The Knobbly Carrot Organic Food Company
‘Our products not only taste good but do good on another level as well. We feel responsibility doesn’t start and end at the factory gate. We want to see it through from start to finish, from buying the raw ingredients to the product being eaten and the packaging disposed of.’
Stephanie Bond, Founder, The Knobbly Carrot Organic Food Company
Between September 2007 and August 2008, the Ecodesign Centre (EDC) ran 12-month ecodesign demonstration projects with four Welsh SMEs from priority sectors (electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), general manufacturing, food and drink and low-carbon technology sectors), via a bespoke, multi-level Ecodesign Support Package (ESP).
The selected SME for the food and drink sector is the Knobbly Carrot Organic Food Company, a high-quality producer of a range of wholesome fresh soups, pasta sauces, ready-to-eat salads and sandwich fillings.
Knobbly Carrot has received numerous awards for their products, demonstrating their commitment to quality. These include The Great Taste Awards, True Taste Awards and Welsh Food Hygiene to name but a few.
The company’s customers are based within the UK, mainly independent retailers, wholesalers and Waitrose in Wales. Knobbly Carrot’s produce can be found in box schemes, farm shops and café’s across Wales and the borders.
Knobbly Carrot’s main competition comes from other producers of high quality fresh soup. This includes New Covent Garden Soup Company, The Yorkshire Soup Company, Duchy Originals, Tideford Organics and Simply Organic. More mainstream brands such as Heinz are also releasing high-end, niche ranges.
Knobbly Carrot and the environment
Packaging, as an environmental burden, is an important element of the Knobbly Carrot Organic Food Company strategy. While food waste and food production represents the greatest proportion of impact in the food and drink sector, packaging represents a highly visible and contentious impact.
Packaging is also important to the Knobbly Carrot because it carries the brand, protects the product and there are potential costs saving with new packaging design.
Main drivers for ecodesign project
The environment is an integral part of the Knobbly Carrot strategy. A number of initiatives have been undertaken to improve the environmental performance of the business. The company sources local ingredients wherever possible and has employed novel methods of dealing with their production food waste.
As the company is a micro-SME they faced a number of significant resource barriers to delivering elements of their strategy. This is a significant issue for many SMEs of a similar scale and stage of development.
Knobbly Carrot Organic Food Company project – “organic foods”
Through their initial project proposal Knobbly Carrot indicated an interest in improving packaging for their soup range, explore existing ingredients and working on their brand and communications. The company wanted to develop a brand about products that not only taste great but about a company that is completely honest and trying to raise public awareness.
The initial focus for the Knobbly Carrot project was the production of a new visual identity. The marketing strategy, identity and POS design of the company were appraised. New corporate image was created which communicates the company’s ethical credentials. BWA design acted as a partner developing a new brand identity and website. The new brand has been built based on the ethical strategy adopted by the company.
Succeeding the brand development, EDC, Knobbly Carrot and BWA worked together in the development of a new lightweight packaging for their existing range of organic soups. The company swapped their current tubs for pouches which have the potential to increase shelf life. The new pouches shrink the containers carbon footprint by 44% and represent 57% reduction in the total environmental impact in comparison with the tub. PIRA Consultants acted as main partner at this stage of the project carrying out a streamlined life cycle analysis (LCA) of the old and new soup packaging.
Conscientious sourcing and consideration of its supply and distribution methods were also taken into account. The company has cut food miles by sharing deliveries with other companies. Where possible, ingredients are being sourced locally. Seasonal varieties of the soups are based on only local ingredients.
Additional business support provided during the project included: True Marketing, the Manufacturing Advisory Service Wales and the Food Centre Wales.
Initial outcomes
The new eco-friendly packaging developed by Knobbly Carrot is in a testing period and will be launched in the next few months. The new packaging solution is more cost effective and will bring cost savings to the company in the medium term. It also allows for better portion control and increased shelf life. This has the potential to significantly reduce food waste for the consumer
The company has also developed greener logistics alongside a brand and communications overhaul. The company has ambitious plans for growth and want to specifically target customers who share their company values.
Knobbly Carrot aims to become the market leader for fresh soup in Wales and significantly raise its profile across the UK. The company recognises the ongoing need to invest in environmentally superior design and to constantly align their business strategy with sustainability.
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