Knobbly Carrot Get A New Eco-Friendly Identity

Tag : carrot
The award-winning Knobbly Carrot Food Company which makes organicsoups, sauces, sandwich fillings and salads, will launch a newcorporte identity at the Speciality Fine Food Fayre at Olympia inLondon on 5 - 7 September.

The Lampeter food company will become the first in Wales to launcha new corporate identity with help from Ecodesign Centre Wales(EDC).

Knobbly Carrot benefited from EDCs one-off ecodesign and supportpackage to put sustainability at the heart of its strategy.

The food manufacturer has brought in new measures which will reduceits impact on the environment. They include swapping tubs forpouches which will reduce the containers carbon footprint andincrease shelf life; printing its stationery using vegetable dyesand recycled paper; and sharing deliveries with other companies tocut food miles.

Knobbly Carrot was one of four selected by EDC to take part in apilot scheme to help small and medium sized businesses in Walesdevelop environmentally conscious products and services.

Iain Cox, Operations Manager of EDC, says: Environmental andsocial issues are increasingly seen as opportunities to drivebusiness efficiencies and achieve growth. This coupled with agrowing consumer demand for more ethically conscious products andservices means that Welsh food and drink companies must embracesustainable business practices to survive.

Responsible brands enjoy good publicity and improved customerperception. Addressing key environmental impacts of packaging andproduction brings cost savings, regulatory compliance andcompetitive advantage - ultimately leading to more sales.

As the impact of climate change and rising energy prices continueto grow, so ecodesign will become more important. We believe thatit is simply good design and good business practice.

For the Knobbly Carrot Food Company, participating in the projectmeant they could do what they truly believed in, explains founderStephanie Bond.

We have always tried to consider our impact on the environment butthe project has allowed us to take things further, she says.

Now we really walk the talk. Now everything we do is organic andas eco-friendly as possible. We have reduced waste, packaging,energy use and food miles. We want to communicate this to ourcustomers, and our new branding reflects what we do and think.

Stephanie founded Knobbly Carrot in 2002 while running adelicatessen in Lampeter. Her customers raved about her great foodand spurred on by their support, she took a stand at the RoyalWelsh Show Food Hall in Builth Wells. So enthusiastic was theresponse that Stephanie realised she had a niche product for whichthere was great demand.

The company was launched with support from the Welsh AssemblyGovernment, with a Processing and Marketing grant which allowedthem to recruit five members of staff.

We couldnt have started without the grant, says Stephanie. Wealso had support from the Food Centre Wales at Horeb who helped uswith sourcing the right equipment, health and safety, food hygieneand nutritional labelling.

Stephanie came up with the company name when she learned that somesupermarkets rejected carrots from their suppliers for being tooknobbly and not the right shape.

Shape is not important to us  taste is, says Stephanie. Ourfood is simple, fresh and delicious. It is lovingly prepared insmall batches, which is why it tastes so delicious and home made.

Knobbly Carrot has scooped a number of awards including a highlycoveted Great Taste Gold Award in 2008 for its Luscious Lentil andCountry Vegetable Soup and a prestigious True Taste Award in 2003for its sandwich filling range.

But Stephanie and Knobbly Carrot are not resting on their laurels.They hope to secure a Welsh Assembly Government Processing andMarketing grant this year to fund new machinery to fill and sealthe new pouches which is likely to increase production and createnew jobs. And new ranges for children and the ultra-premiummarket are also planned. Item last updated: Thursday August 28 2008 07:55 Back to top