UK Food & Drink Success Stories: Q&A with Oh So Yum founder (and Apprentice Winner!) Harpreet Kaur about getting a listing in Not On The High Street

Over the years, Bread & Jam has actively supported the growth of thousands of food startups, from emerging brands getting their first specialty retailer to more established players scoring national supermarket listings. As part of our Success Story series, we’re highlighting fellow challenger brands who have seen some wins, and ask them a few questions.

1. Tell us about Oh So Yum, how did it all start?

I started Oh So Yum eight years ago with my sister. We set up with a different brand name which we changed a couple of times as the business evolved! I gave up my career in banking & my sister gave up teaching so we could give the world of business a go. We first started with a small kiosk in Leeds in a shopping centre, selling waffles! Fast forward to just after the pandemic, I decided to apply for The Apprentice to take our brand to the next level. Since Lord Sugar invested, we now have a total of 3 stores in West Yorkshire, have a national delivery e-commerce site, and are stocked in brand partners and retailers such as Selfridges.

We had zero experience in any food business when we first started, so we have definitely learned the hard way!

2. How did you go from an idea to an actual product, and did you encounter any challenges along the way? 

We tried and tested what was already available out there in the market, and sat, brainstormed on what we feel would work in our particular area and location at the time. We made sure we did plenty of research, but owning a business today means you have to constantly evolve, think of new ideas, be creative & ensure you are social media savvy- so the challenge is actually continuous of bringing new ideas to the business.

3. You won The Apprentice in 2022 (congrats!). What are the key things you learned from that experience about running a food business? 

Thank you very much! The main thing I learnt from going through The Apprentice were that actually my skills of running a food business enabled me to handle challenges, thrive under pressure, think on the spot & manage people's expectations very well! All of which resulted in me being quite a successful project manager on the show. In a food business- you are keeping customers happy, ensuring orders are fulfilled, monitoring quality control, supplier management & more- so you really do have so many plates to spin! I think ultimately my experience with having to juggle so many priorities at once is what has shaped me as a manager and business owner.

4. How did you get listed in Not On The High Street? 

Me & my sister attended the Bread and Jam Festival in 2022, where we met with different retailers, and had booked to pitch to a few including Not On The High Street! We were actually quite nervous because we had never done this before- but attending the Bread and Jam Festival made it much easier to get in front of the retailer, and more comfortable as we knew there were hundreds of others doing the same thing! We met with one of their reps and continued the business relationship from there.

5. What do you think your pitch at the Bread & Jam Festival was successful? Any tips for others hoping to pitch? 

Tips for others to pitch- attend one of the workshops at the event that I am sure will cover pitching and how to do it effectively! Practice before you go- and remember, there are lots of others having the same conversation- keep it brief, concise and clear so you are grabbing attention. 

6. You came to the Bread & Jam festival with your sister, what is it like running a business with a family member? 

It isn't often you get to call someone your best friend, sister AND business partner- so I am really blessed. We work together really wel. I know a lot of people say to steer clear of working with family, but we have 100% trust & the business interests always at heart.

7. Would you advise other food and drink brands to come to the Bread & Jam Festival?

Absolutely 100%. It really refreshed us, gave us new insight, and was great for networking. 

8. Any other nuggets of wisdom/advice to share with other food brands starting out?

There has been a huge trend in recent years to ensure food/drink is 'Instagrammable' however I do believe that customers are now leaning towards real quality, genuine and authentic ingredients as opposed to picture perfect! So make sure all your ingredients are traceable, sustainable where possible- and really enhance your product offering.