ROSE AND Alistair Martin give an insight into the Wee Pie Company.
Q What does your company do?
A We specialise in artisan wild game pies and sweet and savoury produce with accompanying sauces.
The Wee Pie Company (WPCo) trades on seven farmers’ markets.
The company supplies Crieff Hydro Clubhouse with fresh pies.
We also had a busy calendar of summer events.
Q How many members of staff do you employ?
A Two.
Q How did you get where you are today?
A We spent three years working on a private island estate in remote north-west Scotland.
Estate management included managing the wild red deer population, the boutique hotel and self-catering cottages as well as the financial side.
Rose was also the private chef for the Branson family, who owned the island.
Recipes were tailored to use only produce sourced on the island.
Following this we opened the first shop on the island which supplied freshly-baked venison pies, quiche and home-made breads and cakes, as well as savoury produce bought by the cottage guests and visitors to the island.
Q What is your business ethos?
A Only wild, fresh and home-grown products were used on the island, with zero food miles and intimate knowledge of source of origin.
On returning to Perth there was a determination to maintain strongly-held beliefs and build that into the ethos of the business that would become the Wee Pie Company.
Q Who has helped you along the way?
A We have received invaluable help from Business Gateway in Perth, my business adviser Finlay Kerr from the business growth team on Perth and Kinross Council, and advice on production from SMAS.
Q What was your biggest mistake?
A Rushing into situations too fast because of over-enthusiasm.
Q What is your greatest achievement to date?
A Expanding into our new unit in Glencarse and having the ability to open a specialist pie shop there.
Q How has your business developed?
A We started trading on October 1 2011 as a sole trader business.
On October 1 2012 we started trading as a limited company and registered for VAT.
The growth in the first year has been exponential and our turnover has been triple what was forecast.
Q What do you hope to achieve in the future?
A To promote the ethos of healthy eating, eating locally and supporting local farmers and growers, and to build the business further into wholesale markets.
Q If in Government, what would you change?
A The red tape that kills small businesses. Planning and building control not only cripples enthusiasm, in my experience the hoops we’ve had to jump through have not been purposeful.
Q What is the hardest thing about running your own business?
A There are simply not enough hours in the day.
Q What is the highlight of your business calendar or your working day?
A The big shows are just brilliant: the hardest working weeks of the year (averaging 120 hours per week this summer for four months solid) and probably the most risky however, the opportunity to meet customers and hear their feedback and their favourite pies is just priceless.
Q Any advice to wannabe entrepreneurs?
A Follow your dream, stick at it. There is always a way around a brick-wall obstacle.