‘I had £27 – now my company is worth £72 million’

Juliet Barret, 44, lives in Warwickshire with her husband Alan, 42. She’s the founder of snack brand Grenade. Juliet says, “Until my early thirties, I worked in education – as a teacher, head of sixth form, and then for an education charity. So when I joined my husband’s distribution business in 2006, I had no idea how many of my skills would be transferable.

“Around this time, I’d really got into going to the gym and noticed that all the protein supplements and active nutrition products were marketed at bodybuilders in scary-looking packaging. So Alan and I began working on our own snack brand – Grenade – to make protein snacks and products more user-friendly. We felt like there was a gap in the market to make these products more accessible – particularly to women – so we began planning.

“Over the next few years, we developed the brand and worked with ambassadors to create different products, including snack bars and protein powders, as well as keeping Alan’s business going. It was really tough and we didn’t have a day off for about four years. When you’re running your own business, you don’t get a break, because that time is potentially costing you money. We didn’t have holidays and social events were rare.

“But all the sacrifices were worth it. By 2009 we made the leap to sell his business and put the money into Grenade. It was a huge risk – and I had just £27 in the business bank. But over the next four years we piled every bit of money we had into the business and, in 2014, we had a huge boost from investors. It felt incredible that all of our work was paying off.

“In 2016, just after I turned 40, our protein bars began to be stocked in all the major supermarket chains and it was amazing to see our work on the shelves. It took years of hard work and belief that the idea would pay off, but the company was valued at £72 million in 2017 and I’m hugely proud of what we’ve achieved. If you’ve got an idea that you think might work, you should go for it.”