Banana Scoops is a dream come true. We make banana-based Nice Cream using natural and plant-based ingredients, without stabilisers, refined sugar or sweeteners. We mostly use fruit as the base of our product (60-80%) and add other juicy ingredients (cocoa, vanilla, raspberries…) to make delicious yet healthy ice cream! We launched in May 2020, in the middle of the global pandemic, into Ocado, Planet Organic and As Nature Intended. It’s currently run by me alone and without external investment.
How did you come up with the idea for the company?
I actually had the idea years before launching the business! I had seen lots of people making banana-based ice cream on Instagram and fitness blogs so I tried it myself – and it was delicious! So I really started wondering why I couldn’t simply buy the product – an ice cream so healthy that you can have for breakfast! – yet supermarkets were filled with ice creams full of sweeteners, sugar and fat. So around 4 years after having the idea, I finally got the courage to quit my job and start the business.
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What advice would you give to other aspiring female entrepreneurs?
Trust your gut! Starting a business and running one on your own is REALLY tough, but it’s so worth it. We only launched in May 2020, and I’ve already faced more challenges than I ever thought were possible, but I’ve also loved (almost) every minute of it. There are lots of ups and downs, so you really need to learn how to trust your gut when making decisions. You know your business inside out so do take in as much external advice as you possibly can, but don’t let anyone sway your decision – you’ve got this!
What can we hope to see from Banana Scoops in the future?
I like to say ‘Bananas everywhere and world domination!’! This really involved new products (new flavours but also new ice cream formats) as well as expansion in our distribution. In the more short term, I’m looking to raise funds in early 2021 to help build a team, increase our distribution (ie new supermarkets) and launch new products.
