Food Founders Interviews (Froghop)

Since 2006, Angel Food has been on a mission to make plant-based mainstream. Starting as an importer of vegan products, the New Zealand-based business scaled up and began to create their own dairy-free vegan cheese alternatives. Hear how founder Alice Shopland started, scaled and created products with the taste and texture to satisfy vegans and flexitarians alike.

Find out more about Angel Food at www.angelfood.co.nz.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at froghop.co.uk/resources. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not book a Discovery Call.

Over The Moo founder Simon Goodman is on a mission to build the world’s tastiest vegan ice cream business. Inspired by helping Cadbury launch its first choc ice in his agency days, Simon set about bringing a delicious, plant-based ice cream to market. Listen in to hear about his manufacturing journey, expanding into Spain, Portugal and Dubai, Great Taste (and more) awards, great advice from a branding expert, the fundamentals of ice cream margins and lots more.

Learn more about Over The Moo, find stockists and get Crowdfunding information at www.overthemoo.co.uk.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at froghop.co.uk/resources. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not book a Discovery Call.

Popcorn Shed makes delicious gourmet popcorn, the ultimate multi-occasion snack that’s tasty and versatile. The business has won Great Taste Awards and is growing fast. Find out how they’ve scaled up from home to factory, staying true to their artisan, handmade process across more than 30 flavours and diversified and grown sales through 15 channels.

Find out more about Popcorn Shed, find stockists and buy online at www.popcornshed.com.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at froghop.co.uk/resources. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not book a Discovery Call.

Ros Heathcote founded Borough Broth to offer tasty products that deliver protein and natural collagens for gut health and general wellbeing. Tune in to hear how she’s grown the business while keeping the homemade taste, slow-cooked goodness and high-quality ingredients that have won the range a whopping 12 Great Taste Awards. Founded in 2015, Borough Broth has established a range of tasty, pre-made, organic bone broths, scaled up to listings with Waitrose, Ocado, Whole Foods, Fortnum & Mason, Planet Organic, Holland & Barrett and more. Find out how, why and what’s next.

Find out more about Borough Broth, find stockists or buy online at www.boroughbroth.co.uk.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at froghop.co.uk/resources. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not get in touch.

Hunter & Gather is on a mission to help people improve their health by making it easy to eat real food. Shocked by the additives, added sugar and unrecognisable ingredients on the backs of most products, they provide products, information and inspiration to help people change their diets and lifestyles to cut out ultra-processed foods. Listen to podcast to hear the story of founders Amy and Jeff, what has been at the heart of their success, news of an exciting new listing, and lots more.

Find out more about Hunter & Gather and buy online at www.hunterandgatherfoods.com.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at froghop.co.uk/resources. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not get in touch.

Disappointed by the vegan cheese on offer, Mike Moore founded Honestly Tasty in 2018. Find out how he set about creating products like Bree, Shamembert and Blue and getting them listed with M&S, Ocado, Vegan Kind and independent specialists too. Mike explains how Honestly Tasty has scaled up, dealt with seasonal Christmas spikes, and funded and expanded production with savings, angels and two rounds of crowdfunding with Seedrs.

Find out more about Honestly Tasty, find a stockist or buy online at www.honestlytasty.co.uk.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at froghop.co.uk/resources. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not get in touch.

Black Mamba Foods is on a mission to make the world tastier and spicier with a range of ‘venomous’ sauces, chutneys and pestos that bring the heat. Based in Eswatini in Southern Africa but with stockists on four continents, founder Claudia Castellanos wanted to build a better world through good food, ethical practices and impact entrepreneurship. Find out how she’s creating products that are good for you, good for the planet and good for the people that make them.

Find out more about Black Mamba, find a stockist or buy online, at blackmambachilli.com.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at froghop.co.uk/resources. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not get in touch.

Juspy is a protein blend developed to supercharge your health but taste like a treat. Packed with functional ingredients and boasting a clean label, it combines collagen with cacao and other superfoods to nourish the skin, support bone and joint health, provide an energy boost and keep you going. Listen now to hear how Juspy founder Leonie Lynch has achieved all this and more during her seven year journey, as well as winning a Great Taste Award.

Find out more about Juspy, find a stockist or buy online, at www.juspy.com.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at froghop.co.uk/resources. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not get in touch.

Nix & Kix is a refreshingly different soft drink brand that wants to give people better choices when it comes to soft drinks. Better taste, better for you, with natural ingredients, refreshing combinations and the natural benefits of botanicals. Listed at Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Booths, Holland & Barrett, Nando’s and more, they’re a certified B Corp and are currently doing a raise with Seeder’s. Listen to hear how co-founder Julia Kessler is creating a global drinks brand.

Find out more about Nix & Kix, check out their stockists and buy online, go to www.nixandkix.com.

Their current Seedrs round is open till Friday December 15th, find out more at Seedrs.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at froghop.co.uk/resources. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not get in touch.

The Free From Food Awards are the UK’s only awards dedicated to free-free food and drink products and innovation. Now in its fifteenth year, the yellow logo is coveted by producers of free-from products and noticed by retailers and consumers alike. The awards also support, promote and encourage new allergen-free product development.

Find out more about the awards, judges and entering at www.freefromfoodawards.co.uk.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at froghop.co.uk/resources. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not get in touch.

Christopher Kong is on a mission to help more people discover the benefits of tempeh. Hear how Better Nature’s range of tasty, nutritious tempeh products has won listings in Tesco, Planet Organic, Selfridges, foodservice and more. In a packed podcast, hear about Better Nature’s lean approach to scaling up, how they’ve raised finance to start and grow, and how they’ve found manufacturing (and other) partners too.

Find out more about Better Nature Tempeh and find stockists at www.betternaturetempeh.co.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at froghop.co.uk/resources. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not get in touch.

Over 20% of the UK population is affected by one or more allergies. It’s a growing problem, especially for children, with 6-8% suffering from food allergies (BSACI figures). What would you do if your child suffered from severe allergies? It’s a life-threatening challenge that Grow With Iris founder Amy Langfield faced when her daughter Iris was born with multiple severe allergies.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not get in touch.

Jared Spencer founded Riddim Snacks to authentically represent the stories, flavours and ingredients of the Caribbean. Listen in to discover how he’s achieving that goal while balancing tasty, innovative flavours with inclusive Vegan and Free-From products. Check out the range at www.riddimsnacks.co.uk.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, why not get in touch.

Turning a beloved family recipe into a product was deeply personal for Elaine Rémy, founder of Vie’s Jamaican Rum Cakes. Baked in small batches in Cumbria to a traditional recipe, they’re generously infused with the finest Jamaican white rums. Listen to find out how the business came to be, how Elaine has balanced the business with her career since 2019, how she met Theo Paphitis and lots more.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Established by England rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson, No 1 Living creates delicious, living drinks for excellent gut health and overall wellbeing. In this Food Founders Interview, CEO Tim Lennox will explain how the business came to be and how it’s grown and won listings while putting health and wellbeing first.

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You’ll find videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Understanding retail buyers and getting comfortable, and even proficient, with selling is a critical skill that food founders need to master. The latest food founders interview features Karen Green, someone who’s been on both sides of the negotiating table. She began her career as a retail buyer with Tesco, then Boots, before working in Commercial roles for a range of food businesses. As well as sharing her buying and selling experiences, she explains the ideas in her new book, Buyer-ology.

You can order Karen’s new book here.

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You’ll find more videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Monica Martini left a career in architecture to follow her passionate belief that ‘we are what we eat’. She’s launched Be100% as a range of nutritious vegan snacks that boost gut, brain and immune health – rooted in ancestral wisdom and backed by evidence-based science. Irresistible snacking with cellular hacking, as she calls it. Find out more at Be100%.

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You’ll find more videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Cornel Sampson founded Revive after turning to nature to boost his well-being and treat his aches and pains. Friends and family were soon asking for his secret, and Revive was born. Hear all about Cornel and his mission “to change a million lives one juice at a time”. Find out more here and follow Cornel on Instagram.

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You’ll find more videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Luxwells infusions combine wellbeing, taste, refreshment and a little bit of luxury. Each handmade drink is infused with real flowers, botanicals and other plant-based ingredients. Founder Kristal Baker started as a “complete novice” driven by the need for a tasty alternative to water that would keep her hydration on track. Hear how she had the idea, how she’s developed and launched them, plus sales and branding too. Find out how her products have all been awarded Great Taste Awards recently too. Order Luxwells online here.

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You’ll find more videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Origin Kitchen has gone from kitchen table to commercial kitchen with their delicious plant-based products. Co-founder and Operations Director, Leah Brown joined us to share how they’re creating naturally healthier products, preserving the goodness and freshness with gentle heat treatment, offering their plant-based production to other producers. Find out more about Origin Kitchen here.

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You’ll find more videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Wildfarmed was founded in 2018 by Andy Cato, George Lamb and Edd Lees with the aim of “fixing the planet by fixing food”. Their methods prioritise soil health, leaving it rich for future harvests. It also means that produce will be chemical-free and nutrient-dense. Forty farmers are growing under contract with Wildfarmed, and 230 businesses are baking, cooking and educating with Wildfarmed flour. Hear all about the business and its mission, and how it’s creating different ingredients and products to other approaches to farming.

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You’ll find more videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Snackzilla founder Marieke Syed talks to Froghop’s Development Manager Jo Povey about creating and scaling-up a food business. Marieke’s going from strength to strength with investment (from Warburtons), retail listings (with the likes of Sainsbury’s and Ocado), awards, apps, recruitment and more. Find out how she’s approached it, what she’s learnt along the way and what’s next for Snackzilla.

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You’ll find more videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Triathlete Andy Welch founded Keeto Life because he “got tired of eating salads twice a day” after setting out on his own keto journey. He had embraced the diet to help improve his stamina and power and ended up developing his own keto versions of bread (and cake) that are now sold in 15 countries. Seriously Low Carb products help customers with diabetes management, endurance training, and other low–carb lifestyles without sacrificing taste, nutrition, or satisfaction. Find out more at seriouslylowcarb.com.

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You’ll find more videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Ash and Oli founded Sipp’d in 2020 and have been on a mission to create great-tasting craft sodas with quality, natural ingredients ever since. It hasn’t always been a straightforward journey, they’ve pivoted and learned along the way. The twist is that, somewhat rare for a drinks startup, they built their own production facility from the off. Find out what they’ve learnt, how they made the change from accountancy to craft sodas and apple juices and lots more besides.

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You’ll find more videos, guides, checklists and podcasts to help you with your product development and food or drink business on the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Ros and Subha left their career in banking to start Bodha Drinks. Their innovative, Eastern-inspired soft drinks are refreshing and packed with intriguing contrasts. Find out all about their journey is this episode of the Food Founders Interviews podcast. You can try them for yourself and get free delivery using the code ‘FROGHOP’ at their website (offer ends 11/03/2022).

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You can find a wealth of videos, guides and checklists for food and drink product development in the Resources section of the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Cheeky P’s are Vegan, gluten-free, protein-packed snacks made from chickpeas. They’re based on a Malaysian street snack (Kacang Putih) with some lip-smacking British-loved flavours added. Founders Gracia and Gregory are on a mission to “bring a bit of mischief” and get more people eating the nutritious, tasty chick pea. They tell Mel about starting the business, developing the product, getting listings with retailers and lots more.

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You can find a wealth of videos, guides and checklists for food and drink product development in the Resources section of the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/. If you’d like to talk about your product and its development, feel free to get in touch.

Catrin Burr founded Aurosó Chocolate after moving to a low-sugar lifestyle. She was frustrated by the lack of options for genuinely indulgent filled chocolates that still tasted divine. Find out how she’s successfully developed, launched and promoted her reduced sugar luxury filled bars, solid bars and bonbons, all from home.

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You can find a wealth of videos, guides and checklists for food and drink product development in the Resources section of the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/

Consumers are increasingly passionate about independent food and drink, and they expect the products they find in independent farm shops, delis and cafes to taste great, have a story and meet their needs. In this episode Tara Mei of Mahalo Supplies (and Bread & Jam) talks about her experience of founding a wholesaler, as well as her thoughts on what independent retailers want – and need – from independent producers.

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You can find a wealth of videos, guides and checklists for food and drink product development in the Resources section of the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/

Lexi’s Treats founder, Alexei Khatiwada, shares his experience and tips of launching a new product “with a small budget and no team”. This session is packed with tips, recommendations, ideas and tons on energy. You can buy the full range of tasty, gluten-free, vegan, crispy treats at www.lexistreats.com. (Recorded October 2020)

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You can find a wealth of videos, guides and checklists for food and drink product development in the Resources section of the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/

Helen Yates is packing Rootles full of vegetable goodness. They’re grab-and-go chocolate-covered biscuits that are ‘deliciously unconventional’ and based on the idea that if we put vegetables in cakes, why not in biscuits too! Listen on to hear her story from idea, development and manufacturing challenges, to pitching, branding and marketing the product.

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You can find a wealth of videos, guides and checklists for food and drink product development in the Resources section of the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/

Trent Scanlen co-founded Truth Origins with his friend Dr Harrison Weisinger (aka Dr Harry). Both Trent and Harry have successfully overcome cancer and have used their research into plant science to create a ‘radically transparent’ natural supplements business.

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You can find a wealth of videos, guides and checklists for food and drink product development in the Resources section of the Froghop website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/resources/

Steve Swindon co-founded LoveSeitan in 2017 and is on a mission to reduce the consumption of animals and animal products. They knew this meant developing vegan products that “blow people’s minds”. Find out how they’ve done it.

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Watch our webinar about developing Vegan products to find out more about at https://www.froghop.co.uk/kc-developing-vegan-food-products/.

Food founder Marieke Syed tells us about how she came to launch Snackzilla, making healthy snacks for children, getting funded and developing a tasty family favourite recipe that’s HFSS compliant. (Recorded December 2020)

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Watch our free webinars to learn about developing products within HFSS guidelines – go to https://www.froghop.co.uk/kc-developing-around-hfss/.

Thea Brook, founder of award-winning plant-based restaurant, The Brook, shares her experiences and advice for founders. She’s successfully turned a restaurant menu into an award-winning food business.

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If you want to find out more about food product development, you can contact us via our website at https://www.froghop.co.uk/contact/.