VBT 095: Interview with Lisa Gawthorne, vegan owner of Bravura Foods

In this episode I interview Lisa Gawthorne, owner of Bravura Foods, a marketing, sales and distribution company in the UK.

Lisa has worked in a variety of FMCG marketing roles at major blue-chip companies, including Leaf UK working on the Chewits and Malaco brands, Nichols Foods working with the Vimto, Sunkist and Rani brands, Burton's Foods on their sugar confectionery and branded export biscuits portfolio that included Cadbury, Maryland, Wagon Wheels, Jammie Dodgers and Lyons Biscuits) and Cedar Health on its range of natural healthcare products.

After five years at Cedar Health, Lisa moved to work directly for OY Panda AB in Finland, coordinating all marketing activities across the UK, US and Canada.

Among the vegan food brands Bravura Foods represents are Panda Liquorice and Freedom Mallows, Captain Kombucha, Vegan Bakery and Little Miracles, and it also owns its in-house vegan confectionery brand Free From Fellows.

Lisa, who’s from the north of England, is also the author of the vegan health and fitness book Gone in 60 Minutes – a bite-sized health and fitness resource that can be read in just an hour.

In addition to managing her own business, Lisa is a competitive runner. She’s run for her club, Liverpool Pembroke Sefton; the county of Merseyside; and Great Britain Duathlon teams for her age group at European and World Championship levels.

In this interview Lisa talks about:

• What you need in place before approaching retailers (they don’t want to have to hand-hold you)

• How to be innovative in your presentations to retailers

• The importance of targeted marketing plans, especially if you want to get your brand into a large retailer

• The importance of speed to market, especially now with the plant-based trend being so popular

• What she looks for in a brand when considering working with them

• The one question every vegan brand needs to ask themselves on a regular basis

• And much more

Visit the Bravura Foods website
Check out Lisa’s book Gone in 60 Minutes

Brands mentioned in vegan business news roundup:

Tesco
Wicked Healthy
V-Grits Food Co

RESOURCES:

My Online PR Course for Vegan Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: Vegans in the Limelight

My book Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business

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