‘I toured farmers’ markets, festivals and trade shows’

Cathryn Zielinski, 61, lives in Worcestershire with husband Andrew and their dogs, Freddy and Honey. Cathryn is the founder of porridge and snack pot brand Simplyseedz.

THE IDEA

After 20 years in financial services, I was made redundant in 2009. I had recently suffered a blood clot in my lungs, and the health scare, combined with redundancy, made me take stock. I often left the house hungry then snacked in service stations. I wanted to live and eat better, so I traipsed around supermarket aisles looking for a healthy way to start the day, but there was nothing truly healthy. Back home, I made porridge sprinkled with nutritious, toasted seeds and wondered if I could turn breakfast into a business. But then I got a job in the travel sector and parked the idea for several years.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

In August 2016, I’d had enough of corporate life and wanted to see if my idea was viable. I bought sacks of oats, seeds and fruit, and experimented with flavour combinations in our kitchen. The Dark Chocolate and Ginger Porridge was created thanks to our son, Tom, who made a special request for chocolate porridge! I also developed other flavours such as Date and Apricot, and Apricot and Cranberry, as well as baked pumpkin seed snack pots.

I wanted the simple design of the pots to reflect what was inside – wholesome, nutritional, natural ingredients. I didn’t want my brand to add to the plastic problem, so I scoured the market for recyclable cardboard pots.

I then toured farmers’ markets, festivals and trade shows, slowly building a customer base who signed up to a porridge subscription on my website. Customers trusted me and wanted my porridge for breakfast every morning, which was a great honour. We had wonderful reviews on Trustpilot from customers who appreciate that our pots are made without sugar, flavourings or milk powder. And I’m proud to have been approved by Happerley, which assesses brand ethics and sustainability.

Be resilient. Overnight success is rare, so if you believe in your brand,

don’t give up.

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENT

My first summer trading, I attended an event on the Daylesford organic farm in the Cotswolds. Carole Bamford, the owner, loved my stall and asked me to make porridge for her farm shops. That commission gave me confidence I had something people wanted.

STEEPEST LEARNING CURVE

My biggest mistake was trusting people who made empty promises to help, leaving my pockets empty and theirs full. I’ve learnt the hard way to be wary.

WHERE WE ARE NOW

Last year was difficult because I supplied much of my porridge to coffee shops, which spent much of the year closed. I now outsource production and sell about 35,000 pots a year. I still add all the labels by hand. It feels personal and I’m in no rush to upscale and have labels printed in bulk by a manufacturer.

Next I’m launching granola pots, and I’m aiming to supply more hotels, airlines and coffee shops. I’m preparing to supply a chain of ecological campsites and my website now sells breakfast hampers. Working with other small businesses such as Curious Roo coffee roasters and Tea+ drinks, I’m delighted to be able to offer customers a little extra to make their breakfast complete. >>

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for the nutritional guides I’ve written.

Our pivot has not only saved our

of eating with more people. Although I wouldn’t wish the stress and worry of

for a dream unexpectedly coming true.