Your pitch is an opportunity for start-ups to tell everyone about their business. This issue we meet James Barthorpe, co-founder of Food Circle Supermarket, an online healthy food retailer that sells 100 per cent in-date surplus food and drink.
Tell us about your business – sell yourself!
Food Circle Supermarket is an online healthy food retailer with a twist! The twist is that we sell 100% in-date surplus food and drink, meaning we are saving food from potentially going to waste, and offering discounts of 50% off RRP to our customers.
Surplus food can arise from, amongst other reasons, over-production and changes in packaging design. It can often go to waste with several months’ life still remaining.
We are an e-commerce business with a user-friendly website where customers can save money on amazing products from quality brands, and also learn more about surplus food and the ethos behind our business.
We strive to not only tackle the huge problem of food waste, but also to approach it with a sense of positivity. If a food and drink brand chooses to “re-distribute” their surplus stock to people rather than potentially send it to landfill, we believe that is something to be proud of
What gave you the idea for your business?
My co-founder Paul Simpson and I worked in Business Development for the UK’s largest surplus food redistributor for over three years.
During this time, we would deal directly with all sorts of manufacturers, and sensed that there was a gap in the market for a niche health food redistributor to bring surplus healthy products to the right audience. We had a belief that the way to do this would be online, so we started Food Circle to give it a go!
Who are your customers and how are you targeting them?
Our customers are mostly sport and fitness fanatics, and people who follow a gluten free diet.
The common theme with both markets is that some of the products can be quite expensive for the consumer (usually for good reason!) Introducing them to surplus products allows them to maintain their diet and lifestyle while saving some money, and doing something good for the environment.
We primarily use social media to reach out to our customers, as well as partnerships with organisations such as Coeliac UK and The Gym Group.
How can people get in touch with you?
Via our website: www.foodcirclesupermarket.co.uk
Email: hello@foodcirclesupermarket.com
Facebook: /foodcirclesupermarket
Instagram: @foodcirclesupermarket
Twitter: @foodcircleuk
