Where did you initially create your product?
The first 30+ rounds of recipe development happened in our home kitchen. We were working with some innovative ingredients and combinations, so there was a lot of trial and error, usually carried out on unsuspecting friends and family, until we felt we had something ready for the next step in scaling.
Where can you find your product(s) today?
You can find Doozy Pots around NE Ohio in Heinen’s, Buehler’s, Nature’s Oasis and they’ll be in Market District this Spring. We are also available in Healthy Living Markets in Vermont & Upstate NY and we are gearing up to launch in Sprout’s markets around the country. Store Locator.
What did you do in a former life?
Kirsten is a food scientist and spent much of her former life as a Product Developer for Ben & Jerry’s in Vermont and Innocent Drinks in the UK, so life has always been about food and ice cream! Karl was a Corporate Lawyer and Policy Analyst for the UK Government.
What inspired your product(s)?
After working in ice cream and developing plant-based products Kirsten became inspired by the environmental and nutritional benefits of replacing conventional dairy with plants such as hemp. The more research we did, the more we felt we wanted to use Kirsten’s skill set to create a better-for-you frozen treat made from earth-friendly ingredients that delivers the indulgence of a classic Italian gelato.
How has Central Kitchen helped your business?
In the early days we couldn’t afford our own shiny new equipment (apart from our beloved Italian gelato machine, ‘Nonna’) or the commitment of a lease, so the shared kitchen model where you pay for time used and can access all the additional equipment you need was very beneficial and kept our costs manageable. Becoming FDA-approved in the kitchen allowed us to do our first production runs for events and our first paying retail customers. We also landed a new customer through one of the pitch events arranged through the Central Kitchen. Overall, the services and support from the Central Kitchen team and community were instrumental in getting us started – in fact it was the availability of the kitchen space that sealed the deal for Cleveland as our destination after moving from London.
Goals for the future:
As a young brand, our goal is to continue to get our products into people’s hands.The next couple of years will be about building brand awareness, supporting our retail partners, and increasing our sales velocity in store. Ultimately, we want to become the trusted source for better-for-you plant-based foods made from thoughtfully and responsibly sourced ingredients that tread lightly on the planet and support farming and grower communities around the world.
Inspired to Start Your Craft Food Business?
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