It was four years ago that Andy Welch embraced his first Iron Man triathlon, his take on a cathartic experience to signal the end of blue-chip corporate career and all the unwelcome stress and unhappiness so often associated with such roles.
What had begun as a rigorous fitness regime to recalibrate his life after exiting his last FTSE 250 role was quickly turning into a bit of a healthy reawakening. Yet, to participate in an Iron Man required a new level of fitness and a new dietary regime which is where Andy learned about a low carb lifestyle. In the blink of an eye, he felt better than he ever had, yet certain deep-rooted “bready urges” remained – for toast, a piece of garlic bread, a handy wrap or a buttery hot cross bun.
To cut a long story short, Andy – working with a small huddle of artisanal bakery experts – created an amazing low-carb loaf that impressed both friends and family. He marketed it online and sales snowballed from 4-12,000 a week. In no time his loyalist following grew beyond 200,000 – a mix of fine bread fans and those working tirelessly to tackle obesity and Type 2 diabetes head on.
Over the following three years SRSLY launched 15+ skus along almost every virtual aisle, from jams and condiments to pizzas and ready meals. Thousands of five-star product and service reviews have been obtained and a 79 per cent repeat purchase pattern secured, while SRSLY moved to larger premises three times to deal with growing orders.
Today, discussions with major brick-and-mortar retailers are ongoing, a NHS central contract is in place and the first USA order for pizzas has been placed. This week, the next chapter of the SRSLY story begins with the Hertfordshire business launching its first Seeders fundraising round, with 615 registered investors already onboard.
