BRIGHTER FOODS - a case study of Welsh business success

Last month, the very first Wales Start-Up awards showcased the amazing new ventures that exist in our economy.

It was an incredible evening of fun, enjoyment and, most important of all, celebration of the success of those entrepreneurs who, in a short period of time, had created some fantastic businesses.

But all of those present on the evening would agree that the overall winner of the Wales Start-Up of the Year, as well as three other awards, was a very special business with an incredible story.
Brighter Foods, based in the seaside town of Tywyn in Gwynedd, has shown to be a phenomenal start up success despite the hurdles thrown in front of the business.

Established in 2014, the firm achieved £2.7million in sales in its first year of trading and provided 37 people with full time employment. Since then, turnover has increased to over £10 million and, having just commissioned its second production line, Brighter now employ over 150 people.

The story behind the business and its founder, Robin Williams, is a fascinating one and an inspiration to those looking to create a fast growing business.

Having grown up on a farm in Wales and always worked in food, it was Robin’s long held ambition to start and run a successful food business, manufacturing for the growing niche areas of the industry.
Crucially though, he wanted to have some fun and to create a workplace where the culture is supportive, fun and fair.

To do achieve this, he launched Brighter Foods two years ago to create and manufacture healthier snacks within niche areas such as Gluten Free and diet/nutritionally controlled and started making snack bars from his own facility in Tywyn.

At first, Brighter Foods struggled to source the required finances from the banks, mainly due to perceptions about the location and the low number of customers on start-up. However, with backing from the Welsh Government by way of a non-repayable loan of over £490,000 linked to employment, support from Gwynedd Council, some brave private investors and some big creative thinking, Brighter Foods was launched.

Originally, the focus of Brighter Foods was to help other food brands innovate and therefore grow the core business. However, earlier this year the firm launched its very own brand earlier this year - Wild Trail - which has gained a Tesco listing and prospect for export sales. It has also co-invested in a brand called BOKA, namely the first main stream ‘all green traffic light’ snack brand which includes patented food technology.

Therefore, Brighter Foods understand its market place, has a great capability to innovate, has developed good connections and, most important of all, has established an excellent reputation. As a result, it has quickly established itself as the ‘go to’ people for any business seeking to develop, innovate and launch in the snacking sector. It prides itself on providing the best quality and customer service and incorporates its business values into everything it does.

By ensuring that their partners are happy and want to work with them for a long time, this will mean that the business will be able to buy more machines, employ more lovely people and help the workforce in Tywyn flourish. Brighter Foods are already looking at new apprenticeship schemes and looking out for new recruits all the time, both those with the skills they need or those that are ready to be trained to develop them.

In fact, one of the strengths of the business is that when people join, they are expected to buy into the Brighter values of reliability, respect, commitment, flexibility and teamwork. These values are not only alive in the workplace but also shape relationships with customers and brand partners. More importantly, even those workers who leave say that they take those values with them, and that working within such a company culture has given them confidence and aspiration.

Speaking to Robin directly after the awards, he told me that his ambitions are to keep pushing the boundaries in this sector of the food market. In fact, despite only existing for two years, his team is already reviewing the options for growth to keep up with growing demand, continue with further innovation and to build on its strong reputation.

More importantly, he was so very proud of his people and what Brighter Foods has achieved in a short time and, like all successful entrepreneurs, wanted to thank his staff for the continued support, commitment and hard work that he believed was the key ingredient to any successful business.

Robin Williams and his team are a shining example of what can be achieved with hard work, perseverance and the right support. More importantly, whilst technology firms in urban areas are clearly important they are not the only game in town as we saw at the Wales Start-Up Awards. Indeed, the fact that Brighter Foods - a traditional manufacturing business located in a rural area - has achieved such spectacular growth in such a short amount of time should be celebrated by everyone who wants to see an entrepreneurial economy across every sector and every part of this nation