Pip & Nut founder: 'At first, all you have is a dream, so learn how to sell it'

It was in search of a suitable post-run snack that Pippa Murray decided to have a crack at launching her own nut butter business.

"There wasn't a profound light-bulb moment, where I woke up one morning and thought: nut butter, that's it!

"Things chipped away at me for a while," explains the 29-year-old Pip & Nut founder, who does a lot of running and marathon training.

Craving a boost after a session, she would always turn to peanut butter. "It helped with the exercise, being high in protein, but it was also delicious – the perfect treat," says Murray.

The issue was that many of the peanut butters at her local supermarket contained lots of sugar and palm oil, which is high in saturated
fat and the production of which has led to deforestation.

"I felt like these brands weren't being true to consumers."

There was room on the shelf for a more innovative, healthier and transparent product, thought Murray. "I bought a blender and messed about in my kitchen, creating some dodgy batches on the way,"
she jokes.

Previously a theatre producer at London's Science Museum,
the founder admits that she had no knowledge of food production.

"It's tough to work out, because factories don't exactly put themselves out there," says Murray, who spent two years inquiring, researching and developing her home-blended butters. She started selling at London's Maltby Street market, gaining some initial customer feedback.

"Friends and family are a good for first opinions, but eventually,
you're going to want the general public to be brutally honest with you," she says.

Finally content with the three nut butter flavours that would become her launch products (peanut, almond, and coconut and almond), Murray graduated from her kitchen to full-scale production.

"Finding a factory was like searching for a needle in a haystack: I cold-called people, visited lots of unsuitable industrial spaces, and had countless conversations about making my product," she says.
"You get a lot of rejections."

In 2015 and following an eight-month search, Murray found her perfect production partner.

The process of securing that first manufacturer is the biggest barrier to entry for start-up food and drink firms, she thinks. "At that stage of your journey, all you have is a concept, so you're not appealing; you have
no product volume or track record."

But what you do have, she adds, is a dream – so learn how to sell it.

That means being articulate about your passion, vision and long-term goals. "It's all about trust because, likewise, you need to feel comfortable that a factory is going to do your product justice and make it to a high quality. It's all about having a great relationship."

There's another thing that smaller companies can use to their advantage here, she thinks. "The beauty of being a start-up is that you're probably more fun than the big multinationals that most manufacturers work with," says Murray.

Yes, you might be rougher around the edges, but you have energy and creativity, so bring that to the table. "Our partners tell us that they really enjoy being part of our journey and watching us grow."

There have been other challenges that faced the firm – one concerned Pip & Nut's growth, and making sure that it was sensible and sustainable.

"As a product-based business, you have to think about stock and overheads and so on. It can be quite expensive," says Murray,
who adds that sometimes you can't afford to sell into a new supermarket, even if it's a dream client. "Develop it in phases and be patient."

Hiring and retaining staff has also proved testing.

"You must find staff who are sympathetic to your start-up status," advises Murray, who leads a team of nine full-time and two part-time staff.

"Hire people who understand that things will be chaotic and that they need to be flexible, doing not just their job, but other bits of other people's jobs, too.

"There's a perception that working at a start-up is all beers on a
Friday, and while it is that, it's also lots of hard work, uncertainty and risk, so communicate that to recruits."

Away from the challenges, there have been successes – and one of the brand's smartest decisions didn't seem significant to Murray at the time. When it launched in 2015, Pip & Nut sold into premium, independent stores – from the smaller ones to Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and so on.

It wasn't out of choice, but necessity, being the only route to market at the time.

"Your numbers won't be as great as
with a supermarket, but it was so worth it from a brand-building point of view," remembers Murray.

The premium element rubbed off and helped Pip & Nut to become a legitimate, credible and premium health brand earlier than expected, she explains. Working with the smaller stores also helped it to come across as more caring and authentic.

"As soon as you're in a supermarket, people assume that you're a big brand," says Murray, who tries to maintain that connection to independent and smaller stores today.

"Other brands should use the way that they sell more," she offers as a tip.

"We used to sell into all these hip, healthy London gyms, which enabled us to be seen and bought in the right places, but the association was great, because being in a cool, healthy gym meant
that we were perceived as a cool, healthy brand."

For those without a marketing budget, she adds, think carefully about distribution, because you can use it as a branding exercise.

Christmas may be fast-approaching, but Murray isn't slowing down; her team are busy getting ready for 2018. Her main goal next year will be doubling turnover, which for the 12-month period ending December 2017 was just shy of £5m.

Murray plans to achieve that £10m figure through new products (it recently launched almond milk and squeeze-pack ranges) and growing its international footprint.

She also has a personal resolution – to take more time off.

"In this industry, not having time off is seen as some kind of badge of honour, but everyone needs a week away," she says.

"Besides, if your business can't function without you, something must be wrong with it."