In a nutshell: Pip’s top tips from our MeetUp

In February, our host Ben Keene was joined by award-winning founder of Pip & Nut, Pip Murray, to uncover the secret ingredient you need to break into the food and drink industry.

After struggling to find palm oil free peanut butter, keen marathon runner Pip experimented in her own kitchen. After finding the right blend,she started selling her nut butters at markets and is now the fastest-growing and most recognised nut butter brand in the UK.

Here are her top tips from the MeetUp:

Think about your branding in the long-run

Pip told us how she invested early in creating Pip & Nut’s identity, even before fundraising, to battle shelf competition. 

“If you’re going to spend your money anywhere, spend it on your product, making it as desirable, engaging and distinctive as possible,” she advised.

Keep your culture in mind

When you are looking to expand your team, keep your values front and centre.  "You don't need experts, you just need people with great attitudes,” said Pip. 

She revealed how she approaches growing her scurry of squirrels, “if someone has all the experience that you could ever possibly want, but doesnt have that attitude that has entrepreneurial spirit meeting our values, they won’t get hired”. 

Build up resilience 

Life is always unpredictable, so anything could happen that may affect your business, but the key is to face these challenges. Pip said that the biggest lesson she has learnt is to “ride the wave” when times get tough.

“Sometimes you need to go through a few scary moments to build your own resilience,” she said.  

“They are cyclical and you will come up against them all the time and you have to learn to ride the wave,” Pip added, reflecting on challenging times.

You can watch back the whole MeetUp soon on our YouTube, subscribe so you don’t miss it when the video is released!