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Where did the inspiration for K\u2019s Wors come from?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n As an ardent ambassador for involving Southern African cuisine, I\u2019ve been aware of the vocal enthusiasm for experimenting with faraway \u2018international\u2019 flavours. The \u2018magic spark\u2019 moment for K\u2019s Wors came completely by chance, the result of me offering to make some \u2018family recipe produce for a local charity event in Manchester. Let\u2019s just say my hotdogs stormed and I found myself inundated with tentative sales enquiries.<\/span><\/p>\n This \u2018eureka\u2019 moment tapped into a deep-rooted belief I\u2019ve held for some time that top-notch sausages rarely get the plaudits they deserve. Although regional Brit classics\u2026. <\/span>The hearty Cumberland, the herby Lincolnshire<\/span><\/i>\u2026..our entrenched in the British psyche, the fact remains that sausages remain stuck on the sidelines, often viewed as little more than inexpensive sandwich\/BBQ fodder; a stalwart of the Great British breakfast and worst of all convenient, \u2018fast food\u2019 fodder.<\/span><\/p>\n In stark contrast, boerewors are deeply ingrained in Southern African culture, a focal point for spontaneous gatherings of friends & family, where the braai is fired up against a rural backdrop of impassioned rhythmic music.<\/span><\/p>\n So deeply entrenched is the pride in home-grown boerewors,<\/span> (intensely meaty blends of heavily seasoned beef, pork & lamb \u2013 up to 92% meat content)<\/span><\/i> that its unique ingredient make-up is jealously safeguarded by South African law.<\/span><\/p>\n How did you decide upon the name of K\u2019s Wors?<\/b><\/p>\n Nothing too deep in truth! The \u2018K\u2019 is for \u2018Keitumetse\u2019 which is the co-founder Eugene\u2019s traditional name, whilst \u2018WORS\u2019 is the abbreviation for Boerewors, our 1<\/span>st<\/span> stage product range.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting the very positive responses we\u2019ve had to our strapline: SUNSHINE SPICE AND HAPPINESS, which our small but growing band of brand loyalists feel perfectly captures the very essence of boerewors.<\/span><\/p>\n How did you secure a manufacturer?<\/b><\/p>\n Our range as mentioned earlier has to be made in a very specific way (recipes & processes) and so you can imagine it wasn\u2019t easy finding a business, that on the one hand ticked all the essential accreditation boxes (SALSA, BRC\u2026) and yet on the other, was willing to think outside the box with regards not making sausages the \u2018usual\u2019 way. A local manufacturer was also pivotal to our story because we\u2019re proud of our Mancunian roots and wanted to give back to the local economy.<\/span><\/p>\n How did you approach your first stockist?<\/b><\/p>\n To date our stockist pool has been local although some significant step changes are in the offing. Curiously a medium as simple as Facebook has been pivotal to a number of our early breakthroughs. <\/span><\/p>\n The last month or so has seen a seismic improvement in our fortunes since a number of the buyers we approached at the start of summer with introductions, samples, pack design are only now just returning from their summer breaks to place their initial orders.<\/span> In all honesty, the recent uplift in buyer interest caught us a little by surprise.<\/span> \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n What did you do before starting K\u2019s Wors?<\/b><\/p>\n Family and friends would describe me as a restless serial entrepreneur. I\u2019ve worked in the civil service these last nine years, (administrative officer) whilst simultaneously setting up an urban cleaning company and securing an Open University Diploma in English Law.<\/span><\/p>\n Simply put, I don\u2019t like letting the grass grow under my feet! <\/span><\/p>\n Did you always plan to set up your own business?<\/b><\/p>\n Yes I did and something within the food & drink industry was always the pipedream. Unfortunately, with meaningful financial support in short supply, I needed to take other jobs to build up a suitable sales & marketing war chest!<\/span><\/p>\n Back in 2016 I was fortunate enough to win the Black African Woman Rock award (female business person of the year<\/em>) which I think underpins my robust entrepreneurial leanings.<\/span><\/p>\n Please share a business high and low with us.<\/b><\/p>\n Most of our lows have revolved around securing sufficient financial support, although curiously these setbacks also set the scene for our \u2018key\u2019 highs.<\/span><\/p>\n As a new start-up with no food & drinks business pedigree, securing meaningful financial support in the early months was not easy. That said, I was fortunate enough to hook up with the Fredericks Foundation<\/a>, an ethical lender who had a brave vision to help ambitious start-ups secure that all-important first leg-up. \u00a0They say that good news fuels good news and that indeed seems the case when in classic, \u2018wait for one bus and then two come along style,\u2019 we recently got inducted on NatWest\u2019s 2018-19 Entrepreneur \u00a0Accelerator Program.<\/span><\/p>\n Our highs have been manifold, although if I had to choose 2 they would include:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n What advice would you give to people trying to break into the food industry?<\/b><\/p>\n Keep your eyes and mind open. You may think you have entrepreneurial prowess in sector X only to discover that your breakthrough moment comes in sector Y. Also, don\u2019t let the odd setback take the wind out of your sails because if being a food & drink pioneer was easy everyone would be doing it!<\/span><\/p>\n Where do you hope to take your business in the year ahead?<\/b><\/p>\n Our business model revolves around targeting 3 very distinct consumer audiences:<\/span><\/p>\n Priorities include:<\/b> regional heavyweight retailers (e.g. Booths & Waitrose), prestige foodie retailers Partridges (Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason\u2026.) the thriving independent foodie scene (farm shops, food halls, delis & upmarket garden centres), \u2018leading light\u2019 meat hamper operations, online and the upmarket hotel\/hospitality scene. \u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n You can find out more about K\u2019s Wors over on Twitter<\/a>, Instagram<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I want to say a huge thank you to\u00a0Delight Mapasure, for taking the time to be involved with Behind the Biz. I really enjoyed hearing about her business journey and I hope it’s inspired you too.<\/p>\n I can’t wait to see K’s Wors grow throughout the year and look forward to the day they land on the shelves of Waitrose and other big supermarkets. I’m keen to give them a try and I’ll be sure to report back in a blog post soon.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.prettygreentea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/K\u2019s-Wors-1024x508.jpeg\")
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