Smoothie venture puts the Xing into enterprise

TWO smoothie enterprises are seeing growth and are helping to put something back into the community.

Xing is an organisation run by two Yorkshire university graduates and is an enterprise which encourages entrepreneurship among school children.

York-based Xing is run by Phil Benson, 29, and Simon Long, 28. The company goes into schools and helps youngsters start their own smoothie bar businesses.

The pair run the Xing Feel Good Food bar in York and have plans to open other outlets.

They also run a website – www.xingeducation.co.uk – offering advice on healthy lifestyles and helping young people.

Xing is also looking to roll out its pupil smoothie initiative, run along the lines of a social enterprise, to more schools after seeing early succes in Yorkshire.

“We get pupils to start and run an economically sustainable business,” said Mr Benson. “Learning on the job rather than just been taught in a classroom or doing an enterprise activity for a short period of time.

“We hope other enterprises and initiatives can be developed through profits generated from the bar, going back into the school. All pupils get rewarded by being paid a wage from the business.

“The aim of this project is to give kids confidence to think about setting up their own business.”

Xing has seen success with Cottingham High in Hull and is also working with Kelvin Hall, Andrew Marvell, Hessle High and Malet Lambert, all in Hull.

Mr Benson said there was also interest from other schools across the UK. Pupils at Cottingham High school will be launching their new smoothie bar on Friday.

Meanwhile, Ilkley-based smoothie maker FRUT is projecting turnover growth following support from Bradford Council’s high-growth enterprise programme, Rising Stars.

FRUT was established in 2009 by managing director Michael Booth and director John Phillipson and the company supplies smoothie dispensing machines in head offices, motorway services, schools and colleges.

Following the tie-up with Rising Stars, FRUT has identified new potential export markets and received access to finance via the Business Enterprise Fund (BEF).

Carolyn Coleman, Rising Stars’ business services manager, said: “FRUT is an exceptionally exciting business

led by very driven and focussed directors who have their sights set on expansion through product development and retail distribution.”