Halcyon Days

By 2016, life felt settled in all the right ways - that sweet spot in business where the hard graft of the early years finally begins to bloom into something steady, enjoyable, and deeply satisfying. And although we didn't realise it at the time, these were the halcyon days.

Our little team at Pressmore Farm had grown into a tight-knit family. When you run a small business, especially one with your heart stitched into every packet, the people around you matter more than anything. And we had good people - the kind who go the extra mile without being asked, who laugh easily, who support each other like they’re all in it together. Because they were.

⸻

The Team That Made It Work

As well as Karen, Lynda, Dominic, and Katarina over in Slovakia, we had added some new faces to our happy crew:

First came Sandra, a warm and charming soul with a natural gift for customer service. She took the orders that came in by phone each day - and she didn’t just take them, she built relationships. It’s rare to find someone who can turn a five-minute call about delivery times into a friendly chat that customers genuinely look forward to, but Sandra managed it effortlessly. People trusted her, and by extension, they trusted us.

Then there was Gary, our warehouse manager. A cheerful chap, always happy, always smiling, and an absolute master of the forklift. He handled everything that rolled into Pressmore Farm - pallets of crisps, nuts, scratchings and all sorts of snacks, you name it. He kept the warehouse immaculate, deliveries flowing, and customers happy as he zipped around the local area in our bright silver Salty Dog van. The van looked brilliant in the sunshine, gleaming like a mobile billboard, and Gary wore it like a badge of honour.

We also welcomed Aaron, who joined Dominic in sales. The two of them made a great team. Dominic was already a key player - charming, persistent, and armed with a quiet confidence. Aaron brought energy and fresh ideas. Together they helped open new doors, new accounts, and started new conversations. For a small company with big ambitions, having a capable sales team makes all the difference.

All in all, the business was flying. Orders were strong, brands were established, and the little operation that had once lived in a battered van was now humming along with well-tuned efficiency. Pressmore Farm felt like a hive - buzzing, productive, happy.

⸻

Get Gruntled

It was around this time that we decided the world was ready for something new - something bold, something crunchy, something… porky.

British pub-goers have always loved pork scratchings. They’re one of those snacks that tap into something primal - salty, crunchy, indulgent. A perfect partner to a pint.

It felt like an obvious gap in our portfolio. We had crisps, we had nuts… and now it was time for pork crackling.

We spoke to manufacturers up and down the country, but the best by far was deep in the Black Country, home of the finest crackling artisans in the land. They had the craftsmanship, the consistency, and the flavour we wanted - the sort of people who take pork very, very seriously.

The next step was branding. Should we stick it under Salty Dog? Or create something new? Launching new products is never straightforward - you have to get the name, design, and tone exactly right, or it falls flat.

Then I had the idea: Gruntled.

It made me smile. It made the team smile. And if a name makes you grin, chances are it’ll do the same for buyers and customers. Tim and Steve at Davies Leslie-Smith - our long-standing design experts - took the idea and ran with it. They created a look that was full of charm and swagger, with personality baked into every packet.

When Gruntled launched, we knew instantly we’d hit the mark. Customers loved the name, the design, the humour - and most importantly, the product. Pubs snapped them up. Wholesalers excitedly added them to their ranges. And we felt that rare thrill of creating something new that lands exactly as you hoped it would.

Of course, not every launch hit the same heights.

⸻

The Ones That Didn’t Quite Fly

People often assume growing brands only release products that become instant successes. But the truth is, you have to try things - and sometimes they don’t quite work out.

Over the years we had our share of misfires:

• Salty Dog Popcorn - great flavour, but the popcorn shelves were too crowded.

• Salty Dog Cheddary Biscuit Bites - tasty, but not enough to justify shelf space.

• And then there was Cheggs - our chocolate eggs brand.

Cheggs was a fun idea. With a name like that, there was only one celebrity I could approach: the late, great Keith “Cheggers” Chegwin.

I messaged him on Twitter, thinking it was a long shot. But he couldn’t have been more supportive. Not only did he tweet about Cheggs, he began throwing bags of them to the audience during his one-man comedy tour. It was brilliant.

When I was ten years old, I’d met Cheggers on TV’s Multi-Coloured Swap Shop. They came to our local park, and Keith helped me swap an Airfix model kit for a game of Kerplunk! To be working with him decades later felt surreal and wonderful.

Sadly Cheggs didn’t become a runaway success, but it gave me a warm, nostalgic moment I’ll always treasure.

⸻

Ruby — The Original Salty Dog

No chapter about this period would be complete without mentioning Ruby, our beloved Parsons Russell Terrier and the original inspiration behind the Salty Dog mascot.

We got Ruby as a puppy in 2003. She was white with a patch over one eye - a perfect living version of the cartoon terrier on our packaging. From day one she was full of personality: cheeky, loyal, adventurous, and always ready for a cuddle or a treat.

Back in the early days, Ruby was my cabin buddy in the van. She rode shotgun on countless delivery runs, sniffing new pubs, dozing on the passenger seat, and charming customers wherever she went. She was a natural brand ambassador - Judy photographed her for countless shoots, and she never failed to steal the show.

Ruby lived a long, happy, tail-wagging life - full of walks, beaches, canal boats, farmyards, family, and fuss. When she passed away at the grand age of 17 in January 2020, our hearts broke. She had been part of our story from the beginning. Losing her felt like losing a little piece of the company’s soul.

Looking back, it almost feels symbolic. Because just as we said goodbye to Ruby, the world itself was about to change.

⸻

Storm Clouds on the Horizon

We’d just welcomed in a new decade. The business was thriving. Our team was solid. We were settled in Devon, travelling, enjoying life, and still passionate about what we did.

There was no reason to suspect anything would disrupt the good times. Then we began hearing the first cautious news reports:

“A new coronavirus, originating from Wuhan, China…”

At first it felt distant, abstract. Something happening far away. But within weeks, the tone had changed. Borders closed. Events cancelled. Warnings escalated. Normal life began to wobble, then crack.

None of us knew yet what was about to unfold. But looking back, it’s clear that January 2020 was the end of our halcyon period - the calm before a global storm.

⸻

Join the Terriertorial Army

Even in peaceful years, business and life are full of ups and downs. You adapt, you learn, you celebrate the wins, and you shoulder the losses. But above all, you keep going.

That’s the spirit of the Terriertorial Army - a community of determined, scrappy, big-hearted people who dare to build something of their own, knowing that nothing stays the same forever.

If you’re on that path - or thinking about starting, I salute you.

Next time: the world shuts down… and Salty Dog faces its toughest challenge yet.