As Ashleigh Whittaker saw the diets of the friends and family begin to change with the introduction of certain food allergies, it highlighted the limited availability of nutritionally balanced gluten free foods to suit people with busy lifestyles. Sourcing ‘special’ dietary foods can be a segregating experience, which is why Ashleigh wanted to create delicious meals that would appeal to both allergenic and non-allergenic consumers.
The 23-year-old Gem Escape Meals are all gluten, dairy, egg and nut free and most soy free too. Focusing on natural ingredients ensures the meals are also low in fat. The demand for Gem Escape Meals was highlighted at the Auckland Gluten Free and Allergy Show where Ashleigh sold almost 750 meals in two days.
Starting this business has been a positive challenge for Ashleigh, having to quickly get up to speed with manufacturing, NZ food regulations, the supermarket industry, all while holding down a part time design job at IT company Datacom. The brand is currently in a number of New World supermarkets and specialty grocery stores around Auckland, Hamilton, Northland and Tauranga.
Ashleigh’s top 5 tips for starting a business
1. Do your research. Identify your targeted consumer group and talk to them early. You may think you may know what their needs are but a focus group can draw out a lot more.
2. Tap into free resources. Go to every industry talk, workshop, training evening that you can. These are a helpful way to learn but also provide great networking opportunities.
3. Stick with a day job for as long as possible. Holding onto a salary, even if it is just part-time, will remove a lot of financial stress. Having a place away from your own business can also provide a necessary change in headspace.
4. Partner up with other small businesses. Look for companies with similar values and goals and non-competing products or services. Join together for marketing, distribution or to share learning’s.
5. Be hungry for what you want. There will always be some negative days where a deal doesn’t come off or people are discouraging but who is anyone else to decide your future?
www.gemmeals.co.nz
