Two years, ago life looked very different for Evonne Morrison, entrepreneur and owner of Good Nude Food.
A health food company which produces “superkraut” – a healthy sauerkraut with added superfoods - Good Nude Food was launched on to the market in spring last year. However, Evonne’s background isn’t in food and drink: previously a trainee lawyer who has lived and worked in New York City, it was initially her health that resulted in a career change.
Originally from Shetland but then living in Glasgow, Evonne said: “I worked in the corporate sector for years and the long hours and stressful environment started to take its toll on my health. I started having issues with my skin, specifically eczema in my late twenties, and following different diagnoses from doctors was given a range of creams and medication to try to solve the problem.
“I started looking in to gut health, and tried to self-medicate with food and improve my diet. I was looking for a non-dairy, probiotic rich food when I came across sauerkraut.”
Struggling to find a sauerkraut she really loved, and inspired by products she’d tried when travelling in America and Australia, she began making her own. And so began a period of much experimentation.
Evonne said: “I love cooking and was fascinated by fermentation. I tried a lot of different ingredients until I found ones that worked really well together. I wanted there to be turmeric in one of the flavours and spirulina in another as these are two superfoods that I was trying to incorporate into my everyday meals, but often didn’t.
“I also love spicy food and wanted to make one that would satisfy my craving for something spicy but which was also healthy”, she said. “I would make them in my kitchen in my flat in Glasgow and have friends along, and ask them what they thought.”
As the recipes took shape, so did the idea for a business. Evonne said: “I’ve always dreamed of having my own company. Healthy food and nutrition are two of my two passions, so I’m happy that I’ve been able to create a business based on these.”
She was accepted onto the RBS Accelerator Programme, which gave her access to business mentoring, coaching, and access to legal advice and networking opportunities, and in December 2017 won the ‘Young Edge’ category of Scottish Edge, a Dragon's Den style competition for Scottish entrepreneurs, giving her and the business a big boost.
Evonne was also a finalist for ‘Food Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the Scottish Women’s Awards 2018 and ‘Young Achiever of the Year’ at the Scottish SME Business Awards 2018.
However, the real motivation to launch her products came in the form of her twins, born in April last year – just seven days after her business launched. That same week, Evonne moved her new family home to Shetland.
“I always work best to deadlines, and they were the biggest deadline of my life!” she said.
With a partner that works away and two new-borns to think about, the business had to fit in with Evonne’s schedule.
“With young babies you just have to fit things in when you can. When my partner is away at work I tend to work in the evenings, when my twins are in bed and take calls through the day when they nap. My family have also been really supportive and helped when they can. I really enjoy working on and progressing the business, but it’s definitely not been without its challenges and there have been times when I’ve found it tough. I have big ambitions, but some of them are on hold until my babies are a bit older.”
The Good Nude Food product line consists of three probiotic rich “superkrauts”: fermented raw cabbage sauerkraut with additional superfood ingredients. Flavours include Turmeric and Ginger, Supergreens With Spirulina, and the spicy Red Hot Firekraut.
With the experience of her own health issues, it was important to Evonne to produce products that not only taste good, but are good for you.
She said: “There is increasing research about gut health and the impact of fermented products on our overall wellbeing. I wanted to create food products that are healthy and convenient. Superkraut is a delicious, healthy accompaniment to any meal.”
Sustainability is also important to Good Nude Food, and Evonne wants the company to be as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible. The products are hand made in small batches in Scotland, using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and packaged into fully recyclable glass jars.
Since its launch in April 2018, Superkraut is now stocked in over 30 stores nationwide, though Evonne has plans to take the company further, hoping to introduce new product lines and expand into more stores.
She has also recently begun working with STV’s nutritional chef Hailey Thomson, who creates recipes which compliment the range and gives customers ideas of how to enjoy the superkraut. You can find more details on the brand’s Instagram and Facebook page. (@goodnudefooduk)