Today we’re going Behind the Biz Andy Welch, founder of SRSLY Low Carb – low carb, high protein products that deliver on taste and nutrition.
Today’s interview is right up my street, not only because I love sharing a new and exciting business but because I’m really trying hard to chill out with my carb consumption, more specifically I need to just eat less toast for breakfast.
Let’s set the scene
SRSLY’s vision is to be a dynamic ambassador for a healthier ketogenic lifestyle. Ketogenic is already the most googled eating regime in the world but in the UK was initially a little slow out of the blocks; albeit now the UK’s most progressive retailers and high street providers are starting to take note.
Low Carb/high protein diets have historically been a struggle for many consumers who whilst committed to this vibrant common-sense lifestyle, have been reticent to jettison their bready joy. I mean, who doesn’t lovely a buttery doorstep of toast, a squidgy slice of fruit loaf, a fantastically foldy wrap, a ‘not cross’ bun or a generously proportioned seedy roll?
Keto bread did exist before SRSLY but it was largely of the dense, leathery Germanic persuasion, which is fine if you have a granite jaw and the teeth of a Doberman, but not for those who like the British brand of soft, fluffy bread.
Keto for the uninitiated is a low carb/high fat eating regime that induces a state of ketosis in one’s body, enabling one’s body to more efficiently burn fat for energy rather than glucose. The argument goes that modern, Western diets are overtly processed and packed with salt, sugar and needless cheap fillers that have helped trigger a senseless obesity & diabetes epidemic!
Please give us an overview on SRSLY
SRSLY’s long-term vision is to become the NO.1 consumer brand in low carb themed foods across an array of ‘everyday dependent’ categories (breads, pizza, condiments & spreads……).
Bread was where the adventure began. Having entered an Iron Man to clear his head and decide his next big career move, Andy quickly came to the conclusion that a) he missed bread b) there was a limit to how much salad he could consume on a daily basis.
With nothing credible in the marketplace, Andy began a 9 month voyage of discovery, working alongside an array of ‘wise owl’ artisanal bakers to create sumptuous scalable breads that would resonate with proud British taste buds.
With a bread created Andy decided to have a punt at selling it online. Initial sales were less than impressive (2-3 loaves a week) until a few weeks later sales catapulted to 200, 500 the next day and within a month 12,000 a week. Today SRSLY stands proud as Amazon’s single largest provider of freshly baked, low carb breads and rolls.
What made you decide to set up SRSLY?
SRSLY was born from personal circumstance. Andy’s was a busy, frenetic mind not at all happy with the direction his unrelenting corporate career was travelling. Pay cheques were certainly enticing however his ‘work joy’ barometer was locked at empty. Andy collapsed on a work flight home, a seismic tipping point moment that spun into a period of depression.
Deciding that his next chapter of work should be built around something he truly cared about/was thoroughly invested in led to the birth of SRSLY.
@srslylowcarb Make your own 375KCal Pizza using our Seriously Low Carb Pizza Bases #keto #ketolifetstyle #ketopizza #ketorecipes#lowcarb #lowcarbinspiration #fyp ♬ original sound – SRSLY
Did the COVID19 lockdowns play a part on the evolution of SRSLY?
Lockdown was pivotal to SRSLY’s evolution and future for two key reasons. Firstly it provided the springboard for success as inquisitive, stuck-at-home commuters re-evaluated their eating regimes and wider health and secondly when online sales started to slowly diminish post pandemic, Andy & his team realised that bricks & mortar retailers, coffee shop chains, food halls, farm shops and delis was the inevitable next step!
Tell us about the next steps
The next big step came towards the back end of 22 (December to be precise) when it was pointed out to Andy and his team that whilst his range was amazing his packaging was a tad dowdy & confused. This was the moment that Seriously Low Carb became SRSLY Low Carb and the rest as they say is history.
An investor’s push is the next big priority for 2023
Tell us about the product innovations we’ll see for 2023
Jams, pickle, sweet chilli sauce, wraps and an incredible seeded loaf were major new launches in Autumn 22 and in 2023 the next priority is a quality pasta that is leaps & bounds ahead of the ‘powdery nonsense’ currently claiming to be a credible low carb alternative.
Please share a business high and low with us
Business high: Pizza – If bread and rolls are the staunch vanguard of the SRSLY brand, pizza is the aspiring young pretender making rapid inroads. Each of the 3 flavours championed by SRSLY offers more protein than an equivalent steak with 2/3rds less carbs. In the case of Spicy Chicken the pizza is HFSS friendly which is quite frankly mind-blowing!
Business low: Cashflow is undoubtedly the key curse of any ambitious young brand!
What advice would you give for aspiring entrepreneurs
Keep an open mind as to where your next big idea comes from – adversity and despair is often the rocket fuel!
Thank you so much to Andy for sharing his business journey with us and taking us behind the scenes of SRSLY. I’m looking forward to seeing their new products for 2023 and look forward to trying their products.
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