Foodpreneurs Lead the Way
The start-up landscape is changing and the Food and Drink Industry is embracing it in a big way. The number of new businesses registered in 2015 increased by 5% on the previous year and 2016 is set to be another record year according to StartUp Britain. Each week sees another new food entrepreneur taking the industry by the scruff of the neck and making their mark.
Consider what we’ve achieved in a relatively short space of time: you can now order a restaurant quality meal, an exclusive wine subscription or your full week’s meals in convenient portionable packs whilst sat in your scruffs watching Netflix. As consumers we demand convenience, quality and a strong brand. Companies that can meet these needs are thriving; those that can’t seem to age very quickly.
Three companies that have fully embraced the opportunities presented by this changing landscape are Snaffling Pig, Charbrew and FoodStars.
Snaffling Pig and Charbrew both represent a new breed of postmodern branding operating in stalling or stagnant markets. Consumers across all industries demand a brand that can serve as an extension of their personality and provides shareable substance for the fast-paced, content-hungry social media networks.
Snaffling Pig is more than just a high quality pork scratching business, it is a movement. It has given life to a dying breed of pub snacks and has wiped away the preconceptions of a hairy, unappealing snack to leave a clean and quirky brand with great tasting food. Charbrew set out to revolutionise the speciality teas and iced tea industry after realising that the UK is being starved of great quality tea in comparison to our European neighbours. Both brands set out with a mission not a product and that’s what has set them apart.
The talent in the Food and Drink industry has recognised this and used it effectively to its advantage. Brands like Snaffling Pig and Charbrew encourage fans not customers with their quirky, on-trend, not-taking-myself-too-seriously styles. This is the way of the new world. The success of both businesses is evidenced in their ability to raise funds with Snaffling Pig successfully leaving Dragons’ Den and Charbrew benefiting from the power of the crowd in a successful Seedrs campaign.
FoodStars has hit on a completely different niche altogether working with the talent in the industry to provide an accessible platform and remove barriers to starting up a business. The company offers more than just private kitchen space to rent in London, it provides a way for a business to avoid huge start-up costs and business rates and a lifeline. FoodStars‘ mission is in fuelling the ‘dark restaurant’ revolution in London and improving the in-home dining experience as proof that you don’t need to compromise quality for convenience.
Now is an exciting time to be in the Food and Drink industry in the UK either as a foodpreneur, a casual observer or a consumer. Entrepreneurial talent is joining the food crusade and continuously improving the landscape with new and exciting innovations. The pace over the last five to ten years has been break-neck but who can say what the future will hold for UK foodies?
