16 minute read
FOOD ENTREPRENEURS
RIGHT Uppingham alumna Freya Twigden (pictured left) developed Fix8 because of her passion for kombucha
FOOD FOR THE FUTURE
Starting a business is always a gamble, but when you're bringing new food concepts to market it takes vision to step o the 'safe' path. We catch up with two entrepreneurs who have done just that
The UK needs more entrepreneurs and food o ers a rich diet of possibilities. But it’s also one of the toughest markets to enter. Take the journey of Uppingham alumna Freya Twigden, creator of the kombucha drink brand Fix8. While she describes her food innovation as a
“happy accident”, it took rather more than her modest description would suggest to bring it to our shelves.
Freya moved on from Uppingham to study Politics at Edinburgh and envisaged she would head down a similar professional route to her peers and siblings. With her four-year degree pathway there was a year abroad. There was Georgetown, Washington on the menu (she describes that as dream spot for every Politics student), but she waivered when Shanghai was also o ered. Shanghai won and the Fix8 story started. “I had a lot of free time in Shanghai and became interested in Chinese medicine,” says Freya. She was introduced to a home-brewed version of kombucha – often described in the Far East as the tea of immortality – by her Chinese doctor. She quickly became hooked.
Returning to the UK, Freya couldn’t find anything approaching this drink she so loved and began to do her own research. While her friends were watching Netflix she was reading manuals about fermentation. It became something of a joke as she always had things brewing under her desk. Indeed, it was a friend who first suggested she should really take her homebrew further. Travel followed on from university and the research continued – including an informative spell working
ABOVE The Bug Factory began life as a university project
in a pickle shop in Berkeley, California.
Freya describes the Fix8 journey as “one foot in front of the other”, and also says she had no idea at the outset of the hard work involved in getting to market. “But I was passionate about the drink and that gave me the energy to move forward.” This story has a pretty amazing outcome for, after a fair bit of pivoting on business direction (launching in the chiller cabinet in glass bottles then switching to ambient cans, for example), Fix8 began to gain traction. It has expanded from independent delis and restaurants to Whole Foods Market and Ocado. Now Fix8 is arriving in Waitrose stores – by anyone’s lights that’s a pretty good outcome from an under-the-desk brew experiment.
Freya Twigden is not resting on her laurels. She has more delicious and healthy products planned next year. Her advice to other would-be entrepreneurs is that there is no formula for success. She does say you need to believe in your product and have a combination of: “passion and persistence”.
Thomas Constant, an alumnus of Hurst College, is another food entrepreneur to watch – although The Bug Factory products are currently for a non human food market. His exploration of insect food sources started out as a project at Loughborough University, where he was studying Industrial Design & Technology. He was thinking about protein insecurity and wanted to work up ideas for empowering individuals to grow their own insect protein at home.
After he graduated and returned from travelling Thomas says he applied for lots and lots of jobs. By coincidence, on the very day he was o ered a great role at a
BELOW
Hurst alumnus Thomas Constant design agency in Surrey, an opportunity came up to return to Loughborough’s Business Incubator, be paid a grant and pursue his ideas. He headed to Loughborough. Like Freya Twigden, Thomas’s concept went through di erent stages. Initially, he thought about bugs for human consumption, but soon concluded we aren’t yet ready (although mealworms are, apparently, delicious grilled or fried). He decided instead to tap into pet lovers’ quest for the very best – his bugs are fresh, nutritious, sustainable and loved by wild birds, poultry, reptiles and fi sh. The prototype trays were made by him – 3D printed in a small room, an exercise he describes as very hot and very hard work – and Kickstarter funding helped test them. Now he and his small team are bringing The Bug Factory products to a much bigger market. Every aspect of the products has been designed to be sustainable in a closed loop system. The mealworm growing pods are made and distributed in Britain using plastics recycled from old fridges and freezers. The mealworms grow in abundance, their frass (excrement) makes a superb plant food, and the units are small enough to stow just about anywhere and be topped up with your vegetable and fruit leftovers. Like Freya Twigden, Thomas Constant recalls watching peers climb on a solid career ladder with a twinge or two – he says it caused a certain amount of “self-pressure”. He counts himself lucky to have had such support from those around him, including family. He does point to one clear advantage of embarking on the bold entrepreneur’s path fresh from school and university. “There are very few other times in your life when you can take these risks.”
UK Education Expo 2022
ANDERSON EDUCATION
UK Boarding School Exhibition Dubai ukboardingschoolexhibition.com
If you would like to find out more about a UK boarding education, a visit to the UK Boarding School Exhibition Dubai on 12 & 13 November 2022 is an excellent place to start and gives you the opportunity to meet our Education Consultants and Heads of leading UK boarding schools. Please contact Anderson Education and let us help you find the right school for your child. Anderson Education offer families free impartial help and advice, we have a wealth of experience and up to date knowledge and have visited over 350 schools. andersoneducation.co.uk; enquiries@andersoneducation.co.uk
HOCKERILL
Abbey DLD Colleges
abbeycolleges.co.uk
Location: London, Manchester, Cambridge Head: Mark Hanley-Browne Age range: 14-21 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: The Abbey DLD Group of Colleges comprises three outstanding colleges in Cambridge, Manchester and London each o ering a tailored education designed to launch students on a successful and prosperous future, including entry to the UK’s most prestigious universities.
Aldenham School
aldenham School
Location: Elstree, Hertfordshire Head: Andy Williams Age range: 11-18 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: Traditional in style yet with a contemporary approach to all-round education, Aldenham School is unique, charming and always striving for excellence. Aldenham is an oasis of calm, set in over 110 acres of Hertfordshire countryside yet only 13 miles from Central London. Aldenham is a school which focuses on developing each individual, both intellectually and personally for success at school and beyond.
THE ROYAL SCHOOL WOLVERHAMPTON RATCLIFFE COLLEGE
Ardingly College
ardingly.com
Location: West Sussex, UK Head: Ben Figgis Age range: 2-18 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: One of the top UK schools for A Level and IB Diploma, Ardingly College is a great option for highperforming students with ambitions to enrol in a leading UK or US university. We educate students to achieve success for themselves and to contribute positively to their teams and their community.
Bedford School
bedfordschool.org.uk
Location: Bedfordshire Head: Mr James Hodgson Age range: 7-18 years School Type: Boys
USP: Bedford School is Independent Boys’ School of the Year 2021 They seek to raise good people first and foremost, and then allow them to flourish as academics, sportsmen, artists and, above all, as themselves. Academic results and leavers’ destinations are excellent, with boys going onto top UK and International universities.
Bromsgrove School
bromsgrove-school.co.uk
Location: Worcestershire, Head: Mr Michael Punt Age range: 2-18 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: Bromsgrove School aims to produce happy, moral and creative citizens through enlightened, disciplined and broad education. We seek to foster individuals who will, proactively, make this world a better place. Founded in 1553, Bromsgrove School is one of the oldest schools in the country with a long and distinguished history of providing an education that is dynamic, progressive and rooted in care for the individual.
ALDENHAM Dean Close School
deanclose.org.uk
Location: Gloucestershire Head: Bradley Salisbury Age range: 7-18 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: The School believes that education is as much about building character and relationships as it is about gaining knowledge. The School is small enough to allow everyone to know one another, to feel valued and to fully engage in the life of the school.The large predominantly British boarding community is at the heart of the school community and welcomes pupils from 25 other nationalities.
Cardi Sixth Form College
ccoex.com
Location: Cardi Head: Gareth Collier Age range: 14-19 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: Cardi Sixth Form College has been the top UK for the past 11 years. This year 99% got A*-B grades with 83% gaining places at QS top 100 universities worldwide. Excellent teaching, one-to-one support, superb academic materials, nearly double the amount of teaching hours of any other school and developing academic students with programmes designed to enhance their careers is what really makes the di erence.
ROSSALL
Glenalmond College
glenalmondcollege.co.uk
Location: Perthshire Head: Dr Michael Alderson Age range: 12-18 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: A unique school with 82% of our pupils full boarding, so we o er a seven day week experience, set in 300 acres of stunning countryside where children can be themselves and grow to become who they want to be. We o er endless opportunities and this is truly a magical experience where all our sta live on site to help, guide and support every day.
GORDONS
Gordon's School
gordons.school
Location: West End, Woking, Surrey Head: Andrew Moss Age range: 11-18 years School Type: State Co - Ed
USP: Winner of Boarding School of the Year, Tes Schools Award 2022. Sixth Form students are attracted to this co-educational day/ boarding school in Surrey by the academic options, co-curricular activities, help with revision and applying to universities.
O ering opportunities for debating, drama, Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards and competitive team sports, the school has partnerships with Harlequins and superleague netball team Surrey Storm.
Hockerill AngloEuropean College
hockerill.com
Location: Hertfordshire Head: David Woods Age range: 11-18 years School Type: State Co - Ed
USP: Inspiring knowledgeable, enquiring and caring global citizens through excellence in education. A state boarding school for the internationally minded, with expectional outcomes for students. Specialising in languages and music, including a bilingual programme, it caters particularly well for overseas students. 75% attending UK universities go to Russell Group institutions, with 6% Oxbridge (2022).
King's College and King's Hall School
kings-taunton.co.uk
Location: Taunton, Somerset Head: Michael Sloan (King's College) and Justin Chippendale (King's Hall School) Age range: 2-13 (King's Hall School) and 13-18 (King's College) School Type: Co - Ed
USP: King’s Hall School and King’s College, Taunton are co-educational boarding schools situated in the south west of England, that combine traditional values with state-ofthe-art facilities. A good work ethic and small class sizes help sustain progress and specialist teaching is the norm. King's o ers a vast array of co-curricular and weekend activities, unparalleled for a school of its size. Pupils also benefit from the King’s Equestrian Centre, where they can ride for recreation or as part of the successful equestrian team.
DEAN CLOSE
Kingswood School
kingswood.bath.sch.uk
Location: Bath Head: Andrew Gordon Brown Age range: 3-18 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: O ering a broad, holistic education, academic excellence is just one important part of our commitment. Kingswood pupils are encouraged to develop self-assurance and high levels of personal motivation. In this environment, pupils achieve astonishing successes, with record results in GCSES and A Levels in 2022, as they constantly progress well beyond their natural potential.
RUTHIN SCHOOL
WYMONDHAM
GLENALMOND
Ratcli e College
ratcli ecollege.com/
Location: Ratcli e on the Wreake, Leicestershire Head: Jon Reddin Age range: 3-18 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: Ratcli e College is a CoEducational Boarding and Day school in the Midlands. We are a Catholic school but welcome all faiths. We have excellent facilities for Sport, Drama, Music and Art and we are in the top 1% for Value Added in the UK. We pride ourselves on our inclusive community and o er excellent pastoral care. We were recently awarded 'Excellent' in the ISI inspection. Our beautiful campus is safe and enclosed with traditional and state of the art buildings.
Rossall School
rossall.org.uk/
Location: Lancashire, England. Head: Jeremy Quartermain Age range: 7-19 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: Rossall has a commitment to delivering an outstanding experience, covering academic, personal, sporting, musical and artistic elements. The school has several distinctive standout o erings including #1 ranked Golf academy in the UK, a Top 5 UK football programme, dedicated Piano Academy on our All-Steinway campus, Broadway Academy of Performing Arts and a unique Astronomy centre with resident Astronomer.
Royal Russell School
royalrussell.co.uk
Location: Croydon, Surrey Head: Chris Hutchinson Age range: 3-18 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: Royal Russell is an Independent Day and Boarding School, for Girls and Boys aged 3-18. Our boarding houses are at the heart of our beautiful 110 acre parkland campus, just 30 mins from Central London. We believe in a total education - encouraging pupils to extend their learning beyond the curriculum through enrichment activities and cultural experiences.
RMS for Girls
rmsforgirls.com
Location: Hertfordshire Head: Kevin Carson Age range: 2-18 years School Type: Girls
USP: RMS has proudly educated girls since 1788 but our focus is firmly on the future; we never stop questioning what skills and attributes young women need to thrive in the 21st century. This pursuit of excellence and innovation, combined with a commitment to educating the whole person, is what defines an RMS education today.
ST JOSEPH'S
BROMSGROVE
Ruthin School
ruthinschool.co.uk
Location: North Wales Head: Victoria Gamble Age range: 11-18 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: We are a high achieving, academically focused boarding school sending students to top university destinations in the UK and worldwide. Teaching in small groups, learning is tailored so students feel supported and encouraged to excel. Activities focus on developing the skills to sustain lifelong learning and persist when facing adversity.
St Joseph's College
stjos.co.uk
Location: Ipswich, Su olk Head: Danielle Clarke Age range: 2-19 years School Type: Co - Ed
USP: At St Joseph's the wellbeing and happiness of your child is key. With an 'Excellent’ rating across all areas, including pastoral care and boarding, plus strong academic results leading to top university destinations, St Jo's is also outstanding for Sports especially Rugby, Football as well as the Creative & Performing Arts. There's a wide range of extracurricular activities available plus a full programme of weekend events.
BEDFORD SCHOOL
KING'S COLLEGE TAUNTON
The Royal School Wolverhampton
theroyalschool.co.uk
Location: Wolverhampton; West Midlands Head: Mr Mark Heywood Age range: 4-19 years School Type: State Co - Ed
USP: An all- through, 4-19, coeducational, non-denominational state day and boarding school, providing outstanding non-selective education for all its pupils, within a strong and supportive community ethos. At the heart of our vision is our belief and track record of success in developing the whole person (emotionally, intellectually, socially, physically and creatively).
SHERBORNE
Sherborne
sherborne.org
Location: Dorset Head: Dr Dominic Luckett Age range: 13-18 years School Type: Boys
USP: Everyone involved in Sherborne’s community agrees: it is a special place, with an ethos all of its own. That is partly a result of our unique setting. It is as if history seeps from the golden stones of our buildings, giving our boys a profound sense that they are part of a living tradition. But there is more to our distinctiveness than this. We are committed to providing an all-boys, full-boarding, education that is shaped for the twenty-first century. In this way, we create the time and space to nurture our boys’ dispositions and prepare them for the future.
KINGSWOOD
An outstanding all-round education in an outward-looking community
ROYAL RUSSELL SCHOOL
Sherborne Girls
sherborne.com
Location: Dorset Head: Dr Ruth Sullivan Age range: 11-18 years School Type: Girls
USP: Sherborne Girls is a fullboarding school, providing an outstanding all-round education and vibrant co-curriculum in a purposeful, outward-looking community. Located in beautiful rural surroundings, with easy transport links to London, our close partnership with Sherborne o ers the best of both worlds: single-sex teaching with the social benefits of a co-educational setting.
Wymondham College
wymondhamcollege.org
Location: Norfolk Head: Dan Browning Age range: 4-18 years School Type: State Co - Ed
USP: Wymondham College exists to enable young people to become happy, successful and useful citizens, to aim for excellence in all they do and to find fulfilment in life. The College o ers an inclusive and caring boarding community to which all are proud to belong. We expect students and sta to work hard, to maintain high standards of personal presentation and behaviour and to demonstrate respect for others within the College.
