From Near-Death to Ginger Empire | The Root Co. Founder’s Wild Journey

What does it take to turn a kitchen recipe for fiery ginger beer into a brand stocked in major retailers and beloved by customers? In this episode, Zoe Fox sits down with Will Englander, founder of The Root Co, to unpack Will’s journey from London management consultant to the driving force behind UK’s most exciting ginger-based beverage brand.Will reveals:→ How a life-threatening accident in Japan set him on a bold path to entrepreneurship→ Why “naivety” was his secret weapon in scaling manufacturing—from blender batches at home to supermarket shelves→ The messy, persistent hustle of field sales, brutal rejections, and winning first retail listings→ Navigating ingredient sourcing, developing a transparent supply chain, and the impact of B Corp certification→ Hard lessons in branding, recipe development, and learning to thrive on feedback→ The emotional drivers behind his leap—from job security to spending precious time with family→ Building a challenger drinks brand in a world dominated by sugary sodas and tight pub contractsIf you’re curious about food & drink innovation, startup resilience, the nuts and bolts of FMCG, or just love a mad founder’s story, this episode delivers.Connect:Zoe Fox:Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/gettingtogrow/LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-fox-377033b0/Will Englander, Co-Founder-Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/willenglander1/LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-englander-609ba8109/The Root Co:Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/the.root.co/Website: https://rootcodrinks.co.uk/Hashtags: #gettingtogrow #gettingtogrowpodcast #fmcg #foodanddrink #drinks #gingerbeer #startup #entrepreneurship