Eureka moment
While I was studying English Literature in Brighton, I noticed that in the winter the ice cream parlours were deserted. I thought to myself, what kind of treat would go over well in winter? I had made crumbles for most of my upbringing and so it was then that I came up with the idea of the world's first crumble bakery.
Finance
To start, I bought second hand equipment and set up in a farmers market. I built up a bank balance by moving back in with my parents. A year later, I was able to pay a £10,000 rent for a pop up at Southbank Centre where I generated a £60,000 turnover. I was then able to pay the deposit to open a permanent location in Old Spitalfields Market.
Humble Crumble has kept reinvesting profits and now has a second bakery in Borough Market. We are expanding this year: opening in Camden Market and Covent Garden. We are using our profits and a mixture of bank loans and revenue financing options to fund this.
Regrets
I would have tried to get a permanent space sooner. This being said, I spent a lot of time at weekend markets where I was able to tweak my product until I really understood what my customers wanted.
What would you have changed?
Putting Apple Crumble on the menu from day one! Instead, I thought more ‘interesting' flavours would create a buzz. Now, Apple Crumble accounts for 50% of our sales.
For more information visit Humble Crumble
