She is the author of one of the fastest selling debut cookbooks ever and creator of one of the country’s most popular food and lifestyle brands. But Ella Mills, founder and creative director of Deliciously Ella, has revealed how she never anticipated a career in business, let alone as the face of her eponymous empire.
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For the fifth year now, it has been a privilege to support The Seed Fund, an altruistic mentoring scheme for food and drink brands turning over sub-£1m and run by The Collaborators. The 250 applications this year were the most impressive yet. As a culmination of the year-long project, we hosted an event at our
Over the course of The Seed Fund, we heard from dozens of small brands who are challenging conventions and lie at the forefront of new trends. Here are 10 learnings that we picked up
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‘Do consumers really care about saving the world?’ Posed in a purposefully obtuse manner by a member of the audience, it nevertheless managed to generate an animated response from the panel that we were asked to join at the annual FUTR Summit earlier in the year. Reading the recently-released Waitrose Food & Drink Report, it’s
At Piper, we are constantly looking to work with founders to grow brands that help consumers look after the world around them. We recognise the need for trade-offs and compromises in balancing sustainability and consumer expectations, as well as ensuring prices stay competitive.
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Since first meeting our most recent investment, Mindful Chef, we have become fascinated with how brands use subscription to delight their customers. Referred to as ‘subcom’ by those working in the space, it’s a business model that is attractive to both consumers and investors. From a consumer perspective, subscription-based ecommerce brands are helping them save
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‘You have to remember that most people’s lives are really boring. I’ve always seen my job as entertaining people, making their lives less boring.’ As the creator of iconic adverts for the likes of Levi’s, Lynx and Audi, Sir John Hegarty has certainly entertained us over the decades, as did he at our most recent
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We’ve been very lucky to have partnered with some of today’s leading food and drink brands, from our most recent investment in Mindful Chef to Propercorn and Bottlegreen. It’s only fair that we give back to the community and help the next generation of F&B entrepreneurs. For the last five years, we’ve been working with
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Public awareness of mental health is arguably higher than ever. After years in the wilderness, it is finally being addressed in schools, workplaces, the media and in government. But there is still much work to do. Prince William recently told the Davos World Economic Forum that the stigma surrounding mental health resulted in many celebrities
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In the latest episode of our current podcast series, Jasper Cuppaidge, founder of Camden Town Brewery, talks about the impact of his decision to sell his brand to AB InBev, the world’s biggest drinks company. ‘Joining AB, I don’t have any regrets. However, it [the day the sale was announced] was one of the worst