by Tom Shackleton
We’re very excited to announce the recent launch of our client’s new brand, Thyme. We’ve been working with Thyme for a number of months to help founder Craig Tomkinson get his innovative new business online. We spoke to Craig about his business, the challenges he’s faced and what lies in Thyme’s bright future.
We’re very excited to announce the recent launch of our client’s new brand, Thyme. We’ve been working with Thyme for a number of months to help founder Craig Tomkinson get his innovative new business online. We spoke to Craig about his business, the challenges he’s faced and what lies in Thyme’s bright future.
Who are Thyme?
In Craig’s own words, Thyme specialise in “gourmet frozen food, delivered directly to your door”.
Freezing food has always been a fantastic method for preserving freshness, reducing waste and creating convenient meals. However, Craig was frustrated that these benefits always seemed to come at the expense of good quality.
When he started meeting with suppliers, he was amazed by the level of quality that was actually achievable, so set out to bring truly premium frozen foods to market.
How Did You Find Out About Statement?
With grocery shopping habits changing, and consumers willing to back retailers outside of the ‘big four’ supermarkets, Craig decided that he wanted to put more emphasis on digital when developing a strategy for Thyme.
Craig initially came across Statement in a simple Google search, and found Statement’s flexibility and efficient process appealing:
“A cheap, fast, flexible approach to developing a website that wasn’t too limiting. When I started, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted, so not being locked down by a lengthy design process was appealing. I also liked the fact it was built on a tested platform [Shopify], and we wouldn’t be developing too much from scratch."
What’s Been Your Biggest Challenge?
- “Starting an online business is not like opening a high street shop. With a high street shop, you have passing traffic and trade from day one. With an online business, on day one you are invisible. We have done a good job so far in spreading the word about Thyme since our launch a few weeks ago, but continuing to build this momentum is the most important thing for us.”
Whilst Craig and Thyme have definitely taken on the challenges of starting a new business, the process has also been incredibly rewarding. Not only have they enjoyed the process of curating foods and working on their branding, they’ve also got involved with the local community - working with a local charity to provide Christmas meals for families in need on Christmas day, donating a meal for every one of their Christmas Dinner boxes sold.
What’s next for Thyme?
The future looks bright for Thyme. With a fantastic reception to their initial launch, they’ve already been adding new products, receiving a great amount of positive press, delivering plenty of delicious gourmet frozen food and taking their meals around the country.
When it comes to what’s next, Craig’s answer is short and intriguing:
“We have so many exciting new products coming, but they’ll have to remain a secret for now.”
If you feel inspired by reading Craig’s story, or are experiencing similar challenges in your own eCommerce business and want to find out more about how Statement can help – simply get in touch or give our team a call on 01924 334187.
