Chapter Ten: Survival of the Fittest

By the start of 2022, it finally felt like the long Covid nightmare was easing its grip. After two years of uncertainty, lockdowns, lost customers and painful restructuring, Judy and I were cautiously optimistic. We were still standing. We still had strong brands that people loved. The team that remained were loyal, committed and battle-hardened. Surely, we told ourselves, the worst had passed.

Once again, the world had other ideas.

In February 2022, the news broke that Russia had invaded Ukraine. Like so many people, I watched in disbelief. It was shocking, tragic and frightening - but, just as I’d thought at the beginning of Covid, it felt distant. A terrible situation, yes, but not one that would directly affect our attempt to rebuild.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

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The Oil Shock

What I hadn’t realised - and what very quickly became painfully clear - was that Ukraine is the world’s number one supplier of sunflower oil. And sunflower oil is what our crisps are fried in.

Almost overnight, the price of oil went through the roof. Manufacturers everywhere were scrambling to secure supply. Panic buying set in. Prices spiralled. Some producers switched to rapeseed oil, but demand pushed those prices sky-high too.

And that was just the start.

Energy prices surged by more than 20%. Inflation followed at a pace I’d never experienced in my lifetime. Everything cost more - transport, packaging, labour, storage. The entire cost base of the food industry was being shaken violently.

I remember trying to reassure myself: At least everyone’s in the same boat.

Once again… wrong.

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Outsourced and Exposed

One of the hardest lessons of this period was discovering just how vulnerable we were as a brand that outsourced manufacturing.

The manufacturers were under immense pressure themselves, but they were in a stronger position than businesses like ours. Unsurprisingly, they prioritised their own brands. Independent brands were pushed to the back of the queue.

For months, we were told that they could only produce half the volume we were ordering.

Half.

We were forced into decisions no brand owner wants to make. Which products do we drop? Which customers do we disappoint? Which flavours do we sacrifice?

In the end, we had no choice but to focus on our top four best-selling Salty Dog flavours. Everything else was paused.

That decision hit Darling Spuds particularly hard. For months, we had no stock at all. A brand we’d worked so hard to build simply disappeared from shelves, not because customers didn’t want it, but because we couldn’t get it made.

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Competition Bites Back

As if that wasn’t enough, competition intensified brutally.

My old “nemesis” Gary Lineker (very much joking, of course) came back to haunt me once again. Walkers, who own Pipers Crisps, were aggressively targeting our customers with offers we simply couldn’t compete with.

They had scale. They had buying power. They had security of supply.

We had… loyalty.

And thank goodness for that.

It’s no exaggeration to say that customer loyalty kept us alive. So many stuck with us despite price rises, limited ranges and patchy availability. Without them, Salty Dog wouldn’t have survived this chapter.

To keep going, we were forced to cut margins to the bone. In truth, there often weren’t any margins left at all.

Throughout 2022 and most of 2023, Judy and I paid ourselves nothing. Not a penny. Everything went back into keeping the business afloat.

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Painful Decisions

Eventually, something had to give.

In late 2023, we made one of the toughest decisions of our entire journey: we had to let Dominic go.

Dominic was a great salesman and a genuinely lovely bloke. This wasn’t about performance. It was about survival. The numbers simply didn’t stack up anymore.

That conversation was heartbreaking. I felt awful. But sometimes, being a business owner means making decisions that sit very heavily on your shoulders.

Dominic has since gone on to do his own thing and is now, technically, a competitor. I genuinely wish him every success. There’s no bitterness, just respect.

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More Headwinds

And it wasn’t just crisps.

The price of pork rind went through the roof, hammering our Gruntled brand. At the same time, we had a quality issue with peanuts, which led to a sharp dip in sales in what had always been one of our most reliable categories.

Everywhere we looked, there seemed to be another problem to solve.

There was a moment - one quiet, honest conversation between Judy and me - where we said something like:

“Well, if this is the end, we’ve had a fantastic adventure. No regrets.”

It was an incredibly stressful time. Emotionally exhausting. Financially frightening.

But even then, neither of us was ready to give up without a fight.

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Slowly Turning the Ship

By the end of 2023, things began to calm down. Not dramatically. Not suddenly. But enough to feel like the ship was no longer taking on water quite so fast.

Moving into 2024, we focused on stabilising. Tight controls. Clear priorities. Looking after the customers who had stood by us.

Our team were incredible. They worked harder than ever, digging deep when there was no glamour left and very little reward in sight. That loyalty cuts both ways, and I will never forget it.

By 2025, we started to feel movement again. We were winning new customers. Scrapping for every bit of business. Slowly rebuilding confidence.

And then, finally, we caught a break.

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A Change in Fortune

In mid-2025, we were able to negotiate a much better deal with our suppliers. For the first time in years, the numbers began to make sense again.

We sourced premium-quality potatoes, invested in brand new machinery, and finally felt that quality, supply and consistency were back under our control.

Toward the end of the year, we made another big decision: to refresh our bag designs. It felt symbolic - a line in the sand. A signal that Salty Dog wasn’t just surviving anymore, but ready to move forward again.

And, if I say so myself, they’ve never looked better.

We even launched a new flavour - Fiery Jalapeño & Paprika - and they taste absolutely fantastic.

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Looking Ahead

As we welcomed 2026, for the first time in years, Judy and I felt genuinely excited again. Not just relieved - excited.

Excited about the future.

Excited about new ideas.

Excited about where Salty Dog can go next.

And that brings our story right up to date.

Despite everything - the fires, pandemics, wars, inflation and near misses - starting our own business has undoubtedly been the best decision of our lives. Personally, I still find it hard to believe where it’s taken me, especially given my fairly unpromising prospects before I started.

Of course, none of it would have been possible without the incredible people who’ve helped along the way, and above all, my beautiful wife Judy, who has been my anchor through every storm.

Thank you so much for reading this blog. I’ve genuinely loved writing it, and it’s been a privilege to relive the adventures, the highs, and even the hard bits.

And the good news? I’m not stopping here.

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The Terriertorial Army

If there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s that survival isn’t about being the biggest or the strongest - it’s about being stubborn, adaptable, and surrounded by the right people.

That’s what the Terriertorial Army is all about. Ordinary people backing themselves, learning as they go, and refusing to roll over when things get tough.

If you’re thinking of starting something - or you’re in the middle of your own hard times - keep going. You might be closer to a breakthrough than you think.

Watch this space. 🐾