Getting to Grow

By Zoe FoxBusiness Entrepreneurship

Getting to Grow episodes

June 26, 2024Season 3 Episode #2 Annie Morris - Co-Founder of Spoon Cereals
Annie, co-founder of Spoon Cereals, shares the story of how the brand started and grew in the FMCG industry. The conversation covers topics such as the early days of the brand, the challenges of scaling production, differentiation in a competitive market, brand values and mission, working with retailers, and the power of partnerships and collaborations. In this conversation, Annie discusses the development of their new product, ManiLife granola, and the importance of working closely with ingredient suppliers.
She also shares her experiences as a female founder and the challenges she has faced. Annie highlights the significance of building a strong community and engaging with customers for product development. She also reveals future plans for Spoon, including expanding into new flavours and categories, and exploring international markets.
Takeaways
Spoon Cereals was Annie's first entry into the food industry and gave her an opportunity to work in the FMCG sector.

The brand started with the idea of creating a food service offering for breakfast, but evolved into a granola brand through pop-ups and direct customer feedback.

Spoon Cereal differentiates itself by using high-quality ingredients, reducing sugar content, and focusing on taste.

The brand's mission is to make breakfast better by offering tasty and healthier options, while also being mindful of sustainability.

Working with retailers and getting listings can be challenging, but the support and exposure from Dragon's Den helped Spoon Cereal grow.

Partnerships and collaborations with other brands can be a powerful way to expand reach and offer unique products to customers. Working closely with ingredient suppliers is crucial for developing high-quality products.

Female founders may face challenges in male-dominated industries, but support and opportunities for women entrepreneurs are increasing.

Engaging with customers and building a strong community is essential for product development and brand growth.

Spoon Cereals has plans to expand into new flavours and categories, as well as explore international markets.
Please follow @gettingtogrow on Instagram!

Season 3 kindly sponsored by
The Coconut Collaborative, https://coconutco.co.uk/

Sam Lawrence Recruitment, https://lawrencerecruitment.com/

Sweet Thyme Foods, https://www.sweetthymefoods.co.uk/
1 hr
June 11, 2024Season 3 Episode #1 Eoin Keenan- Founder of Goodrays CBD
Eoin Keenan, founder of Goodrays, shares his journey in the CBD and medical cannabis industry and the development of his brand. He discusses the importance of sleep and mental wellbeing, as well as the need for science-backed CBD products. Keenan emphasizes the value of building a community around the brand and creating spaces and events for education and support. He also talks about the challenges of entering the CBD market and differentiating his products from competitors. The development of Goodrays's CBD drinks is highlighted, with a focus on unique flavour and accessible pricing. In this conversation, We discuss the confusion and misconceptions surrounding CBD and its differences from marijuana.
Takeaways
CBD can have a positive impact on sleep and mental wellbeing.

Building a community around a brand is important for long-term success.

Entering the CBD market can be challenging due to regulatory issues and misconceptions.

Differentiation from competitors can be achieved through science-backed products and unique flavours.

CBD drinks offer an accessible and enjoyable way to consume CBD. CBD is often misunderstood and confused with marijuana, but it does not have the psychoactive effects and can provide benefits for anxiety and sleep issues.

Hemp has a long history and has been used for food, medicine, and building materials. It has the potential to be a sustainable crop.

The CBD industry faces challenges due to regulations and the need for transparency and sustainability in the supply chain.

The future of CBD includes a shift towards well-being and functional products in supermarkets and bars/restaurants.

Starting a brand requires taking risks and overcoming self-doubt, but it is important to give it a try and seek support from others.
Please follow @gettingtogrow on Instagram!

Season 3 kindly sponsored by
The Coconut Collaborative, https://coconutco.co.uk/

Sam Lawrence Recruitment, https://lawrencerecruitment.com/

Sweet Thyme Foods, https://www.sweetthymefoods.co.uk/
58 min
March 28, 2024 #42– Harry Mayhew - Co Founder of Ember Snacks
On episode 42 of Getting To Grow, I sat down with Harry Mayhew - Co-founder of Ember Snacks🎙👂 😀

Jack and Harry are two brothers who grew up mucking in on the family farm in Suffolk. Raised on real nutrition and hearty meals, they wouldn’t have their biltong any other way.

When they founded their snack company Ember, one thing was for sure: factory farming was giving meat a bad name, and they wanted that to change.

Having both competed in triathlons such as Ironman, they soon realised that biltong made for a great snack during training. But with these air-dried strips of beef and other meats originating in South African countries, the selection on offer in the UK was seriously lacking.

Using their farming experience, and desire to create a product that's healthy, and good for the planet, they launched their range of British biltong.

To find out more at visit www.embersnacks.com
and follow them on Instagram @embersnacks
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a like and a review as it really helps support what I do.
Make sure to follow @gettingtogrow on Instagram
See you guys next time!
Zoe
1 hr 10 min
February 28, 2024 #41– Jon Walsh - Co Founder & CEO of Bio & Me
On episode 40 of Getting To Grow, I sat down with Jon Walsh - Co-founder and CEO of Bio & Me 🎙👂 😀

Founded by Dr Megan Rossi (The Gut Health Doctor) and Jon Walsh, Bio&Me is the UK’s first dedicated gut health food brand backed by credible science.
Bio&Me brings clarity and credibility to the world of gut health and is the only brand that carries the prestigious ‘Good for your Gut’ health claim, due to the EFSA-approved ingredients used!
With a focus on Delicious Diversity, in November 2019 Bio&Me launched its first range of gut-loving granolas containing 15 of your recommended 30 weekly diverse plant-based foods and prebiotic* fibres to help your mighty microbes thrive. Following on from the success of the granolas, the brand launched its gut-loving porridges and muesli in January 2021, further establishing its credibility in the cereals’ aisle. With a passion for creating accessible, great tasting, natural gut-health products, recent product launches from Bio&Me sees the brand in a strong position in the chilled category with its range of four, delicious prebiotic* gut-loving yoghurts, containing over 700 billion live and active cultures and the on-the-go market, with their ‘just add water’ plant-based porridge pots. After all, they’re on a mission to help make looking after your gut deliciously easy!

To find out more at visit www.bioandme.co.uk
and follow them on Instagram @bioandmeuk

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a like and a review as it really helps support what I do.

Make sure to follow @gettingtogrow on Instagram
See you guys next time!
Zoe

58 min
February 13, 2024 #40– Ivo Devereux - Co Founder of Sapling Spirits
On episode 40 of Getting To Grow, I sat down with Ivo Devereux - Co-founder of Sapling Spirits 🎙👂 😀

Sapling Spirits are the world’s first climate positive British-made spirits brand. They uses local ingredients to reduce transport emission, and the brand produces both Vodka and a London Dry Gin range and for every bottle sold a tree is planted. Sapling Spirits was co-founded by Ed Faulkner and Ivo Devereux after unveiling a gap in the market for sustainable drinks, their mission is threefold: creating best in class spirits, leading the way on sustainability and injecting some fun into the sustainability conversation.

They began by tree-planting projects in Scotland and really struggled to get volunteers from the local area and beyond. They decided to start a small music festival with cocktail bars and realised they could get a much bigger and more diverse group of people involved in sustainability by offering them something fun to do alongside it. They started planting a tree for every bottle at the bar so that their drinks fitted the ethos of the festival – that was where it all started!

To find out more, visit https://saplingspirits.com/
and follow them on Instagram @saplingspirits

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a like and a review as it really helps support what I do.

Make sure to follow @gettingtogrow on Instagram
See you guys next time!

Zoe
50 min
January 17, 2024 #39– Sarah Wasserman - Director of Food for Mallow & Mildreds
On episode 39 of Getting To Grow, I sat down with Sarah Wasserman - Director of Food for Mallow & Mildreds 🎙👂 😀
Sarah Wasserman AKA the Queen of vegan cooking!
Sarah moved to London to study art and supported herself by working as a chef. She came to Mildred’s when she was a student at the Royal Academy of Arts and gradually, the skills she learned in art school to develop and defend ideas married with her work in the kitchen.

She has gone up the ranks massively and has been a kitchen manager, head of pastry, head of central kitchen, development chef and author of two cookbooks with Mildred’s: mildreds the cookbook and mildreds vegan cookbook, in which she shares some of her ideas to help you create inventive plant-based food at home. Sarah’s passion and knowledge for plant based food is unparalleled, bringing you a unique, beautifully crafted menu which shapes the mallow experience.

“My favourite thing is when someone tells me they’ve brought a non-vegetarian person to the restaurant and that they couldn’t believe how much they enjoyed the food.”

To find out more, visit https://www.mildreds.co.uk/ and follow them on Instagram @mildredsresturants

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a like and a review as it really helps support what I do.

Make sure to follow @gettingtogrow on Instagram
See you guys next time!
Zoe
1 hr
December 13, 2023 #38– Helen Pattinson - Co- Founder of Montezumas Chocolate
On episode 38 of Getting To Grow, I sat down with Helen Pattinson Co- Founder of Montezumas Chocolate🎙👂 😀
Helen along with her husband Simon started Montezuma’s in 2000 with only a kitchen sink sized machine, huge enthusiasm, spades of naivety and most importantly, a broad ideal to bring chocolate innovation to a boring and staid British chocolate market. With the exception of that first machine, little has changed and the childish enthusiasm they shared exploring South America in 1999 largely wakes up them up every morning!
Being lawyers turned self-taught chocolate makers has meant steep learning curves and often re-inventing the wheel but everything they do is carried out with a passion for creating chocolate they want to eat in an environment we enjoy. What they certainly didn't train for or indeed expect in our wildest dreams was that a business started on a shoestring would become arguably Britain's most innovative chocolate brand with a reputation far bigger than our actual footprint!
For a long time, it has been their dream to become Britain’s Greatest Little Chocolate company. By this they mean that everyone should be able to enjoy Montezuma’s chocolate so they should be available wherever you feel the need for chocolate! But they also treasure their entrepreneurial, values-led approach to business, encompassing short lines of communication inside and outside the business, accountability, independence and family values. Just because they are growing doesn’t mean they can’t hold on to these, in reality it means we hold on to them even tighter!
To find out more, visit https://www.montezumas.co.uk/ and follow them on Instagram @montezumaschoc
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a like and a review as it really helps support what I do.
Make sure to follow @gettingtogrow on Instagram
See you guys next time!
Zoe
#podcast #gettingtogrowpodcast #health #food #startup #entrepreneur
55 min
November 29, 2023 #37– Jack Brewitt - Founder of 92 Degrees Coffee
On episode 37 of Getting To Grow, I sat down with Jack Brewitt Founder of 92 Degrees Coffee🎙👂 😀
Named after the optimum temperature for the extraction of espresso, 92 Degrees coffee opened its first roastery in Liverpool city centre in 2014 and its first coffee shop the following year!
They have a strong vision of;
UNITING EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE THROUGH OUR LOVE OF COFFEE
Strictly small-batch, hand-roasted methods are employed to ensure each cup consistently brims with flavour and freshness, and only beans sourced from green coffee import partners are used.
Jack began his work with 92 Degrees without huge financial backing and quickly realised a dream. The business has since gone from strength to strength, remaining agile throughout COVID to continue to expand.
“92 degrees was founded by myself and 5 other people. At the time, I was working on a building site and someone who ran a tech business asked me to show him around the building. We got to the corner of Hope Street and he said we should build a shop there. So I said, “let’s do it!”
“Six weeks later, we had a full business plan and six weeks after that, we opened our doors as a coffee shop. We had a total of six of us, as the two of us couldn’t afford it on our own. Another six weeks later, we all sat down and I knew how much our customers loved us and it was working well, so I suggested we build more shops – but everybody else said no.”
What happened next?!
Listen to the full episode to find out more!
To find out more, visit 92degrees.coffee and follow them on Instagram @92degreesuk
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a like and a review as it really helps support what I do.
Make sure to follow @gettingtogrow on Instagram
See you guys next time!
Zoe
56 min
November 17, 2023 #36– Andy Shovel - Co- Founder of THIS
On episode 36 of Getting To Grow, I sat down with Andy Shovel Co- Founder of THIS 🎙👂 😀
Andy and Pete last job entailed selling tonnes (literally tonnes) of meat. Then they felt bad! Also, they felt like meat-alternatives weren’t realllllly for people who love the taste of meat. They felt, that they were for people who like sandals with socks (and the taste of sandals).
So they’ve basically made food for themselves, but they now would love you to try it too because THIS™ is a game-changer – 100% plant-based, high in protein, waay lower in saturated fat than meat, yet FULL of flavour.
THIS™ was founded in June 2019 by Andy Shovel and Pete Sharman as a plant-based food brand for meat-lovers. Following two years of extensive research and development with a team of world-leading food scientists and flavourists, they created hyper-realistic meat alternatives. The THIS™ Isn’t Chicken and THIS™ Isn’t Bacon product ranges are specifically designed to replicate the taste, texture and flavour of popular meat products but without any of the downsides (they’re high in protein, low in saturated fat and are GMO-free, carcinogen free, and nitrate free).
THIS™ was listed by Kantar in the top 10 most valuable FMCG product launches of 2020. In under two years since launching, THIS™ has been stocked in over 8,900 retail distribution points (an annual growth rate of 633%) in all four of the UK’s major grocers. The products also feature in over 300 restaurants throughout the country (including Prezzo, Pho, and Honest Burgers).
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR THIS BRAND!
To find out more, visit this.co and follow them on Instagram @this.co
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a like and a review as it really helps support what I do.
Make sure to follow @gettingtogrow on Instagram
See you guys next time!
Zoe
42 min
October 31, 2023 #35 - Imme Ermgassen & Sam Steavenson - Founders of Botivo
On episode 35 of Getting To Grow, I sat down with Imme Ermgassen & Sam Steavenson - Founders of Botivo🎙👂 😀
They believe that everyday pleasures should be full of life and savoured; and that the most important moment of the day is when you clock out and ease into your evening. Whether it’s an evening enjoying amazing food with great friends or unwinding after a tough day's work, at Botivo they call this time 'the yellow hour'. We believe that everyone deserves a truly special drink to look forward to and that people are tired of compromising when they are not drinking.
They made Botivo to challenge the idea that only alcohol makes delicious craft drinks. Great drinks are delicious, complex and multilayered. It is their fullness in taste that gives us pleasure.
“I wanted to bring the true craft and depth of flavour we all see in the alcohol category, to the non alc category. This meant using real ingredients, no flavourings and low intervention techniques”
Sam Paget Steavenson
“When I tried Botivo it blew my mind, it was everything I wanted in a drink. I left my job and joined Sam. My friends still can’t get their head around the fact I am co-founder of a non-alcoholic aperitif brand... until they try it.”
Imme Ermgassen
To find out more, visit botivodrinks.com and follow them on Instagram @botivodrinks
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a like and a review as it really helps support what I do.
Make sure to follow @gettingtogrow on Instagram
See you guys next time!
Zoe
52 min

About Getting to Grow

From the publisher's feed

Getting To Grow is a business, brand and growth podcast for founders, startups and FMCG brands, hosted by Zoe Fox. Each episode features founders, entrepreneurs, brand builders, sales leaders and…