How To Grow A Food Business with Relish Marketing

What does it really take to bring a genuinely new food category to market? Alex Epstein is the founder of Messy Face, a delicious, clean-label spread made from grape molasses and sesame tahini. His route to founding it took in business school, two software exits, a stint on The Apprentice with Lord Sugar, a failed hair care company, a decade building a business from a broom cupboard to a £300m sale, and one transformative moment in the unlikely setting of Utrecht. In this episode, Alex talks candidly about what it actually feels like to launch a genuinely new food category from scratch: the manufacturing nightmare of working with an allergen, the 50/50 polarising early reactions, the loneliness of the solo founder, and why deliberately staying small is a competitive advantage. Listen to this episode to find out: How a Turkish grocery shop in the Netherlands became the unlikely origin of a new food brand What Alex learned from watching himself on the Apprentice How consumer research helped Alex validate his concept before spending serious money Why being made redundant from a £300m software business was one of the happiest days of Alex's life How Alex is getting the word out but staying agile and adapting to the UK palate  Chapters [0:01:15] What is Messy Face? [0:02:20] Career background: Martin Port, Big Change, and the Apprentice [0:05:38] The moment of inspiration [0:10:45] Consumer validation before launch [0:11:52] Current range and what's in the pipeline [0:13:01] The problem with finding a manufacturer [0:14:47] Sales strategy and early consumer feedback [0:21:02] The life of a solo founder  [0:22:29] The hardest parts of starting a food business [0:24:18] The Apprentice, ingredient labels, and Ultra Processed People [0:28:14] Goals for the next 12 months   Links and References Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhadleyepstein/ Buy Messy Face online: https://www.messy-face.com/   -- My name is Jo Densley, and I help food and drink businesses grow with joined-up sales and marketing. There’s a wealth of free webinars available on my website, where you can also explore my services and read my case studies as well.

Anna Gorman never set out to start a food manufacturing business. After 20 years in hospitality, she opened a vegan café - two weeks before the first lockdown. However, it would lead her to create a product that Vegans simply love and many thought was impossible to get right. With time on her hands, she decided to crack something notoriously difficult: vegan Yorkshire puddings. Seven weeks of trial and error later, she opened the oven to find they'd finally worked. What started as a menu item for her 30-seat café became a nationally distributed product when customers began asking to take them home, then emailing from around the country to request postal deliveries. In this episode, Anna shares how she built Plantside with no business plan, no formal consumer testing, and no marketing - just experience, passion and a product people genuinely craved. What we cover: Why Anna chose "plant-based" over "vegan" on the packaging How she established collab with THIS sausages The challenge of convincing non-vegan chefs to stock a product their vegan customers are desperate for The moment she nearly quit - and the stranger whose kindness changed everything Scaling a handmade product The ethical tension between supermarket opportunities and supporting the independents who backed her first Key timestamps: 01:02 — Plant Side's mission: spreading joy and happiness through food 02:48 — Opening a café two weeks before lockdown 03:23 — Seven weeks of failed Yorkshire pudding recipes 04:43 — "We accidentally created a whole business with no business plan" 05:39 — The THIS sausages collaboration for Toad in the Hole 09:25 — Why "vegan" makes people shut down but "plant-based" doesn't 10:47 — "You can't take the word of a six-year-old" — on consumer testing 17:51 — The hardest part: getting non-vegans to understand vegan demand 20:05 — The eureka moment opening the oven 21:28 — Feeling out of her depth at a packaging trade show 22:42 — "I would have quit" — the stranger who changed everything 24:02 — The supermarket dilemma: growth vs ethics Where to find Plant Side: Website: https://plantside.co/ Online stockists: Mighty Plants: https://mightyplants.com/collections/vendors?q=Plantside Jennings Pantry: https://jenningsplantry.co.uk/collections/vendors?q=Plantside Kiuki (formerly TheVeganKind): https://kiuki.com/o/plantside In-store: Find Plantside products in independent vegan shops and health food stores nationwide -- My name is Jo Densley, and I help food and drink businesses grow with joined-up sales and marketing. There’s a wealth of free webinars available on my website, where you can also explore my services and read my case studies as well.

What happens when a doctor, an engineer, a financial controller and a farmer start a drinks business? How do you start a vodka brand when you don't know how to make it? How did their creamy, smooth potato-based vodka win a raft of awards before they'd even sold a single bottle? In this episode, Jo Densley dives into the journey of Nine Tines, the premium spirit that's putting Yorkshire on the vodka map. Founders Gwen Bromley and Richard Smith (the doctor and the engineer) explain how their passion for Yorkshire's landscape and produce inspired them to craft a premium potato-based vodka using locally grown ingredients, all within a nine-mile radius. They share insights and experiences from starting the business, actually learning to make vodka, designing and honing the process, and putting authenticity and sustainability at the heart of their business.  Listen to this episode to find out: The secret most other vodkas don't want you to know  What's different about Nine Times and how did it win gold over products from the likes of Pernod Ricard and Diageo The diverse skills the four founders bring to the team What went into creating their meaningful and elegant branding What they've learned about taking their product to market The partnerships that have been key to growing the business   This episode is essential listening for anyone building a premium food or drink brand who wants to understand how provenance, craft, and patient brand-building can create genuine competitive advantage - even in a crowded market.   Find out more about Nine Tines and buy online: https://ninetines.co.uk/   -- My name is Jo Densley, and I help food and drink businesses grow with joined-up sales and marketing. There’s a wealth of free webinars available on my website, where you can also explore my services and read my case studies as well.

The Marshmallowist was the UK’s first producer of gourmet marshmallows. Marrying innovation and indulgence, they’re like nothing you’ve ever tasted. Led by sisters Oonagh and Jenny Simms, their first stockist was Harvey Nichols, and they were soon featured in Vogue. They’ve joined The Hairy Bikers on TV, published a book, and this year were stocked nationwide as part of Marks & Spencer’s Mother’s Day activity. How have they done it? Join Jo Densley as she explores the journey of The Marshmallowist, how they’ve built a team, and kept focused on inventive flavours and artisanal craftsmanship. Discover how they went from Portobello Road market stall to nationwide recognition, collaborating with retailers like Fortnum & Mason and Marks & Spencer. They share insights on managing seasonality, sustaining creativity, and nurturing a dedicated team, all while navigating the complexities of the food industry. Listen to How to Grow a Food Business with The Marshmallowist to learn: How Oonagh found out whether she had a good idea for a food business How they approach product development and new flavours The importance of partnerships and relationships in growing How they won a nationwide listing with M&S for Mother’s Day 2025 – and how long it took All about getting featured on TV and what it does for sales The factors and moments that have been most important in the growth of the business Try their amazing marshmallows and teacakes for yourself at www.themarshmallowist.com. -- My name is Jo Densley, and I help food and drink businesses grow with joined-up sales and marketing. There’s a wealth of free webinars available on my website, where you can also explore my services and read my case studies as well.