you this is not the quarter to be selling, they’re wrong. There are so many opportunities, including holidays in this next quarter, that some stockists will still be buying for.

Make sure you have your points of distinction dialled in. If you don’t, I will help you stand out from the crowd and land more wholesale accounts in “Money For Jam”, my FREE Masterclass week commencing 10 October. See the link in the show notes for more details.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• “Money For Jam” FREE Masterclass to help you stand out from the crowd and land more wholesale accounts.

If you haven’t listened to episode 33 (37 mins), Raising money to scale and replace yourself with a COO so you can focus on the creative. listen here.

And, I invite you to come and join my community of female foodpreneurs, and catch up on the conversations, in Kiosk. For Women in Food and Drink, my free Facebook group.

This episode is brought to you by “Money For Jam”, my FREE masterclass helping you stand out from the crowd and land more wholesale accounts.

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

Starting a business because you love your product, and the product development process, is commonplace amongst foodpreneurs, but how do you scale once you’ve proven other people think your product is as delicious as you do but you know you need help to go to the next level?

That’s precisely what Lucy Bennetto of Bennetto Natural Foods has been planning for the past couple of years. Bennetto Natural Foods premium, organic, fairtrade, climate positive, better for you and good for all dark chocolate was developed by Lucy as a kitchen benchtop hobby that got out of hand.

Today Lucy has a Board of Advisors who are balancing her creativity and sourcing talent with their financial expertise. The Board of Advisors meets multiple times every week and one of their current agenda items is raising capital. Once the capital raise is done, the first task Lucy will undertake is engaging a Chief Operating Officer with experience taking speciality food products next level in existing retail channels and into new markets. Once that’s done, Lucy will have more time to work, once again, on the parts of the business she loves the most, product development and ingredient sourcing.

In this episode you’ll learn about: 

1. Raising money to scale and which avenues to consider and why you should;
2. How a Board of Advisors helps balance the skill sets within a food business; and 
3. The one thing Lucy wish she knew earlier on in her food journey that would have helped her scale sooner.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Bennetto Natural Foods Website
• Bennetto Natural Foods Instagram
• Masterclass and Scaling Workbook
• Waitlist for Foodpreneurs Formula®

If you haven’t listened to episode 32 (18.48 mins), Walking the trade show floor with a wholesale buyer to close a sale., listen here.

And, I invite you to come and join my community of female foodpreneurs, and catch up on the conversations, in Kiosk. For Women in Food and Drink, my free Facebook group.

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

Why would a wholesale buyer buy if they don't see the value your product brings to their business?

If you're not a confident sales person, hope won't work.

Instead use trade shows to help you build rapport with your buyers and close more opportunities. 

Trade shows are not just for developing new opportunities. Buyers and producers alike know they'll be sold to at a show, so it's your opportunity to take advantage of that and close more deals.

The key? You need to be prescriptive.

In this episode I give you my four-part trade show sales strategy. Like most of my methods, it’s about the systems you create, because systems help you scale.

This is what you’ll learn:

1. How to set up a meeting, at a show, with wholesale buyers;
2. What to do once you're at a show to make it worth your time; and
3. How to decide which buyers you should prioritise when time is limited.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Masterclass and Scaling Workbook
• Waitlist for Foodpreneurs Formula®

If you haven’t listened to episode 31 (43.10 mins), Carving out your competitive advantage using food tech. Easier than you think., listen here.

And, I invite you to come and join my community of female foodpreneurs, and catch up on the conversations, in Kiosk. For Women in Food and Drink, my free Facebook group.

This episode is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Formula®, my business acceleration coaching program for packaged food and drink brand owners ready to scale; and my free on-demand masterclass that gives you the framework to help you navigate your scaling journey.

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

I spoke to Food Futurist, Tony Hunter, about how foodpreneurs should use technology to carve out a competitive advantage.

Foodpreneurs often develop products that don't fly. I asked Tony about his New Product Development (NPD) process, including a product matrix, to help ascertain a product's viability.

In our chat you'll hear how to keep up with industry trends, such as product personalisation, where the big food companies have already moved to.

Maintaining a competitive advantage is impossible without knowing what's trending.

Listen to this episode and discover ways in which you can generate a competitive advantage so you play a bigger game.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Tony Hunter Food Futurist website
• Tony Hunter LinkedIn
• Masterclass and Scaling Workbook
• Waitlist for Foodpreneurs Formula®

If you haven’t listened to episode 30 (57.12 mins), Selling more products by tapping into Instagram GOLD., listen here.

And, I invite you to come and join my community of female foodpreneurs, and catch up on the conversations, in Kiosk. For Women in Food and Drink, my free Facebook group.

This episode is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Formula®, my business acceleration coaching program for packaged food and drink brand owners ready to scale; and my free on-demand masterclass that gives you the framework to help you navigate your scaling journey.

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.