Like all small business owners I wear multiple ‘hats’ and juggle multiple roles.  Sometimes I’m in selling mode [promoting my soft drinks], others I’m in ‘buying’ mode [buying products and services from other companies].  As a product based business I buy plenty of items – bottles, labels, ingredients, design, printing, accountancy services etc etc…….the list [...]

Wish us luck, the craziest week imaginable has just begun! We are exhibiting at Caffe Culture in Olympia this week – Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th.  Today I am getting everything ready for that……..making sure all the passes are printed, press packs, leaflets, distributor information, samples, stand etc etc!  Getting to Olympia and realising you [...]

I can’t remember how many new product launches I was involved with at Mars [probably about a hundred]. Some of the more memorable launches I helped take to market at the large supermarkets were: Whiskas Pouch Catfood, Uncle Bens Pouch [readycook] Rice and Galaxy Bitesize.  All the product launches were so well thought through, so [...]

I love blogging [which of course reading this you'll already know!]…….but I live in a very visual world and get to go to some amazing places.  I’d love to share more of those experiences via some video blogs.  I have a great video on my website shot by Alex and Ryan from Lambda films………and I’m [...]

There’s lots of chatter about Social Media, lots of scare stories in the press, but what detractors don’t realise is how fabulous it is for small business use.  I just adore it, and can’t imagine being able to run Breckland Orchard without it. Shona Chambers and I started chatting on Twitter just over a year [...]

There was a brilliant article in the Independent over the weekend entitled ‘Gourmet Gamble: Could you make it as a Food Entrepreneur‘, written by Charlotte Philby.  It gave an honest insight into the world of being a start up food and drink entrepreneur.  Must-read for any would-be start up entrepreneur. With the recession, and many [...]

OK….so I know it’s good for gardeners and it’s great for farmers……..but is anyone else just a teeny-tiny fed up of all this rain? We’ve had such a dry couple of months that I’ve gotten out of the habit of expecting just so much rain…for days on end! I’m probably a little selfish in wishing [...]

Just back yesterday from Exeter, where Chloe and I had spent two days at the Source Trade Show 2012.  It was held at the Westpoint Exhibition Centre, just outside the city centre.  There were roughly150-200 exhibitors……..mainly from the South West, with a smattering [well about 30%] of producers from the rest of the UK. We [...]

I’m female, I love social media so of course I’m loving the new kid on the social media block – Pinterest! I really found out about it in the US on the NAFDMA visit – on our three day bus tour it was mentioned by the females daily/hourly.  Little snippets of conversation like ‘I’ll have [...]

I love running a small business, after having worked in the corporate world for many years, it feels really refreshing. Three years in it continues to thrill [sad but true!].  No office politics, no diary full of internal meetings and a real ability to be quick, nimble and do the right thing.  And that’s good [...]

I’m always one for a challenge and yesterday I completed a personal challenge by running a 10km race!  I am by no means a natural athelete but sheer will power and determination hauled me round.  There were a lot of folk who did a combination of walking and running, but I was absolutely determined to [...]

Proud to announce that we’ve brought out a brand new flavour  of Posh Pop- Cream Soda with a Splash of Rhubarb!  Made it just in time for summer 2012. With all the rule-Britannia, Olympics, Union Jacks, Jubilee celebrations etc we just couldn’t resist adding this classic soft drink to the range – albeit with a [...]

We’ve managed to get a little sneaky mention in Woman and Home this month [April].  They’ve got a lovely feature about decorating your home for Spring/Easter. Its all about indulging ‘in the joys of spring by using pretty colours and fresh flowers around your home’ – so plenty of pastel colours combined with  zingy yellows [...]

I’ve just finished my third year of business [really can't believe its been that long, its flown by!] and I must say I am only just learning the rules of print and photography.  That has to be  ‘little and often’. Take photography – I can have some brilliant product shots taken, but a few months [...]

  My best marketing investment ever in terms of Return on Investment [ROI]?  There is only one answer! My 99p Topps Tile which I used at Food shows to try out my new strapline of ‘Posh Pop’ before I committed more spend and resource to it.  Armed with my trusty tile and a piece of [...]

I love listening to Podcasts of Radio 4′s Bottom Line when I get a minute.  There’s some great little pithy videos on the BBC site called ‘Watch my Bottom line’, where the guests record a minute’s worth of business advice, which I love!  Its a little goldmine of great business learnings – go check it [...]

I was invited last Thursday to be a ‘dragon’ at Brundall Primary School.  I joined 6 other ‘dragons’ to put the budding entrepreneurs of Year 6 through their paces. We heard 7 pitches in total – ranging from T-Shirts to fitness videos.  And if truth be told – they were just amazing!  It was hard [...]

I rarely drink when I am out………….why? probably  because I don’t drink much alcohol to start with, and plus my driving license is much too important to me to risk loosing for a glass of wine. I make lovely soft drinks here at Breckland Orchard, I’m immersed in the world of non-alcoholic drinks, I love [...]

Last Friday was the third anniversary of having launched Breckland Orchard – yipeeee! My feelings change – on one hand it doesn’t feel brand-new, but at the same time three years in the life of a new brand and a new business is nothing at all!  I am loving the challenges and the pure enjoyment [...]

I was in Viriginia a few weeks back – lets be honest, it is hardly the cutting edge of coffee-shop trends in the US [I guess you'd have to go to one of the metropolis's to really see that] and also I was there on a Farm Shop conference. Nevertheless I was curious to see [...]