Mirror WORKS: SNACK TO SCHOOL
By LAURETTE ZIEMER
LONG before Jamie Oliver took up his kid’s food crusade, two friends had been bringing fresh nutritious grub to schools, hospitals and sports centres across the country.
The Healthy Snack Company – run by Justin Wride and Christian Stephens – has been muscling out chocolate and crisp vending machines for the past two years and replacing them with healthy alternatives.
“Our mission is quite simple,” says Justin, 33. “We want to wipe out the junk.”
The two friends met at university where they were studying health and exercise.
Justin went on to manage a community sports centre in Cheltenham while Christian, 33, worked in the hotel gym industry.
Justin also developed programmes promoting fitness and health awareness for children under four.
“We both became increasingly aware of so many health issues,” says Justin. “I couldn’t get over the unhealthy vending machines in the health club and was also upset by the amount of sweets and fizzy drinks consumed by youngsters.”
They decided to look into alternatives.
“We did six months’ research and were astonished to find only a couple of companies attempting to do something about this situation,” says Christian. “We soon realised that we could make a real difference.”
They enrolled on a three-day Business Link course on setting up your own business. Then while both held on to their day jobs they tracked down a company in Blackpool which sold second-hand vending machines.
Pooling their combined savings of pounds 1,000 the two guys trundled up to Lancashire.
“The old guy who ran the place thought we were bonkers but he recommended a 10- year-old machine. In truth it was all we could afford,” says Justin. “We painted it green and covered it in big apples. It cost pounds 900 in total.”
The green vending machine was moved into Christian’s nan’s garage and the friends started manning the phones. “We were penniless and up to our ears in student debts but we kept plugging away.”
Quickly they convinced their local school, Winchcombe Secondary, to take their machine.
“We insisted then, as now, that no chocolate and sweet vending machines could be nearby and we arranged to go in and talk to the children.
“We stocked it with fruit bars, fruit bags, corn snacks, fruit juices, milk drinks and water. The kids loved it – so much so, they still have that same machine.”
At more or less the same time a local businessman, Colin Sayer, got wind of what the boys were up to and offered to invest in what was now The Healthy Snack Company.
“It was March 2004 and we suddenly had enough to rent office space and buy two vans.
“We bought five more vending-machines and set about cold calling anyone and everyone. We were even able to take some wages!”
One of the main problems they encountered was that schools, sports centres and hospitals all make good money from vending- machines.
But persistence paid and they soon convinced the next wave of customers to install their healthy machines.
“We started inviting children to tasting sessions so schools saw how popular and successful our healthy option could become.”
Today the company has 40 machines across the Midlands and supplies 120 tuck shops, breakfast clubs, universities and hospitals.
“We are pushing full steam ahead to cover the entire country and it feels really good,” says Justin. “You can’t help but get a buzz when you know that you’re benefiting young people’s health and introducing them to healthy options.
“I think a key part of our success is due to the fact that we both live and breathe what we preach.
“We’re not just a snack company on the health bandwagon – we are about health and nutrition first and foremost.”
We got a second-hand machine and painted it with green apples
Contact
CALL 01452 751 960 or visit www.healthysnack.co.uk
Business Link, a government service providing advice on setting up new and small businesses, is at www.businesslink.gov.uk or call 0845 600 9006
STARTING -UP TIPS
1. “YOU have to believe in what you’re doing. You are placing a lot on the line so you have to have faith. We couldn’t do this if we were selling chocolate,” says Justin.
2. “YOU have to work hard. The Business Link course and a few books we read told us about hard work – but nothing could have prepared us for how hard it has actually turned out to be.”
3. “YOU cannot allow it to consume your life – you need to maintain a balance. Make sure you keep a social life going plus it’ll help your work.”
(c) 2007 Daily Mirror. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.