F&D Heroes Issue 1

Interestingly, it’s the businesses that exhibited the
most caution at the start of lockdown that are now
paying the price.
Gareths adds: “There have been winners from all this.
There have been a lot more losers, unfortunately. But
the businesses that reacted well and pivoted have
really come out of this well.
“The brands that quickly recognised that direct-toconsumer
was a huge opportunity made the switch
straight away. You can see the ones that benefited
from it - they saw a huge uplift in sales.”
The brands that “retreated,” as Gareth put it, are the
ones who are going to really struggle in the mediumterm,
the pair believe. While those who pivoted and
kept going secure listings for early next year, it could
be another 12-18 months before those who scaled
back have the opportunity or are even ready for it.
And they made it their mission to close that gap in the
local area and help small and start-up food and drink
businesses navigate the markets. Five years down
the line, Visionary is working with brands from across
the UK.
“A lot of entrepreneurs in food and drink haven’t come
from the industry,” Gareth explains.
“Many of them have discovered a great innovation,
or they’ve found out their child is gluten intolerant
and created a gluten-free alternative to their favourite
mainstream brand, for example. But they have no
idea how to take it to market.
“We help these brands and guide them, show them
what the journey looks like, what they need to plan, look
at which brands they’re going up against, where they fit
in the industry and how they can grow the business.”
What’s clear to see from talking to Gareth and Dan
is just how much passion they have for the industry.
They’re both foodies. “You have to be” to deliver the
level of support Visionary offers, they tell me. Both
built their professional skills and experience in other
industries, but found themselves wanting to work in
an industry they truly loved.
“Food is a very emotional topic,” Dan says. “[It] has so
many stories around it.
Lockdown boom
While the lockdown period has been incredibly tough
for the food and drink businesses that were already
operating, Gareth and Dan are predicting an incredibly
bright future for the ones that set up during it.
“We’re always pleasantly surprised by the amount
of new talent, opportunities and products that are
coming from food and drink,” Dan says. “I think
that was the case before Covid anyway, and there’s
certainly a big chance that this will put some things
into perspective for a lot of people who had side
projects in the background.
“This may be the push they needed to do what they
really want to do.”
It’s something that Gareth believes applies to
entrepreneurship and the economy as a whole.
He says: “The level of innovation in the UK is
incredible. Any time we see any sort of depression
globally, we see more innovation and creativity off the
back of it.”
Closing the knowledge gap
Gareth and his business partner, Rhys, saw what they
call a “knowledge gap” in their native south Wales.
“The people behind the brands are so passionate
because it’s food, it’s everyday life, it’s what people
love,” Gareth echoes.
“I’ve always enjoyed cooking, exploring, finding new
ingredients and trying different things.
“The most exciting thing for me is finding new
products, and hearing the stories behind them. I love
hearing someone’s why - why it’s the next best thing,
why it’s better than something else, and then finding
out it actually is! There’s nothing better.”
Helping to find the Heroes
It’s incredibly important for Visionary to be a part of
Food & Drink Heroes, the pair explain.
Dan says: “We see the hard work entrepreneurs put
into making their product successful. Being part of an
event where those sorts of people are celebrated and
recognised is extremely important for us.”
Gareth concludes: “You’ve got to have passion to make
it in this industry because it’s bloody hard. And the
way people have pivoted recently to change what they
do in order to succeed and move forward deserves
recognition. It’s exactly what is needed right now.”
visionaryfoodsolutions.co.uk
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