Loan helps jam maker weather the pandemic
AN ARTISAN vegan jam, marmalade and chutney business is planning major expansion.
Clydach Vale-based Enjoy Rogue is looking to expand across the UK into supermarkets as well as in overseas markets, following a £40,000 loan from Robert Owen Community Banking Fund (ROCBF) in Newtown.
Asher Flowers, 28, moved back to Wales after a career in advertising in London to launch Enjoy Rogue in 2017.
Initially he teamed up with his mother Anita, whom he said taught him the fundamentals of her hobby making marmalades and chutneys when he was growing up in Haverfordwest.
He said: “We started out selling our products at Pontcanna and Roath Farmers’ Markets in Cardiff and it grew from there.
“We recognised a real opportunity for high-class artisan jams, marmalades and chutneys, and luckily sales soon began to take off.
With home-made and allergenfree products like Espresso Martini marmalade and Bravado Chilli Pepper jam, Enjoy Rogue built up a UK customers UK-based working with manufacturers.
But then came the pandemic and Mr Flowers said he needed to find urgent support for his expanding business.
“We needed business interruption support because the pandemic knocked both our supplies and customers.
“Robert Owen Community
Banking Fund really ally helped us in the emergency. y
“It was really nice ice to be able to speak to someone person-to-person n about our particular position and the help we e needed.
Having weathered thered the pandemic, Mr Flowers said they y are expanding further ther with talks taking ing place with a nummber of supermarkets.
With further investment followwing the financial cial backing of Robert bert
Owen Community nity Banking Fund, he said the company any is finding new mararkets for its brand, nd, with customers s in
Saudi Arabia and nd the
USA.
He said: “The long-term dream for Enjoy Rogue is to be the number one brand for athome brunch, selling other vegan products like granolas alongside our marmalades and chutneys.”
Jackie Milton, of Robert Owen Community Banking Fund, said: “After such an awful year it was so good to be able to support an upand-coming young Welsh entrepreneur with such an exciting food business.”