Established back in 2007, Potts’ is an award-winning family business that has worked tirelessly to carve out a favourable reputation as a pioneering provider of chef-prepped, restaurant quality stocks, gravies and cooking sauces.
This is a business in rude health, a deserving beneficiary of the growing groundswell for larder essential cooking sauces, stocks and gravies that promote more involving and thoughtfully choreographed recipes jam-packed with honest authentic ingredients.
The clamour for time-saving recipes that spare us endless chopping and prepping has never been greater, as has the growing rejection of bleak, meek, middle-of-the road sauces that huddle in our larders because their lack of intensity and ambition underwhelms our taste buds.
This is a Wiltshire-based business that has insisted from the outset on full, in-house production for its entire range, not simply to ensure that they never waver in their quest for ‘larder hero’ status, but because they simply love what they do and believe passionately in the business they built from scratch that now provides a daily income for 50 wonderful people.
The business’s fortunes really took off in 2020 when the business took the bold decision to move its gravies and stocks into 100% recyclable aluminium cans, a global first initiative that has was hailed in many foodie quarters as ‘chaos packaging’ at its finest.
Although the recent arrival of bone broths is bringing some long overdue foodie theatre to the wider stocks and gravies aisle, the problem is that for far too long this has been a lacklustre corner of the store dominated by uninspiring conveyor belt stock cubes and drab grey granules.
‘It’s crazy when you think about the historical lack of choice and appetite appeal that emanates from such an essential foodie aisle. Our non-negotiable commitment has always been to replicate the slow-cooked, Sunday Roast flavours that have only previously been enjoyed from endless hours of sweating and simmering. We craved convenient yet rich ‘depth of flavour’ gravies that didn’t require making everything dutifully from scratch and full-bodied stocks capable of elevating every imaginable dish from a hearty casserole through to a flavoursome soup or light risotto.’ Overnight our cans brought positive noise and a generous dash of culinary pizzazz to a long-neglected food aisle.’
Emboldened by such positive responses it became clear that our cooking sauces needed to travel in the same rebranding direction but this time with an extra sensory twist. Kitchen couture is one of the hottest trends of the moment, an upbeat and colourful commitment to vibrant ‘larder art’ that has enabled everything from vinegars and savoury biscuits to Portugeuse-caught sardines to historically elevate their status and kick-start their popularity.
For Potts’ the inspiration for change came from the UK’s craft beer revival, with brands like Beavertown and Brewdog bringing foodie gravitas to shelf space historically dominated by bland brown bottles.
“By moving our best-in-classes to sauces we instantly had access to a canvas that enabled us to truly celebrate an array of captivating flavours from around the globe. We wanted to stay true to the distinct cultural heritages associated with S.Asia, Central America and Mediterranean cuisine, which is why our intuitive design agency This Way Up chose to use different designers for each culinary sub-range thereby ensuring that no couture played second fiddle when it came to standing tall on shelf.”
Asked about setbacks, Michelle, who sits at the heart of the business’s finance, sales and HR functions reiterates, “As with any hungry-to-grow business cashflow has been challenging at times, especially during those tense, treading water moments when one’s waiting for a new listing to drop, new range innovation to be accepted OR evolved brand identities to be embraced. Often cashflow comes from managing exponential growth; consumer appetites have been harnessed, retailer interested has been pricked and yet there simply aren’t enough spare funds to back every initiative, resulting in tough choices being made.”
Almost twenty years down the line Michelle is also better placed than most to share her career learnings with aspiring entrepreneurs of tomorrow:
- Trust Your Gut- Take the trouble to ask around from decisionmakers you respect, seek advice but trust your gut when it comes to making the right decisions.
- Don’t Rush – It’s good to remember that no decisions need to be made immediately! If someone is endlessly chivvying you for a decision, not giving you time to mull over, say NO! I always insist on one day’s sleep before a key decision, it’s amazing how many things change over the course of 24 hours!
- Do It For The Love! – You can put up with a lot if you feel passionate about the task in hand and you work with people who inspire you. Never lose sight of why you set out on your journey and keep celebrating your successes together, however small.
- Hang On To Equity – If you chose to give a little away, don’t do it lightly. Giving up equity means giving up control and if you’re unlucky you could end up as an employee without any rights and all the responsibility.
