David Lester, Co-founder of Olipop on Why Founders Must Convince People To Do Unreasonable Sh1t!

Sometimes it's lunch, sometimes it's dinner. Sometimes you're one, sometimes you're a family of 4. Sometimes it's a side, sometimes you're starving. How does a food brand answer all of these consumer/human need-states? STOCKED has created a product category that didn't previously exist: chef-made, frozen blocks of deliciousness - that you can choose to eat in 2,4 or 6 - you do it your way. In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, I'm joined by Sam Moss and Charlie Gilpin, the co-founders of Stocked, which is chef-made frozen food and reinventing the ready meal with portion-sized blocks that customers can heat, combine and serve however they like. We talk about their extraordinary brand growth journey, from launching direct-to-consumer and cooking everything themselves to appearing on Dragons' Den, building their own manufacturing operation and securing listings with Ocado, Waitrose and Sainsbury's. I first met Sam and Charlie in 2022 when they joined the Brand Growth Heroes strategy programme, and it's been AMAZING to see what they've built since. What makes their story particularly valuable for founders scaling consumer brands is how many apparently difficult decisions have become genuine strengths. Manufacturing in-house, keeping their product range focused on one type of food, and asking consumers to do a little of the preparation themselves might not sound like the obvious route to scale. But each has helped Stocked build a differentiated proposition. We also get into the realities of scaling a team, the advantages of having a co-founder you've known since childhood, and why growing a business doesn't necessarily mean making the product more complicated. What You'll Learn How Stocked grew from £4K monthly revenue to a £15M annualised run rate, and why direct-to-consumer was so important in proving the proposition before retail. What Dragons' Den actually delivered commercially, including 60% month-on-month growth, long-term social proof and interest from major retailers. Why manufacturing in-house became a competitive advantage, despite initially being something the founders had hoped to outsource. How product focus enables more innovation, with over 65 unique SKUs developed while keeping production centred on chef-made, sauce-based meals. What Sam and Charlie have learned about scaling together, from sharing ownership and responsibility to building a team that allows them to move beyond day-to-day production. Key Topics Discussed Creating a new category within frozen ready meals Growing from £4,000 monthly revenue to a £15 million annualised run rate The role of DTC in consumer education and product development Dragons' Den, social proof and retail credibility Launching into Ocado, Waitrose and Sainsbury's Why around 90% of the business was still DTC at the time of recording Building a manufacturing facility from scratch Using operational complexity to create a competitive moat Keeping the manufacturing model focused while expanding the range Restaurant, chef and food creator collaborations Why consumers value control as well as convenience The economics of flexible portions and different eating occasions Scaling the team without losing operational discipline The realities of building a business with a childhood friend Why a 50/50 co-founder partnership has worked for Sam and Charlie What the Brand Growth Heroes programme taught them about messaging and consumer awareness Links: Website: https://stockedfood.com/?srsltid=AU7gw4Uj6rrYMb0tAqZtRTi6oed5mIi3lx0sLIBwb3mbxcQuyzK_pmP5 Insta: https://www.instagram.com/stockedfood?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&xtok=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Grubby - the award-winning plant-based meal kits and ready meals delivered to your door - went from a £23M valuation and rapid growth TO around 140 VC rejections, losses of more than £1m in a year and a point where the founder says the business was probably only weeks away from “game over.”

Most pet brands sell function. Denzel’s Dog Treats built its challenger brand around something very different: Happiness!! In this conversation, I speak with founders James and Nathan about how they spotted an emotional gap in the pet category and used brand strategy, packaging, product format and occasion-based innovation to turn dog treats into something much bigger than a functional purchase. And the commercial results are what make this such an interesting story for founders scaling consumer brands. A Valentine’s activation delivered around 15–17x the rate of sale of a normal promotion, with more than 60% of shoppers buying it having not previously bought from pet. Their advent calendar has become their bestselling SKU despite only being available for part of the year. We get into how seasonal innovation moved from “marketing stunt” to revenue channel, why they designed for grocery, hospitality and online from day one, and how becoming obsessive about the brand experience helped Denzel’s create genuinely incremental growth. Use code BGH25 for 25% off Denzel's NEW Advent Calendars from https://www.denzels.co.uk/products/advent-calendar

Many of you founders working with niche ingredients out there might have struggled with this question: How do you build a new category when consumers don’t yet understand the ingredient, retailers don’t know where to place it, and nobody is walking into stores asking for it?

In this episode, Fiona Fitz chats with Richard Peake, Managing Director of Merchant Gourmet and one of the rare non-founder guests to grace our show. When Richard entered the role, Merchant Gourmet was a £15 million business. Fast forward four years, and the company has doubled its revenue to £30 million. Bold innovations, a revamped product range, and strategic market expansion have powered this incredible growth. Our conversation delves into the power of innovation and the importance of staying ahead of consumer trends. Richard shares invaluable lessons in new product development (NPD). One particularly fascinating theme we covered was servant leadership—how Richard and his team drive Merchant Gourmet’s growth by empowering their people and focusing on purpose. Additionally, we explore how export markets present an exciting new frontier for brands looking to scale. It was also refreshing to hear Richard admit that even seasoned professionals can find brand positioning a challenge. So, if you’ve ever struggled with getting it just right, you’re in good company! Enjoy the episode, and as always, let us know your thoughts!