From Pantry Staple To Premium Brand: Bold Bean Co’s Recipe for 250% Growth

0:00My view has always been we need to give back to our community and not sell to them. Hey everyone, welcome to Shopify Masters, your companion for starting and building a business. I'm your host, Shuang Esther Shan. Beans have long been viewed as a boring pantry staple, but today's guest is on a mission to change that. Amelia Chrissy Miller is the founder of Bold Bean Co., a UK-based brand that is redefining beans as a premium, crave-worthy ingredient, and it's working. With its unique packaging, best-selling cookbook, and cult following on Instagram, Bold Bean saw a 250 % increase in sales in 2024.

0:44Here to spill the beans on how she's disrupting the food industry and making the world more sustainable is Amelia. Welcome to the show, Amelia. Thanks for having me. So, so excited to chat about your journey. I know that you've worked in food sustainability, you were a private chef. How did those experiences lead you to create Bold Bean? I mean, they were kind of fundamental to it. And I always think that what you do at the time, you often don't think, oh, is this relevant? I remember all my friends doing sort of internships in their summer holidays at different kind of companies that seemed really grown up.

1:26And I was at the time, oh, this is a waste of time. But actually, when you look back, every sort of career step you make, I found have led me to where I am today and starting Bold Beans. So I would say that they were both fundamental. I think my love of food and exploring that was really key to where I am today, writing cookbooks, and we're kind of part food media company, part bean brand. But then And on top of that, my time working in food sustainability, learning about issues like soil health, like, you know, how to create more climate friendly dishes that are uncompromisingly delicious. The chefs that I was working with in that space were really inspiring and led me to beans.

2:13So All Roads ended up in beans, which I couldn't have seen coming, really. Mm hmm. And it feels like when you're looking back, these experiences are sort of ingredients to your ultimate career recipe in a way, because you had this idea where you wanted to look for a sustainable solution. And who would have thought that with a CPG brand, you were able to accomplish that with Bold Bean? yeah I mean it was really interesting because my previous job in food sustainability was in the food tech space and at that time I was really convinced that tech was going to be the solution to so many food system issues but over that time I kind of lost faith in that being the timing I do think that tech will play a fundamental role and it already is in some cases but what I identified was brands like Oatly were kind of rapidly changing what was seen as very kind of anchored consumer behavior around milk in this case through just making something cool and desirable.

3:17So I think what I recognize is that actually CPG brands can have a way bigger influence on food culture and therefore our overall food system by shaping demand of certain food products. And the way that you build Bold Bean is also interesting. You started off with building a community first, sharing recipes, sharing ideas on Instagram. What is it about building in public and kind of conversing with your community is so important nowadays? I would say it's really funny. Like I would say it's incidental. Like part of me sharing it was around, you know, navigating the loneliness of starting a business.

3:58Initially at that stage I was by myself and you know all of these decisions feel big and no one really cares so sharing it with the community is amazing for that purpose alone but I think what's really interesting about how consumers have changed is they are crying out for humanity behind brands and the people and the stories behind brands they've become more and more understanding and sensitive to, you know, shiny brand, marketing, advertising, and where it doesn't feel genuine. Whereas if they're kind of with you as you're sloppy, and you're kind of navigating things, they are more likely to build trust, and you're more likely to build authenticity by sharing it with your community.

4:42But also, I think with that comes advocacy, which is, you know, the golden goal of marketing, which is rather than someone hearing about it through a Facebook ad, they're hearing about it through word of mouth. Because if they feel part of your journey, they're more likely to talk about it and tell their friends, which is the ultimate way of discovering a brand is through genuine referral. And I think if you talk to the average consumer, they might not be sharing about a can of beans traditionally, but you were able to get people to be excited about this sort of sleepy category. Of course, you found really delicious produce in the beans and also the way that you packaged was such a big differentiator.

5:26So talk to us about finding the right product and packaging it in the right way. Yeah, so I knew that I wanted to create a brand that would make people obsessed with beans, but I didn't know what the product would be initially. You know, I was exploring ideas about maybe beans in a sauce that would make it really easy. And then I sort of really stripped it back and thought about my own kind of experience in changing my mind on beans. And what that led me to was this moment when I was doing university exchange in Madrid, and I was hung over and all I had in the flat was a jar of these kind of beautifully cooked, beautifully sourced butter beans.

6:09The Spanish have a really strong legume culture, but also a really strong conservist culture, which is the kind of act of conserving and cooking produce, everything from asparagus to peaches to beans. It's done with a lot of respect and care, unlike, you know, in a lot of other countries, including the US and the UK. So I tried this amazing butter bean on this hangover and it completely changed my mind about what beans could taste like. And I realised that was the kind of bean I needed to bring to the UK. So I spent months searching, tasting, tasting different beans, tasting different processes who could cook the beans, this special kind of very traditional Spanish way and eventually found the perfect match.

6:56And that was it. And I was kind of building the brand alongside that discovery phase. And we launched in May 21. It's so exciting. And I think taste big differentiator. But before then, you have to get the customer excited and want to pick something up. And I think your approach to using these clear jars, where you can actually see the beans is so different. So was it a long process to reach that decision point? How was that process like? So that's the thing is that actually it's it was sort of incidental that the best tasting beans were cooked in this way in the glass jars. And that was part of it.

7:38It wasn't like I was there and I was kind of, OK, how do I transform this packaging? If you want to cook beans in this really premium way, glass jars is the method that you use. And I think on top of that, what's really helped is it's this shift in seeing beans that's something that's hidden in the back of the cupboard to something that is like at the front of your cupboard. And you can see what you're buying and that pride that is implicit by having a transparent kind of vessel to view the product in. It's like, look how beautiful these are. And because our beans are more expensive, people can then see just how big and beautiful and differentiated they are.

8:17and also the quantity that you're getting in each product. I also think that decision point leads to a bunch of complexities down the road, right? You found delicious beans. They are cooked in this way and therefore they're in glass jars, but they would make shipping a little bit more difficult. It's a little bit heavier. And then you're also at a premium. So the cost is different to the end consumer. How did you deal with these other kind of complexities that came with that decision? I think it's just one of those things where I was so driven by the end product tasting better and committed to the idea that actually, if I could get people to taste this product, regardless of the expense that goes into them, it will make them change their mind on beans.

9:07And that's my ultimate goal. So I think that it's coming to terms with the fact that like I couldn't compromise on the experience that I wanted customers to have. And therefore, I couldn't compromise on price without building a business that wouldn't work. So I just didn't really have a choice. I had to go for this exceptional product and with it a more premium price. But I think that what has happened is because it is that exceptional product, it means that the kind of it's almost entertaining people suddenly buying, spending more money on beans because it's it's such an unloved category. It's such a sort of forgotten, dull, dusty category that actually people sort of find it funny that they're now obsessed with beans.

9:55So I think that there's a tension, but also really positive tension there between, you know, something being premium in such a forgotten category, because it's more interesting than something being, you know, if I were to do another premium chocolate brand, it's like, well done, that's not that interesting. Whereas people talk about the fact that they've spent£3.25 on a jar of beans and they're kind of convinced that that was the best thing that they could spend their money on because it's entertaining. I like the mention of entertaining. And I think that's also threaded through your approach with communication because instead of being more informative and talking about why the beans are different or why the pricing is a certain way, you've shifted into being more entertaining, sharing these cooking videos.

10:47So I think in a way, the messaging is more fun versus more prescriptive. What is your approach with building the media part and making it more fun for the customer? Yeah, I think it's fundamental. I think, first of all, at the end of the day, we've got a bean business here. It's an entertaining food group. You know, there are songs about gas and, you know, that Jack and the Beanstalk. We're not dealing with something you've got to take very seriously. But I think also on top of that, there's this idea that consumers nowadays, I don't believe you can get proper engagement from them unless you're giving them something back.

11:26They don't want to just be sold to. And so we could flog beans down their throat and say, buy our beans. They taste the best. They're really good for you, blah, blah, blah. That's all very well. But actually, nowadays, consumers have a two-way relationship with brands. And my view has always been we need to give back to our community, not sell to them. And if we give back to them, in our case, in the form of recipes, we have hundreds of recipes on our website driving so much traffic to our website. If we're able to do that, the hope is and the trust is that over time they build a relationship with us and maybe next time they're at the supermarket shelf, they might just think, do you know what?

12:05I'm going to try a jar of bold beans today. And we know that once they try, they end up coming back for more because the beans taste so good. It's very cool to see how much the brand has grown just because I know that within the last year, 2024, you've more than doubled with like 250 % growth. If you were to pin it down to a few factors, what do you think really drove that momentum? tell them? Yeah, I would say it's a combination. Last year, we went on national TV. So we went on Dragon's Den. And I think that really kind of kickstarted a phase where we were put on the map and we got into major national distribution.

12:44And on top of that, our cookbook kind of really took off and it became a Sunday Times bestseller. But I think all of this only flourished in the context of a world where people are looking for more sustainable protein. They're looking for ways to improve their gut health. They're looking to minimise ultra processed foods. So the health agenda that kind of sits around us is really driving us forward because consumers are wanting that. But also, you know, newspapers, government policy, like everyone's agenda is to move in towards a healthier, more sustainable future and beans sit at the kind of epicentre of that.

13:24So So we've really been able to ride the wave of that momentum beyond our brand as the sort of the leaders as such in beans, because no one has really taken up the mantle of being the bean brand, at least in the UK. We've got baked beans, but not a broader bean brand. And I think you make it easy and fun to have stories written about you just by the sheer fact of beautiful imagery and also the story that you're sharing as well. So I think it makes the writer's job easier as well. That's good to hear. Yeah. And I know like for any food brand out there, there's a lot of this discussion about having the pipeline where you show up to a few markets, you have a stall, you try to get into retailers, and this is where you have a major unlock where you can reach more customers.

14:17Because you've gone through that journey, what were some of the things that really helped in getting those first initial contracts with retailers? Yeah, it's really funny. Like I always saw, because I launched the brand a year after COVID, I really saw our web shop as our farmer's market. And I think your web shop can be your farmer's market nowadays. You don't need to lug a stand to a farmer's market to test a proof of concept. You've got an audience already there that you can send product to, you can get feedback from, you can understand who they are. And I think once you've got more detail about who you're targeting, that is what you can take to supermarkets and say, look, this is our shopper.

15:01And typically a supermarket, they're looking at the data of their category and they're thinking, we're losing this shopper. How do we bring in this younger shopper? How do we bring in this more affluent shopper? Whatever their desire is in the category. So if you can show that you're going to bring them something different and incremental to their category through what you have on offer, that is really going to move the dial. But I would say the initial sort of supermarket listings, it's a real dosage of LUT and it's also a dosage of them believing in you. So you need them to believe that, you know what, I'm going to take a bet on Amelia, because at that stage you are a bet.

15:38Nowadays, unlocking the kind of listings we have now, it's come through far more kind of data and sort of it's hard evidence that we are making a difference in the category. but initially there is a dosage of just sort of hoping that they buy into your vision. And I think it is a relationship, right? Once you're in the door, you're learning so much from the retailer and how do you maintain that relationship and make sure that you're in those shelves for the long haul? What are some tips there when you're trying to understand what the retailer needs and also kind of creating and building alongside with them?

16:15Yeah, I think it's first of all, remembering that they are humans that work there. And whilst there's so much you can do with data and kind of commercial storytelling, making yourself memorable is really important. You know, for example, showing up to a meeting and being the best meeting that they're going to have that day, maybe with some food and giving them a cookbook or giving them something different because they're so used to big corporate meetings. I think standing out can build a lot of loyalty. And then I think beyond that, it's sort of understanding their agendas within the retailer, at least in our case, because we sit across supporting health and sustainability trends.

16:59If you can identify the people within that organisation that are really championing that and partner with them, they will help champion you and push you through as a brand that's making an impact along their goals, which is health and sustainability. And what I would say is that I think the majority of startups nowadays are rooted in doing better for the planet. So I think if you can identify the people in big old retailers that sort of really champion those values, I think it will really help you stand out and have kind of long-term success in those places. Yeah, yeah, no, that's a really great point.

17:36And I know that, you know, coming off of the success of the first cookbook, you're also releasing your second one, Full of Beans. very exciting. So of course, this is one of the pillars that drove the momentum from 2024. Why is this so important for the brand? I think that cookbooks are such an incredible way to anchor the brand in credibility and deliciousness, really. I think that there's all very well telling people they need to eat beans. And, you know, our jars are as beautiful as they can be. Our beans are as beautiful as they can be. But if they can open a page and see a fully formed dish that looks enticing and tempting, that is what's going to change their habits.

18:24And I think partnering, you know, being able to publish cookbooks is a really great way of being able to do that at scale. But I think beyond that, it's also, you know, in our cookbooks, we have hacks for using canned beans. So you don't need to buy our beans to do the recipes. But I think what it does is it anchors us as a brand in our mission. And that helps tell the story beyond that commercial story, which is, you know, you want to get press as a brand. And as a result, you have fame and then people buy your product. But actually, getting press as a brand isn't super easy. But one of the ways you can do it is standing for something beyond what you're selling.

19:09And that's what we do. And I think the cookbooks are an example of how we do that. And it means that we are able to unlock press opportunities I just don't think we would get otherwise, which really puts us as a brand on the map. Yeah, it's extremely top of funnel. And it gets people who might have not been even interested or known about Bold Bean into your universe, which I think is so incredible to see on social. I know that, you know, there's celebrities that talk about Bold Bean during their interviews. You also have that amazing collab with Ota Lange. So there's just been so much love on socials.

19:47Founders are always trying to build up community in this way. Now that you've done it for so many years, what is your advice for someone who's starting from scratch and who wants to build those connections through those collabs and mentions? You can't ever expect or demand attention from particularly influential people in the food space. If they love your product and you kind of can connect with them and tell them your story, advocacy will happen, but you can never, ever ask for it. And I think some brands immediately start out because, and I totally understand why, but they're thinking, I don't want to send this product to this person unless they're going to post about it.

20:31But you have to just have faith that actually they may not post about it. They may not post about it for two years, but maybe in two years time, if they love your product, they will mention you in an article. And that is worth it, just having that trust and not always expecting these relationships to be transactional. Like we gift a lot of beans and a lot of the time we don't get anything back for them. But we just trust that actually that's how relationships go. You give and yes, hopefully one day you get back, but also you don't expect it. So I think that's a really important factor. I think the other thing to bear in mind is that we're in a unique position of being an ingredient in the CPG space.

21:13most of the time you don't have ingredient brands because consumers have commodified most ingredients. Well, supermarkets have, and we expect to pay a certain price for an ingredient, and that's how we go. Whereas where CPG brands kind of come into their own is when they can add a bit of secret sauce and charge 20 % more for it. Whereas when you're dealing with ingredients, all of the quality is tied up in the raw material. And obviously, for us, that's about us sourcing really well and kind of making sure that we have the best beans and we have the demand of the best beans. But what I mean by that being key is that if you're thinking about those amazing chefs and food creators, they're not going to push a CPG brand that is doing, for example, a ready-made sauce because they're a chef.

22:08They should make their sauces from scratch and they do make their sauces from scratch. But because we're an ingredient brand, they're either going to go for the supermarket version, which is a can, or our version. And at the end of the day, it doesn't change their recipe. So they're still, we're fitting into their lives. And I think thinking about how you fit into your desired creator's lives is really key for that. But the challenge you have is, you know, often the opportunities may not be in those ingredients. So I think we are fortunate that as well as sort of strategic and how we build those relationships.

22:45Yeah, I think it's interesting to think about because being someone who's an ingredient brand might have been really tough in the beginning and people might have wanted to talk you out of this idea. But in the end, it is adding to your favor because to your point, chefs can actually call to Bold Bean. And I also feel like gifting is like the modern day equivalent of sampling in a grocery store almost. Like, you know, you just have to pass out the samples and make sure that hopefully someone tries it and likes it and mentions it down the road. So. Definitely. Yeah, I couldn't agree more on that.

23:21So throughout the journey of building Bold Bean, you've been very deliberate about the funding you take on. I believe there's a few angel investors, but you've stayed away from traditional venture capital. What is your general philosophy about working with investors? Yeah, so we did a small angel round early days when it was just me and needed to bring on people and things like that. And that was pivotal. And I would always recommend people in those early days, as soon as they've got proof of concept, or even earlier just to take capital because that's a really hard phase. But the reason why we haven't gone into institutional funding since is because we have wanted to keep things really lean.

24:03And I think that it also comes down to the fact that we are purpose-driven. We are also very people-focused as an organisation. And we had horror stories, to be honest, of VCs taking risks, investing in 20 different companies, not really caring. You know, they just wanted growth at all costs and not really caring about some of these things which were fundamental to our values. And I think the way that Ed, my co-founder and myself wanted to grow the business was to grow it based on our values. So we're not saying never, but we're going to try and hold off because what this freedom gives us is because we don't have, you know, For example, to date, we haven't done any paid ads.

24:58It's because we didn't feel like that was right for the brand. That will be right for the brand in the future. But timing is so critical. And I think that had we probably had a VC on our board, they're like, where's that revenue? Why aren't we trying this? We need to just get those numbers looking really good rather than thinking about the long term nature of brand building and actually how amazing and powerful it is to have word of mouth in the early stage. And then on top of that, it's, you know, investing in our people and growing the team in a pace that we feel is sustainable for them to A, be engaged with the brand, but B, have kind of a rewarding job where they feel connected to the wider team.

25:40And often when you are growing based on huge value, you know, huge input of money into the business, you grow and you hire 10 people at once and we don't think we could scale that sort of magic team that we have right now in in that speed I do think there probably will be a time once we have a playbook and we will inquire and want to work with more institutional funders but now I feel like we're in a position where we can choose who we'd want to work with and they can see from our track record, like our trajectory and how well we've done based on our values. And we'll find people who align with them.

26:19Whereas I think early on, it can be quite a vanity thing. Like, oh, these people are interested in me. And actually, now we're in the position, well, actually, who are we interested in working with rather than who's interested in us? And I think it's a very powerful place to be because instead of chasing something that is just a vanity valuation. You're building something in the way that you wanted, which I think also mirrors how you're building the team as well. Everyone is remote. You're also working in Spain, closer to the suppliers. Talk to us about just building this culture and building this team in a remote setup.

26:57Yeah, so remote is definitely not for everyone. We love it and we've turned it into our superpower. It does take constant intentional effort. But I think what's brilliant is that when you are so aware that a lot of people think you're doing a mad thing, particularly people of a certain generation who've never experienced it, you've sort of got to constantly make an effort to prove that it does work. And it does work if you put effort into it. So what's amazing about our setup is that we hire talent who really love and embrace a remote culture. So we've got a Spanish team, which are really close to our suppliers, they speak the language, they're natives, they understand the nuances of working with Spanish suppliers.

27:51And that is a superpower. But then on the flip side, we have a British team who understand the consumer really, really well. And we've got team members who live in Edinburgh and Scotland who loves going camper vanning on the weekend. And you can't do that in London. We've got team members who live by the sea because they love the sea. We've got team members who actually live in the outskirts of London, but they have kids and they have responsibilities and they want to be able to be there for their kids and work. And in my view, it means the calibre of the people where we are a good fit is just exceptional, because these are the people that really love remote work and really embrace it.

28:36But what the things we kind of do to keep it really connected is, first of all, we're very sensitive about how we can come across on digital means. If you're sending a message, often it can be misconstrued so where possible we try and do a voice note because you can kind of really express yourself in a voice note on slack for example we do cook-alongs where you know once a month we all grab a load of ingredients and we cook a recipe all together and have lunch together um we have wellness wednesdays where we have an amazing woman called katie hind who does runs a meditation for us all lives. So we're feeling like even if you're not seeing anyone that day, you've had moments where you've reconnected because we want to combat loneliness.