BUSINESS
Starting a food business cont .
Sally Newall , Simply Ice Cream , www . simplyicecream . co . uk
What sparked the initial idea for your business ?
Simply Ice cream was set up in October 2005 on the back of a catering business that I have run for the last 28 years . I started thinking about trying to get some time back , especially on weekends , to spend with my husband and four children . The idea was to create a product that could be sold into retail that was produced and distributed throughout a normal working week . It turns out this was very naïve as I quickly realised that all the promotion and marketing that comes with building a business needs to be done through market stalls / events / trade shows / sampling in store etc . which predominantly take place over the weekend , so I ended up working harder than ever – regularly working 12 -18 hour days and every weekend .
What was the first step you took in getting off the ground ?
Initially , we approached a local farm shop to see if they would sell our ice cream for us and then gauge how it sold ; it ’ s very easy for friends and family to tell you to launch a product that they enjoy but you need to cover a wide customer base who will be constructively critical . The initial packaging was just a plastic tub with a sticker on top in a range of four flavours – vanilla , chocolate , strawberry and honeycomb . We spent over a year deciding how we wanted the tubs and the general overall company branding to look and the range now includes 32 flavours . In the first six months , we supplied one farm shop ; the following year five outlets ; 16 the following year ; and in 2008 we went into Waitrose and decided to devote more time to the ice cream and less to the catering .
What ’ s been the toughest challenge you ’ ve faced so far and how have you overcome it ?
In year two , we changed from plastic tubs to paper and introduced the current look of the brand . We had to order 50,000 pots initially , which were being printed in Italy by a company based in the UK . When they arrived they were all out of register and the whole lot had to be redone , which set us back six months and delayed our launch into Waitrose ; very disappointing at the time ! Growing the company in our existing space is a constant challenge but doable – I firmly believe you should maximise on what you have available and not overstretch the business . Our biggest challenge to date was a restructure we made to the business two years ago enabling me to start working on the business again and not in it .
What ’ s been your biggest achievement to date ?
Still being in business ! The food industry is a tough industry to work in – regulations change constantly , costs are going up , and challenges as a result of Brexit will impact for a good few years to come . However , we believe we have a loyal growing fan base and wonderful staff who are committed to seeing the company continue to achieve success .
In your opinion , what separates a product that will be a success from one that won ’ t ?
Packaging is key , followed by taste – a consumer ’ s eye will be drawn initially by packaging . Getting that initial sale is key and something that stands out on the shelf is half the battle in getting your product picked over a competitor . Once bought , the product needs to deliver so it needs to taste good . You need to think about quality , ingredients , where you sit in the market place , how you get it to
market , supply chain , and marketing spend etc . Social media influences are huge these days and we all need to look at these platforms to market to the next generation too . Initially , promote the product as much as possible at events , markets , and instore samplings to get people trying the product and gain a loyal fan base – if you don ’ t have consumers on board , you won ’ t be selling anything .
If you had one piece of advice for anyone thinking of launching their own food or drink business , what would that be ?
Running your own business is a constant learning curve . It never fails to amaze me how many curve balls get thrown on a daily basis especially when you are trying to wear many hats in a small company . I have ensured that I seek specialist advice along the way which has been invaluable . Think about logistics too – frozen distribution is a nightmare ; if I had my time again I would seriously think twice about a frozen product !
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