Here at Logical Resources FMCG, we love to keep up to date with what’s happening in the industry. We came across The Snaffling Pig Co and just had to let you know more about such an awesome start-up that is definitely going places!
Snaffling Pig Co believe that glorious things happen when you embrace your carnivorous side, so set out to make awesome flavoured pork crackling in celebration of the noble porker.
They source the finest ingredients and then get them gently double cooked before being teased into bags or jars, just for you, or the one you piggin’ love.
You can get your trotters on the meaty fruits of their labour at a range of fine establishments throughout the country or through a couple of clicks on this site, delivered straight to your door.
So, Nick, tell me a bit about yourself…
Hello. I’m Nick, 35 living in Marlow with my wife Aimee and my 3 year old cockerpoo Fudge. Launched my first business when I was 24.
“Every day’s a school day. HR issues, cash-flow, stock. One day we even ran out of Sellotape. No matter how slick a business is, if it doesn’t have Sellotape no orders go out the door.”
In 2010 I co-founded Medical Supermarket with Udhi Silva, a one-stop shop for healthcare companies to be able to buy anything they need to operate. From medical, cleaning, stationery and pharmaceuticals we provide consumables to over 4,000 GP surgeries, care homes, hospitals and even fast food restaurants.
In 2014, I was eager to launch a food brand and with a £500 seed investment I founded Snaffling Pig with my uni mate, Andrew Allen. With a trend occurring in craft beer we knew a premium craft snack could compliment the fast growing category. My medical business taught me a lot of the skills I needed to get this brand off the ground and gave me access to resources such as a large scale warehouse, IT infrastructure and cash flow to give the business a boost ahead of other food start-ups.
How has the journey gone so far? What challenges have you faced?
Every day’s a school day. HR issues, cash-flow, stock. One day we even ran out of Sellotape. No matter how slick a business is, if it doesn’t have Sellotape no orders go out the door. That lesson was well and truly learnt! All of these moments have forced me to make tweaks to the business processes, preventing them from happening again. However, no matter how good I think I’ve built the process we suddenly gain some amazing PR and our sales increase 7 fold within a day and suddenly the preverbial hits the fan and I have to go and fix it all again. All of these moments make us stronger as business and prepare us for the next adventure around the corner.
I bet Dragon’s Den was an experience! How did that happen?
I’m a big believer in stepping outside of my comfort zone. The time I truly learn is when I’m skirting on the edge of my ability, making mistakes and pushing myself. Dragon’s Den was one of those moments which I knew would be an incredible learning experience. Not only would we also be able to gain fantastic awareness for our brand but we could end up with the support of a Dragon. The money was not the focus, it was accessing the experience of someone who has been there before and can help guide us on our journey. Not telling us what to do, but pointing us in the right direction. Such a surreal experience but I highly recommend it to other start-ups if they are tempted.
If you could one piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, what would it be?
The harder you work the luckier you become. Start-ups require hard graft and the only way to get ahead of your competition is to work harder than them, invest more time in your customers and develop your staff.
What’s the future looking like for Snaffling Pig?
I’m so excited to see where this brand goes. We’ve developed an exciting business plan focussed on building a strong brand and taking it into different categories. I’m proud of the team we have in place and I want to continue to invest in them as they will be the ones who help take our brand to new heights.
The future certainly looks bright for The Snaffling Pig Co and we can’t wait to watch their inevitable meteoric rise to becoming the kings of the humble pork scratching!
