American Adventure

Part Five: American Adventures

By 2006, the business was flying high. Salty Dog crisps had barked their way into pubs and sandwich bars across the country, and our newly launched range of nuts was proving just as popular. We weren’t just another snack company anymore - we were a recognised brand with real bite, moving big volumes every week and feeling unstoppable.

What had started as me, a van, and a dream was now a proper operation. But success always brings new challenges, and the next chapter of our story would take us further than I could ever have imagined - right across the Atlantic.

A New Face on the Farm

Around this time, a Slovakian couple, Katarina and Frankie, moved into a small cottage on the farm where our barn and offices were based. Michael Sweeting, the farm owner, mentioned to me that Katarina was a qualified bookkeeper. I was drowning in paperwork at the time - VAT, payroll, reconciliations, all the stuff I’m terrible at but which makes the difference between a smooth-running business and a complete mess.

I asked if she’d like a few hours a week to help out, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. Katarina was brilliant. She whipped our books into shape, spotted things we’d missed, and gave the business a level of organisation we’d never had before. She was so good that she quickly became a permanent part of the team.

Fast forward a decade: in 2016, they decided to move back to Slovakia to be nearer family. I thought we’d lose her, but thanks to a lot of persuasion from me and Judy, plus the internet and cloud software, she still works with us remotely to this day. They even have a little boy now, Frankie Junior. From a chance encounter on a farm in Buckinghamshire to a lasting working relationship across borders - that’s the beauty of business. Sometimes the right people appear when you least expect them.

The Rise of EAT (and the Fall)

By this point, our biggest sales were with the sandwich shop chain EAT. They were expanding fast, popping up all across the UK, and buying lots of our crisps. We were supplying them nationwide, and the volumes were huge. They were, without question, our largest customer.

But in business, nothing lasts forever. A new buyer came in at EAT, and when I went to meet her, she told me - very matter-of-factly - that she didn’t think Salty Dog was the right brand for their stores. Just like that, the alarm bells were ringing.

Rather than sit back and risk losing them, we tried to be proactive. We thought: What if we created a whole new brand just for them? Something softer, less cheeky than Salty Dog. Something that spoke to their slightly more refined customer base.

That’s how Darling Spuds was born.

The branding was the complete opposite of Salty Dog’s brashness. Pastel-coloured bags, playful doodles around a central potato character, and flavour cues that were light, fun, and wholesome. The potato was the hero, with a little bit of charm sprinkled in. They looked great, and we were convinced EAT would love them.

But when we proudly presented it to them, they dropped the bombshell: they had decided to sell their own-brand crisps instead. Overnight, we lost our biggest customer.

It was a crushing moment. One of those days when you drive home with the radio off, staring at the road, wondering what the hell just happened.

A Blessing in Disguise

We could have shelved Darling Spuds there and then, chalking it up as a costly mistake. But something told us to keep going. We’d created a brand with its own personality, and when we showed it to other buyers, they got it.

The beauty of Darling Spuds was that it didn’t cannibalise Salty Dog’s sales. They appealed to completely different audiences. Where Salty Dog was bold and brash, Darling Spuds was gentle, friendly, and fun. Between the two brands, we now had something for everyone.

And as it turned out, Darling Spuds would take us to places we’d never dreamed of.

The Email That Changed Everything

One day in 2009, an email pinged into the inbox. The subject line was nothing special: Product Enquiry. I almost didn’t open it straight away. But when I did, my jaw hit the desk.

It read:

“We’ve seen Darling Spuds chips online and would love to try some samples.”

At the bottom of the email was the signature: Starbucks Coffee Company, Seattle, USA.

I had to read it twice. Starbucks? Seattle? America? Surely it was a wind-up. But no - it was real. They’d found us, and they were interested.

We boxed up some samples and sent them across the Atlantic. A few weeks later, another email landed:

“We love them and are interested in launching them in our stores in the US and Canada.”

I couldn’t believe it. Starbucks USA wanted Darling Spuds!

Flying to Seattle

Not long after, Judy and I found ourselves on a plane heading for Seattle. I’d never been to America for business before, and to say I was nervous would be an understatement. I imagined a boardroom full of corporate sharks, tearing apart our little British brand and hammering us down on price.

But when we arrived, it was nothing like that. The Starbucks team were warm, friendly, and genuinely excited about working with a small company from the UK. They weren’t interested in screwing us to the floor on margins. They wanted something authentic, something with character, and they saw that in Darling Spuds.

For a couple of entrepreneurs who started out in a barn, it was surreal.

Cracking America

Of course, landing Starbucks' approval was just the start. There were hurdles everywhere. Shipping crisps from the UK wasn’t feasible, so we had to find a manufacturer in the States. After countless calls and meetings, we struck a deal with a crisp factory in Arizona who could replicate our recipes and packaging.

By June 2010, we were standing at the Fancy Food Show in New York, proudly exhibiting Darling Spuds and Salty Dog, while simultaneously launching Darlings in over 7,000 Starbucks stores across the US and Canada.

Seeing our crisps on sale in New York City, knowing they were being bought in Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Vancouver—it was one of the proudest moments of my life.

From Dream to Disaster

But business is never a straight line. Just when you think you’re on top of the world, it can all come crashing down.

Not long after the launch, we started getting emails from American customers. The subject lines were ominous: Complaint about Darling Spuds. I opened one, and my stomach sank.

“I bought a bag of your Sour Cream & Mexican Chilli flavor chips, and they were rancid.”

One email turned into several. Then dozens. Clearly something had gone wrong with the manufacturing process. And if customers were emailing us, Starbucks must have been inundated.

Sure enough, the call came. Starbucks were insisting that we uplift every single bag from every one of their stores. Thousands upon thousands of packets. It was a nightmare scenario.

Thankfully, our US manufacturer accepted liability and covered the cost of the uplift and replacement stock. But the damage was done. We supplied Starbucks for a few more months, but at the end of the first year, they told us they wouldn’t be continuing with our brand.

It was devastating. One minute you’re living the dream, the next you’re watching it all unravel.

A Harsh Lesson (With Silver Linings)

Looking back, it was a brutal lesson in how quickly things can change in business. You can’t take anything for granted, no matter how big the opportunity.

But I don’t regret a second of it. We had some incredible experiences—flying to Seattle, launching in New York, seeing our crisps on sale across America. Those are memories I’ll never forget.

And all wasn’t lost. The exposure we gained from Starbucks opened other doors. Darling Spuds went on to be stocked by several American airlines, where they proved a hit with passengers. So, while Starbucks didn’t last, the adventure gave us credibility in a new market.

Lessons from the American Adventure

What did I learn from all this?

         •       Stay flexible. No customer, no matter how big, is forever. Always be ready for change.

         •       Quality control is king. It doesn’t matter how good your branding or sales pitch is - if the product isn’t right, nothing else matters.

         •       Don’t be afraid to aim high. A small brand from a farm in Buckinghamshire ended up on sale in Starbucks across North America. If we can do it, anyone can.

Join the Terriertorial Army

This chapter of our story had everything - highs, lows, excitement, heartbreak, and a few sleepless nights. But that’s business. You ride the rollercoaster, you take the punches, and you keep moving forward.

That’s the spirit of the Terriertorial Army – if you fancy running your own business, we can provide the products and the advice. You just need a vehicle, a bit of storage and bags of enthusiasm. If that sounds like you we’d love to hear from you!

Next time, I’ll share how disaster struck much closer to home - in the shape of a factory fire.

Stay tuned. 🐾