The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 4: Summer 2017 | Page 19

Helen Rich
Sam Laite
IN PROFILE
Helen Rich
Founder of Taste of Bath
Helen Rich is founder of Taste of Bath , a food gifting company specialising in artisan produce sourced within a ten-mile radius of Bath .
Helen creates hampers crammed full of the best local produce including preserves , cheeses , chocolates , biscuits , tea , gin , ales and cider .
Taste of Bath is currently working with 35 producers and has just launched a new bespoke offering for the corporate market .
We met with Helen to find out more about her business journey and her vision for the future of the company .
How did you come up with the Taste of Bath idea ?
I left my job as a retail manager and wanted to do something for myself . It was important to do something I was really passionate about , so I took six months out , continuously cooking and gardening at home .
I knew that food was my passion , so I decided to become a producer and for two years I made pâté . I taught myself butchery , gained all of the necessary health and safety qualifications and traded at places like Bath Farmers Market . My business was called Rich Pickings and it gave me a real insight and understanding of the foodie world . Whilst I was doing this , I came up with the idea for Taste of Bath . The original business model was to champion local food , supporting producers by giving them a network to sell their produce , but I soon realised this wouldn ’ t work .
I always thought that what people were interested in is producers and their story . To a certain extent they are , but it quickly became identifiable that Taste of Bath was a massive thing as a gift , celebrating Bath . It ’ s not so much about the individual producers , but more of an amazing array of things that are made in Bath and people really buy into that .
How did you start making hampers ?
It was August 2015 and I thought if I ’ m going to do this , I need to get the business underway before Christmas , I ’ d be mad not to , so we started off with three types of hamper ; small , medium and large , all delivered in crates . I didn ’ t want them to be sent out in a traditional wicker hamper , I wanted the brand to have an organic , rustic , country look . We found this guy in Yorkshire who could hand-make the crates for us , something we really felt was in-line with the Taste of Bath branding and ethos .
What did you learn from your first Christmas in business ?
We had lots of people get in touch saying they wanted to create their own hampers for various reasons , so we launched create your own . This allows customers to fix their budget and to select our product range in a personalised way . It ’ s been extremely popular , especially as a lot of the big hamper companies don ’ t offer this service . It now accounts for 75 % of our trade !
How has Taste of Bath developed ?
Christmas 2016 was fantastic . We delivered 552 hamper orders and sold £ 14,000 worth of producer ’ s products , I ’ m so proud of how the business is growing .
Why have you started to cater for the corporate market ?
We started getting approached by businesses to create hampers as gifts for clients , for rewarding staff and to give as stand prizes at events and exhibitions . I realised there could be something in this ; taking the seasonality out of the company and creating something that was currently not available in the marketplace .
Our new corporate range allows any Bath business to stamp their identity on a Taste of Bath . By doing this , it ’ s much more personal than a generic hamper and delivers a memorable slice of Bath .
You can decide what your hamper is delivered in , but we decided to give more choice than just a crate or wicker basket and designed the Bath Box . A high-end black box , beautifully presented and the ideal gifting solution for corporates . It ’ s much easier and cheaper to post too .
The boxes we create for clients are wrapped with ribbons in their branded colours and we get logo stamps made for each company working with us . Each hamper contains an A5 scroll too , detailing where the products are made , who ’ s made them and their personal story .
Our first corporate deal was with the Bath branch of Savills estate agent . When someone purchases a property from them , on their move in day they find a gorgeous box left in their new home , jam packed with luxury everyday items including tea , coffee , hot chocolate and truffles .
How do you get your business satisfaction ?
I ’ m entirely motivated by customer satisfaction . Before entering into the world of food , I used to train retail store managers in customer service skills , so this has always been important to me .
It ’ s all about the client . If you want a meeting with me to discuss your needs , we can do that and if you contact me saying I need an £ 80 hamper for a client who likes his beer , then I can design the contents for you . Our service is entirely flexible .
We recently designed a hamper for a client to celebrate a 90th birthday . My brief was , she ’ s got a place in Scotland and she loves fishing . I got to work and put in a Whiskey liqueur , smoked salmon from the Longs Arms in Wraxall and some ginger fudge from Meg ’ s Kitchen . The feedback was that she loved it !
What are the most popular products ?
Wyfe of Bath cheese , cider , hot date chutney and vanilla fudge . My personal favourite is the hot sauce , it ’ s delicious !
What ’ s your ambition for the future of the business ?
I would like to take the idea and put it into other areas of the UK . Both Bristol and Oxford are on my radar for future . Watch this space !
Next edition we interview :
Sam Laite
Forward Thinking Recruitment

Work @ Hartham Park

For all your meeting and workspace needs .

Tel : 01249 700000 Email : info @ harthampark . com Address : Hartham Lane , Corsham , Wiltshire , SN13 0RP
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2017 19