How did you get started?
Having grown up in our mum’s bakery in Lagos, Nigeria, my sisters and I knew we wanted to bring a taste of home to the UK. We figured puff puff (West African doughnuts) would be the perfect product. I don’t know many people who would say no to doughnuts, and every country around the world has some variation of fried dough balls, so we knew it would be a hit. We spent a year developing our business strategy, then we commissioned a designer to create our logo. We got started on our branding, tested our packaging and then announced we were open for business on 1st August 2020. It’s been a fun ride since then!
What motivates you?
We’re on a mission to open the UK’s first dedicated puff puff dessert shop where we can cook right in front of people and see the joy on their faces in real time! We want puff puff, a popular West African street food, to be Britain’s next favourite dessert. That’s something that excites me even when I’m waking up at 5:30am every weekend.
What do you wish you’d known when you started out?
Just how difficult it is to find a great courier. As a food delivery business, we rely heavily on couriers. They are essential in making sure our customers receive their puff puff on time and in the same great condition they’re in when they leave the kitchen. We wish someone had told us how much time would be spent liaising with couriers, tracking customer’s deliveries and reassuring them that their puff puff will (eventually) show up.
Rectangular Stickers
Name tags, product labels, address labels, you name it— and then put it on a 100% recycled rectangular sticker.
Flyers
Spread the word with our top-notch flyers! Available on a variation of sizes, weights, and paper types.
Menus
Whether it be for wine, food, cocktails, or specials, our custom menus are printed to withstand everyday use.
Why do you choose to print with PRINT.WORK?
We like to do our bit for the environment, so we wanted to make sure we were sustainable in almost every way possible. Our puff puff recipe and half of our menu is vegan, and we also knew from day one that we wouldn’t use plastic in our packaging. We chose PRINT.WORK because we felt they shared our values with all materials being printed on recycled paper and sent to us via carbon neutral delivery. Our boxes are 100% recyclable, so we wanted every part of our packaging to be sustainable too because it means our customers get to enjoy puff puff while doing some good for planet earth.
What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?
“Be adaptable.” Change – whether political, environmental, technological, or economic – is a constant in the world of business, so it’s important to be ready to respond.
Favourite small businesses?
I love Bixie Pots! I use their whipped shea butter, which is an essential item for me because glowing skin is non-negotiable! My favourite is their Cranberry and Orange pot. It smells divine and makes me feel like Diana Ross when I moisturise every morning.
What tools do you use to promote your business?
We don’t currently have a physical shop, so we put a lot of effort into building a community online. Instagram and Facebook ads are especially useful as they help us reach new puff puff lovers across the country, and the world!
Last but not least, anything you’d like to promote?
We recently launched a new bespoke puff puff box on our website. It allows you to choose FOUR toppings in one box, so it’s a real treat because you get more variety. We’ve also announced our special Christmas flavour- sticky toffee and ginger nut, mmmm- so sign up to our newsletter for 10% off your first order!
If you would like to be featured on a future instalment of Introducing get in touch!
