Tell me about you and your family

We have been living in Cookham for the last six years, and previous to this
we were living in Ealing. We have a four-year-old daughter, a dog and two cats. 

 

Tell me about your business that has taken off amazingly – well done!
How did you come up with the idea and then grow it?

Thank you, the business is called The Primal Pantry. The idea came out of my kitchen when I was making take-home snacks for my nutrition clients. They struggled to find products on the market that were gluten-free, 100% natural and clean, and importantly tasty. So I offered to make some and they went mad for them. I then developed some recipes, found a small manufacturer that could make them, worked with some designers to create the branding and packaging, and launched them in February 2014. The excitement on social media was so great that 20,000
bars were sold in the first two weeks.

   Since then, it has been a bit of a whirlwind. We have now launched into Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Holland & Barrett, and lots of independent health stores and gyms. 
We have also introduced a range of high-protein bars and are working on a kids' range of
products for 2017. 

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Why do you think your bars are so popular?

I believe the bars are popular for three reasons: 1. They taste awesome, 2. We are sociable and the branding is approachable, so fans don’t hesitate to make contact with us, 3. They are 100% real food, no junk in sight.

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Have you always been interested in doing this? What do you like about it the most? 

I have always wanted to run my own business. It is hard but the rewards can be great. I love working with people and we have grown the team to 20 now, based in Maidenhead, and it is
such a great reward to see the passion everyday that each team member has for the brand,
the products and the business. 

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What did you do before?

Previous to The Primal Pantry, I was practising as a nutritional therapy consultant, working with clients on a one-to-one basis. Previous to this, I was based in the food industry with various jobs in marketing and sales across Nestle, Innocent and Little Dish. 

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Did you have to do any business courses or training?

The experience I gained studying nutrition has helped in the development of the products, and previous experience in my career is what I need to use each day in running the business.  However, every day I seem to learn something new. 

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What is the best part of having your own business? And the worst? 

Best: Control of my work-life balance (albeit in the early days it is definitely more work than life balance), leading a team and creating products that consumers love to engage with. 

Worst: Managing cash flow has been the biggest challenge from day one. 

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What's your best-seller?

Our coconut and macadamia bar.

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How did your event go in Cookham before Christmas? 

We are looking to launch a range for kids, so the event was really to gain some feedback on some of the recipes we have been working on, and it was a great success. Looks like we will aim to launch them in spring 2017. 

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Who is your idol?

Jo Malone – she is a great inspiration. She attained no qualifications at school and instead focused on what she loved the most: ‘fragrances'. Starting out doing facials in her flat, she later developed scented bath oils for her clients. It was such a success that her husband left his job and helped her open her first shop and her focus turned to candles. She sold her brand to Estee Lauder and recently launched another brand Jo Loves. She is such a lovely, warm and inspiring lady. 

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What are your plans for the future with the business?

We are focusing on growth in 2017, getting more people to become aware and try the products across Europe.  

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www.primalpantry.com