Andy Ross
A fresh approach
Twenty-two-year-olds Andy Ross and Pete Hunt decided to base their freshly-prepared ready meals business in Newcastle after studying at the university. Two years on, they’ve established themselves as a quality enterprise sourcing local produce. Andy explains how they started.
What gave you the idea for Fresh Element?
The idea for Fresh Element came during our final year at Newcastle Uni, where we were studying information systems.
We had a business module in which we needed to create an e-business plan.
We came up with the idea of delivering high quality ready meals, or 'meal kits', made from the best of local produce, and selling them to office workers who could shop online.
The business plan received a lot of support and encouragement so we decided to give it a go.
What were you doing at the time you had the idea?
We were in our final year of University, looking for graduate jobs in IT!
What was the first thing you did to try and make the idea happen?
We contacted Newcastle University Enterprise Centre, which offers advice, information, resources, and even office accommodation.
They have business advisers, entrepreneurs in residence and enterprise interns, and can help students gain entrepreneurial skills to enhance your employability or start your own venture.
They were great with us, in terms of support and encouragement and pointing us in the right direction.
Who helped you, and how?
The Enterprise Centre helped us initially with business planning and also then suggesting the relevant people to contact to further our ideas. These included the Economic Development unit at Newcastle Council, Tyne and Wear Business Link, Prince's Trust and a networking organisation called The Bridge Club.
When did the idea start looking viable?
The idea was always risky, as it was an unknown product, in an industry we had no previous knowledge of.
However, once we got a top local chef on board, who brought with him twenty years of experience of the catering industry, it suddenly looked like a possibility. We then converted a brand new workshop into restaurant-standard kitchens, and off we went.
What obstacles did you encounter along the way?
We needed a lot of funding up front to pay for deposits on kitchen equipment and the like.
We raised this through a combination of the Prince's Trust, Project North East and Newcastle City Council.
The whole process wasn't easy, but perseverance saw us manage to get what we needed to kick-start the business.
The second major obstacle happened during our first few months of trading: not enough sales! We discovered the idea wasn't going to work just before our money ran out, so we had to diversify quickly.
We picked up on a need for a bespoke, high-end catering service for all manner of events, using fresh, natural and local ingredients such organic beef and lamb, fresh cheeses, etc, so things like weddings and corporate dinners now constitute a lot of our business.
When did the idea officially get up and running?
We launched in October 2004.
Future plans for the idea?
The aim now is to continue to grow the business and build on the success of events we've done over the past year. The order book has grown massively, and we're also looking at other possibilities to expand the scope of the business.
Advice to anyone else who wants to make their idea happen?
My advice would simply be to give it everything you've got and not hold back.
So many times we could have given up and taken the easy option by chucking it all in when the going got tough, but we didn't, and are now fully justified in our decisions.
The first 18 months of business are notoriously tough and if you can make it through this time with a strong belief in what you're trying to achieve, I'm sure everything will work out in the end.
Also, be prepared for a lot more work than you could ever imagine possible. We were warned, but thought it would be different for us – however, it certainly was not.
We work all the hours God sends, and I think this is something you must realise when embarking on setting up your own company.