Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Recipe for Success

18:00 Doors open
18:30 Intellectual Property for food and drink
19:00 Live screening – Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Recipe for Success
Join us for this live broadcast from the Business & Intellectual Property Centre London
Hear from the names behind some of the UK’s most successful food and drink brands as they share stories on how they grew brands from their kitchen tables, got their products onto the supermarket shelves, developed a memorable brand and built a place for themselves in the hearts, minds and stomachs of a nation.

The UK’s food and drinks sector is going from strength to strength. Developments in street food and markets, pop-up catering, hospitality and myriad innovative new product launches and trends all contribute to our growing reputation as a nation of foodies.
In 2017, consumer spending in the sector exceeded £219 billion with food and drinks exports worth more than £22 million to the economy. And with almost 7,000 micro, small and medium businesses active in the sector last year, there’s certainly no shortage of new brands eager to take a bite out of the market.

If you’re a small business owner in the food sector with big ambitions to take a piece of a profitable pie, don’t miss this opportunity to quiz our panel of foodie experts.

Speakers are:
Praveen Vijh, co-founder of Eat Natural: Founded in 1996, co-founders Praveen and Preet had an idea to take nuts, seeds and dried fruit (‘brain food’ as their parents called them) and baked them with honey into the shape of a bar. The company is still fiercely independent, giving them the freedom to act as they want and prioritise customers ahead of profit. Praveen makes sure they still have fun along the way and create a workplace that they are proud of.
 Guy Singh-Watson, founder of Riverford: Self-confessed veg nerd, Guy Singh-Watson has over the last 30 years taken Riverford from one man and a wheelbarrow delivering homegrown organic veg to friends, to a national veg box scheme delivering to around 50,000 customers a week.

Guy is an inspirational, passionate, opinionated and admired figure in the world of organic farming, who still spends more time in the fields than in the boardroom. Twice awarded BBC Radio 4 Farmer of the Year, Guy is passionate about sharing with others the organic farming and business knowledge he has accumulated over the last three decades. In June 2018, Guy passed on the reins of Riverford to its staff, choosing employee ownership as the model to protect the company’s ethical values and keep it out of the hands of venture capitalists.

Nadia Stokes, co-founder of Gourmet Goat: Nadia is a co-owner of Gourmet Goat, a sustainable eatery at London’s Borough Market. Nadia is responsible for all recipe development and training. Nadia started off as a corporate lawyer followed by international business development for an oil and gas firm. Five years ago Nadia left her job to follow her passion in food. Since then, Gourmet Goat has won multiple awards including BBC Food & Farming award, Urban Food awards, Sustainable Restaurant Association award. Nadia has been named by the BBC Good Food as one of the Top 10 UK food pioneers. Nadia most recently advised her local council on developing sustainable food policies and is currently in the process of growing their presence at Borough Market.

Pip Murray, founder of Pip & Nut: Pip & Nut is the fastest growing nut butter brand in the UK and began when keen marathon runner and a fierce foodie, Pip couldn’t find a delicious but nutritious protein source to fuel her training. Taking matters into her own hands, she set about creating her own brand and starting on her Pip & Nut journey. So far it's encompassed everything from market trading and crowdfunding to national supermarket launches and international expansion. All of Pip & Nut’s products are 100% natural, with absolutely no refined sugars, additives or palm oil. Now four years old, Pip & Nut can be found in 5 international markets and over 5,500 stores around the UK and Europe. In 2018 Pip was named a Forbes 30 under 30 Europe in 2018 and a Management Today’s 30 under 30.