Exciting (fresh) things ahead.

Image by mackius via FlickrIts been a hectic and exciting couple of weeks here at Go4Fresh; here's a quick update on whats been going on:

> We've passed the milestone (hence the picture, sorry!) in our FSE funding conditions, so are now set to complete the build of the first batch of machines
> The first two machines have successfully run a trial period with local staff near our offices in Shoreham
> We have the first locations for our machines agreed and will be installing soon!
> We've had a couple of great meetings with the NHS (see previous post) who seem to be behind our project, and we've been well received with the local hospitals so far
> There's been some very good interest from retailers and also a HUGE organisation that I will have to keep under wraps for the moment (itching to say, though!)

In fact, there's lots of other things going on, but as I write, I realise that I can't share any of that just yet - you'll have to take my word for it that its all good and moving us forward with the project (which in itself is growing in potential as we go!)

First vends made!

Wow! - Today I witnessed the first few people actually buy product from our final proof-of-concept machine.

Ian Rowling, the brains behind the scenes has completed all the integration tasks that were required to upgrade our interface screen to full colour and touch-screen functionality, re-tested all the system components and got the demo systems up and running...

..so we have started a live trial. We are aiming to simulate the placement of a machine in an office environment with regualr customers using it.

And the initial feedback has been very encouraging.

The (almost) free lunches
Around 30 people from local businesses around our workshops in Shoreham are now visiting daily to buy product (as supplied by our partner company Nibbles) and try the machine out for themselves.

The trial will run for about a week, and enable us to identify and iron-out any final bugs or interface issues that the public find or feedback to us about. We are actively encouraging feedback through a feedback form and discussions with each user as follows:
> Each user has been shown the machine, then left to pay for and purchase the products each day themselves.
> Each purchaser is given a feedback form for each time they use the machine, which they have to complete and return as a receipt.
> Purchaser eats product.
> Purchaser completes form - we are seeking to capture any and all feedback about the machine, the interface, the experience itself and the products bought.
> At the end of the trial period, we repay the monies spent to each user as a thank you for taking part.

Then we will collate all the data about the trial from our remote interrogation of the machine and build a picture of the times that people used the machine (helpful for knowing when is best to refill it), the condition of each product (how long it was in the machine and time of vend), the temperature of the machine at all times and the money taken.

We can then map this against the data received via the feedback forms to ensure that we have accuracy and continuity.

We will also have a list of things that we may need to attend to before our first placements are made (scheduled for early next month).

If you are taking part in the trial, thank you! and please feel free to feedback below!

How was it for you?

We make the SEEDA news

The government backed South East Enterprise Hub recently interviewed us to publish a news article about our successful application for (and winning) of the commercialisation funding.

They have provided good ancilliary support in addition to the funding award and I am continuing to work with them on future articles and news releases.

First sites agreed!

We've done it!

Today we signed up the first confirmed site - a really high profile and relevant site, too - William Reed business media in Gatwick, publishers of The Grocer amongst other industry topics - and we are very chuffed!

It looks like we shall also have a second site confirmed very shortly, another really high profile name that will add further credibility to our offering.

And we've got another few who are very keen to take things further, so we shall be carring out site surveys and checks to see if they are suitable locations to make a success for us and the client.

In all, we now have locations for around 6 machines pretty much signed up, and increasing interest for other locations, but note, we were only looking to launch with 10-15 machines for our pilot phase to complete our final proof of concept testing!

At William Reed we met today with Chris to plan out an appropriate launch strategy with them and we will be doing something along thse lines:
> internal awareness raising
> survey to staff
> Menu distribution
> external PR
> taste test to all staff
> banner promoting "machine coming!"
> installation
> ongoing feedback

Its all going in the right direction - and we got a good mention in the South East Business publication today, too.

Look out for a Go4Fresh machine in a location near you soon!

Promoting Healthy Eating at Work

Here's a great downloadadable booklet on how to promote healthy eating in the workplace. Of course, you could request a Go4Fresh machine and sit back and watch as your staff enjoy the fruits (and other healthy snacks!) of your efforts!

This was found on the Health Promotion Agency website.

The Launch - June 2008

On friday last, after a hectic week putting finishing touches to our two demonstration units and the marketing material needed, and a last-minute stress in actually moving the units (lessons were learned in respect to how contractors measure their vans is all I shall say on that!), we were finally ready.

The "steps to sustainability" event in which we were featuring, was organised by the Gatwick Diamond and was the first stage in efforts to gather local businesses of all sizes and engage them with local government representatives, SEEDA and other business experts to help promote and develop innovative ways for companies to introduce and maintain sustainability in the workplace.

The attendance was excellent and from our perspective we were able to put our proposition in front of many interested parties including vending experts BoxLogix, the former owner of CoffeeNation, Martyn Dawes, Sony (who have a large local presence) and the University of Brighton. Councillor Bob Lanzer of Crawley Borough Council also expressed interest and that was an important aim of mine, to get local support and backing.

I am immensely grateful to our supply partners, Nibbles, who brought literally tons of fantastic tasty sandwiches, snacks and salads; yet again I had to look at their superb food all day, but when I did get to eat some, it delivered the taste and quality I have come to expect and that matches our core values so well. They did a superb job and it was also great to have many of those involved in the project to date, including Andy, Duncan and Colin together to witness the final unveiling of the first Go4Fresh units.

I am hopeful that we will have placement partner sites for the first handful of units shortly; there was certainly the right interest and some great points on what we address for sustainability and health for employees were aired and discussed during the workshop sessions. Indeed, not one person in the room could come up with a reason as to why they would not buy from one of our machines and the possibilities in how we can arrange different payment options, incorporate subsidies and provide full audit data ticked many corporte CSR boxes.

We learned lots during the day and now have leads to follow up, planning and production to do but, for once, we have a small breather; having finally acheived what we set out to do in producing working demonstration units ready for production.

My heartfelt thanks go out to all past, present and future stakeholders and to the Gatwick Diamond for running the event. (better pictures to follow!)

How was it for you?

Listen up, food brands!

As this News story from Brand Channel reveals, pressure from consumers demanding fresh and healthy food, rather than food packaged as simply "good for you" is on the increase, and the big food brands are starting to address the challenge; of resistance through purely delivering a branded product.

Consumers want more - they want assurance that the food they buy is genuinely, reliably healthy and good for them. No confusion, no hidden ingredients, just facts.

Not that Ian (Our founder and technical whizz) has been saying anything different since he started the Go4Fresh development project! That's why our machines are not only stocked with only top quality fresh food (obviously!) but they also display the nutritional content and even calorific values of every product on the selection screen - we know consumers have a choice and, more importantly, an increasing voice.

What's your take? Would you choose to buy fresh, healthy, BRANDED food over an unbranded offering, or has your trust in the major brands weakened?

(photo credit> bingbing)

Healthy eating initiative for local businesses

Last night I attended the "Crawley Business Debate"; an event organised by Crawley Borough Council and indeed it was a lively debate with a good deal of interraction between the range of business and council representatives present. Hosted by Jeremy Taylor of CADIA (the voice of businesses in the Gatwick Diamond), it certainly had the right ingredients.

What was very interesting and had me sitting on my hands for fear of leaping up to have my say, was the recurrent issues of feeding and servicing employees in Manor Royal (and other business areas), the abhorrance of reliance on a burger van visiting, and the key factors of traffic on the crowded roads in the area; over 31,000 people travel into the Crawley area each day to work and 86,000 work in total!

Indeed, Easit (who are also featured at the Polishing the Diamond event next week) got several namechecks regarding their lift-sharing system during the debate, and I feel that Go4Fresh should have equal prominence!

Of course, with Go4Fresh's proposition we can address many of the issues that arose:

• Our machines can be filled once a day, outside of normal traffic hours
• we deliver safe and healthy food at any time of day
• we remove the need for staff to drive into town (its too far to sensibly walk from say, Manor Royal)
• all the packaging (of Nibbles' products) is 100% biodegradeable and we can even collect it all

..so I waited until the end of the debate and took my opportunity to collar the Council members!

Many of the council members should now be attending the Polishing the Diamond Event next Friday, at which we obviously feature and will launch, so they should get a really good handle on what we are about, but what I am hoping for (and I told them this) is be some backing and support from the Council to promote the facility that we offer. This would help us (in the same way as it has Easit) get in front of the bigger businesses around the Crawley area, and perhaps more importantly, to promote to the 86,000 workers the fact that there is a means of having accessible, healthy, short shelf-life foods in their workplace - to create a buzz and build the demand from the consumer end.

Help please, Crawley Council!

Food Makers turn to healthy food

At Go4Fresh we are obviously keen on healthy food initiatives, so it is interesting and encouraging to see this post in Reuters today. (thanks @MikeAshworth for the pointer!).

Although the aims of these major brands in this instance appears to be to bolster food prices in a pressured economic situation through delivering percieved extra value, the underlying stats make interesting reading and it all adds further weight to our findings for a demand for healthier food AND for a means of delivering it.

The bottom line from the report is that consumers will generally pay more for a better quality product when times are tough.

To quote the report - “The emergence of so-called health and wellness foods with lower fat, sugar and salt are aimed at keeping consumers buying premium brands even amid the escalating credit crisis, high fuel prices and housing meltdown.”

Some major brands are quoted in the Reuters report and indicate:

• Kraft Foods reported that its “better for you” foods are growing two to three times faster than its other food lines. According to Kraft North America President Rick Searer: “Health and wellness is a priority.”
• In the U.K. Unilever indicated that it has been “cutting out fats, sugars and salt from foods as a way to bolster its health and wellness lines”. Bauke Rower, Senior VP of Foods for the Americas says “The long-term trend towards better food and people looking after themselves is here to stay.”
• France’s Danone cited that the health benefits of its recent introductions of two probiotic products with live bacteria should mean “strong revenue growth.” Even with two price hikes since last August, Danone Chief Executive Juan Carlos Dalto: “We are very optimistic we will see nice double-digit growth in the years ahead in North America.” Even though these two products cost 10-30% more than other yogurts.

I welcome your feedback on this:
> Do you look at pricing first when considering a healthy option?
> Do you think this is just brands seeking to exploit a new opportunity, or are they fulfilling a need?
> What pressures are on you to choose the "healthy option"?
> What constitutes a healthy option to you and where does "freshness" come into consideration, if at all?

Business Matters Startup Stars PR competition

A couple of weeks ago we got wind of a competition run by Business Matters (a local business publication run by Crawley Observer) called "Start-up Stars" - for a years free publicity to promote the winning start-up business.

We (Ian Rowling - MD, the inventor and developer of the technology and expertise behind Go4Fresh, and myself; Nick Broom - the external face for the company, responsible for strategy and brand) duly entered and were invited to a "Dragon's Den" style interview last week for the final 6 selected entrants.

Phew!! We had 5 minutes to present and describe the business, and then followed a full-on, hectic and unrelenting 15 minutes of questions and analysis of the business from a bank manger, accountant, solicitor and the representative from Business Matters. It was good fun though, and processes like this help to define the strategy better as holes or points are uncovered that you may not find in repeated checking of your own work. We came away hoping that we'd got enough across in such a short space of time to at least demonstrate how the concept was sound, the thinking and planning complete, the backing and support from Gatwick Diamond Hub and others was strong, and that interest was already growing in the fresh food industry itself.

We were pleased with our presentation and the questions were good, not causing us many surprises or discomfort (Ian has been in this situation many times and has covered almost all bases to a great depth).

Today I got a call from Lorraine at Business Matters to tell me that we...


..had not quite won it - we were "a very close second" to quote Lorraine.

Boo.

Disappointed? Of course, since I truly believe in the concept (as does everyone else involved in it), but also as I felt it would genuinely make a great local story for the paper. Now that several offices and business centres have agreed to take the machines, they will be able to gain great respect and loyalty from their customers (staff) for delivering them fresh, healthy food options, something that they can really shout about!

We must have made a fair impression however, since we are to be featured in an article anyway, and Business Matters want to come back in 6 months and write an update on us then. I shall be providing them with regular updates along the way, so watch this space (as well as that of Business Matters!).