Small batch chilli jams and hot sauces handmade in Dollar with fresh ingredients, no additives, no preservatives and no compromises. Trodden Black believe in flavour before heat so you’ll find their products packed with ingredients such as ginger, turmeric, and citrus fruits to create delish combinations. Everything they use, from packaging to ingredients is sourced from British companies and throughout their processes they try to keep their footprint to a minimum, using, reusing and recycling. We asked them our '6 Questions':
Photo credit: Trodden Black / @connormcewan_photo
1. How/why and when did you start your business?
We started our business last year after travelling through South East Asia, New Zealand and Australia. The idea to make chilli jam came to us during our two year stint in Melbourne were the delicious, modern café culture and small business boom inspired us. We wanted to create something unique, to blow people’s minds with flavour and take them out of their comfort zones.
2. What advice would you give to someone starting a new business in the sector?
Just keep going! We literally had/have no idea how to run a business, how to make a website, I mean what’s a business account? But there is so much support out there for small business and start-ups. From opportunities to meet up with charities and government run operations to the internet and even people that you meet every day, there is a wealth of knowledge out there and help is everywhere. Go be creative!
3. What motivates you?
Money. Just joking - probably the love of creating. Seeing a jar or bottle that we made sitting on a delis shelf. The chats we have with our customers at markets and seeing people become “regulars”. It is a very satisfying feeling having strangers trust you enough to come back again and again. And the possibilities of where this venture will take us, full time self-employment being one of them!
4. How do you think the food & drinks industry could improve?
By modernising; cutting back on unnecessary packaging and added chemicals and preservatives in foods, just generally being more aware and conscious. Buying local where possible, support local business.
5. Is there an individual or organisation, current or in the past, who inspires you?
Most of our inspiration comes from people we’ve met along the way, food truck vendors, other makers and producers. Real life people who’ve taken the risk and who are driven to make their goal a reality.
6. Apart from Greencity, which other three or more people, living or deceased, would you invite to make a dinner party entertaining?
Muhamad Ali, Jeff Buckley and the Big Yin! (Billy Connolly)
