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Eden Pet Foods create jobs and new opportunities with Let’s Do Mentoring

Eden Pet Foods create jobs and new opportunities with Let’s Do Mentoring

A Staffordshire company is achieving its dual goals of providing a uniquely healthy diet for the UK’s dogs and cats, while building a growing business.

A Staffordshire company is achieving its dual goals of providing a uniquely healthy diet for the UK’s dogs and cats, while building a growing business.

Eden Pet Foods has recently moved into new premises at the Park Hall Business following the successful launch of its natural, holistic foods for dogs and cats.

The business was launched by nutritionist and dog breeder Paul Conquest in 2012 and has grown to employ eight people.

Paul called on Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce from the early days of founding Eden Pet Foods and has received support from the Chamber’s Let’s Do Mentoring programme.

“The business started because of my interest in how we fed our own dogs,” said Paul who, along with his wife Carol, breeds Chihuahuas.

“Our vet recommended the ancestral diet, basically feeding dogs and cats what they would have eaten in the wild. Both cats and dogs are carnivores yet most of the food on the market is grain-based.

“This led to the creation of our Eden Holistic Pet Foods. They are carefully tailored to match your pets’ ancestral diet, containing 80 per cent meat and 20 per cent fruit and vegetables.”

Eden Pet Foods are the only holistic recipes on the UK market and the company’s growing reputation has seen the business grow to supply animal breeders and around 60 UK shops.

From small beginnings in Paul and Carol’s North Staffordshire home, Eden has grown to turnover £2.2 million in less than three years and is now looking to expand into markets in Europe and China.

Mentor John Smart was enlisted to help Eden grow and he quickly brought in further support from the Student Consultancy Programme at Keele University.

Daniel Coyne completed a 10 week placement at Eden Pet Foods as part of his International Business Studies Masters Degree and has now been taken on by the business to lead its future development.

Paul said: “I had two fundamental challenges for John: How do we develop Eden from a cottage industry supplying our dog breeding friends and how do we give as many dogs as possible good, nutritional food?

“John’s experience in developing both large and small businesses was invaluable. Running a small business can be lonely and John listened and backed that up with straight-to-the-point advice.”

John now helps to run the Student Business Consultancy Programme at Keele University. This resulted in Daniel joining Eden on a placement to identify “blind spots” and suggest sales and marketing solutions to aid

Eden’s growth during which he was supported by programme managers John Smart and Dr Colin Rigby.

“Daniel has been a huge asset to the business. I can rely on him to both understand and develop the business model,” said Paul.

For more information on Let’s Do Mentoring, please contact Mentor Brokers, John Thompson and Leila Green at Staffordshire Chambers on 01782 202222.

The Keele University Student Business Consultancy Programme is working with Let’s Do Mentoring to identify firms who could benefit from the assistance of a Masters level student over a 10 week placement.

Further information on the student programme can be obtained from the Chamber on 01782 202222.

Positive outcomes

Jobs and Growth:
8 new jobs created alongside founders’Paul and Carol Conquest.
Move to new premises achieved,

Business Practice:
Identify strengths and weaknesses
Grow sales and marketing activity.
Identify retail outlets.
Develop customer relationships