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Young Entrepreneur has the ingredients for a new business.
29/09/2009
Fresh from studying Food Marketing Management at University, Anisha Mistry has launched her first food range.
Anisha has developed a range of premixed Traditional Gujarati spices for chicken, seafood and vegetable curries. Encouraged by winning a University Enterprise Award Anisha sought further advice and help from Nottingham Trent University through the East Midlands NTI’s Centre for Knowledge Exchange scheme (CKE). Her spices are now packaged and market ready and she is pitching to high quality supermarkets.
Anisha said: “I began formulating my idea for the spice kits during my last year at university. I always knew I wanted to start my own business and found myself bouncing business ideas instead of working during lessons. I found I knew many people who had trouble cooking traditional Gujarati foods easily but if I made three spice mixes with a practical, easy to follow three step method it would encourage people to experiment and fire the imagination of a basic cook.”
The kits are aimed at giving new cooks the confidence to tackle making good food. By following basic instructions the cook just adds the chicken or seafood, oil, water and the spice kit. Even the quantities are measured in teaspoons to avoid confusion between dessert spoons and serving spoons.
“I have had fantastic moral and practical support, including critical feedback. I would say to anyone thinking of starting a new business to make the most of the amazing help that is around. You are just beginning. They have experience and can help you avoid easy pitfalls. And I would say, never give up!”
Knowledge Exchanges create working partnerships between small businesses and universities, offering a unique resource simply not available elsewhere. Nottingham Trent University funded the development of Anisha’s packaging which was designed by The Detail Company.
East Midlands NTI executive director Hilary Whaley said: “Industry and education links are traditionally only created with larger businesses. Now smaller companies can make huge commercial gains by accessing high technology equipment and top expertise for product development, research and staff skill progression. They can do this only through NTI Network.”
“Launched nationally in 2004 Knowledge Exchanges were created to form collaborations between universities, with a focus on promoting high level knowledge and skills exchange between the institutions and small to medium sized businesses. In the East Midlands, NTI was awarded Knowledge Exchange status for Food and Drink and the Creative Industries Networks, building on the successes already achieved. It has had impressive results with a number of exciting new developments such as staff exchanges between universities and business, students working on ‘live’ projects in industry, and industry using NTI equipment in universities to solve real business issues.”