Earlier this year, we held a special competition for female-led businesses on International Women’s Day, giving away £1,000 bursary to celebrate. Our worthy winner was Lune + Wild, who specialise in handmade, organic baby and children’s meals. We recently caught up with co-founder Lara at their London HQ to discuss the inspiration behind their business, the challenges she has faced as a female entrepreneur, and most importantly…how they’ve spent their £1,000 bursary!
Can you tell us a bit about Lune + Wild and what inspired you to start your business?
We were inspired to start Lune + Wild to tackle the macro issues here in the UK in the form of rising childhood obesity, diabetes and an over reliance on ultra-processed foods. We recognised the need for better food choices that are better for us and the planet. We believe that to have the greatest impact on future health outcomes, we must look to where we begin learning about food, at the very first tastes of weaning.
Parents and childcare providers are busier than ever, and we have created a solution they can trust. A broad variety of hand prepared meals and snacks, made with the highest quality, natural ingredients, no nasties. We put care into all our decisions from soil to spoon.
What are some of the unique challenges you’ve faced as a female entrepreneur, and how have you overcome them?
Often the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs stem from underrepresentation, “Children are four times more likely to think of a man than a woman when they hear ‘entrepreneur’” (Santander), and this impacts confidence. But the landscape is changing, thanks to communities such as Buy Women Built, celebrating female entrepreneurship, there is so much power in collaboration.
What does being a female-led business mean to you, and how does it influence your company culture?
We’re ambitious and conscientious, we’ve taken a lean approach to building our business. We’re all about being connected, to our customer, to each other. Our kitchen team is predominantly female, and it’s high energy, open and caring.
How do you balance the demands of running a business with personal life and self-care?
Finding balance is always a challenge but it moves in peaks and troughs. Generally, I get up early to exercise to prioritise myself ahead of starting the day, and not being afraid to say no to things helps. As the business has matured and we’ve expanded our team, it’s helped hugely. The early days were full on!
What advice would you give to other women looking to start their own businesses?
1. Ask yourself why you want to do it, really think about the why and write that down, it might evolve but stay honest with yourself and the why. 2. Don’t be afraid to ask brilliant people for advice, people are so generous with their time. 3. Know your skill gaps and find people to fill them.
What are your dreams for Lune + Wild in the future?
We want to be the leading quality, family food brand in the UK, in order to reach as many children as possible and help shape a healthier future.
Why did you choose Clothes2order for your team uniforms?
To find a company actively using better methods and materials was really refreshing, and took away the guilt of wanting branded uniforms. It’s brilliant to partner with a company committed to sustainable and quality choices. The fabrics feel amazing and the print quality is exceptional.
How do you think having professional uniforms has influenced your brand identity?
We’re most excited about our branded aprons to share with the nurseries we cater for. We will provide a children’s apron to each room, with our vegetable illustrations embroidered, for the children to wear whilst serving lunch and tea. It’s a great way to get children engaging in the food they eat and drawing the connection to where their food comes from.
How did the £1,000 grant from Clothes2order impact your business and what are your plans to use it?
This grant will pay for our Nursery aprons, branded uniform for the team and another exciting project with Clothes2order I won’t reveal yet! – all with the intent to elevate our brand, tell our story and help solve more problems for busy parents.
If you want to enhance your brand through customised clothing, get in touch with our friendly team today at customer.support@clothes2order.com or call us on 0800 012 2602.
