This episode of the Food Manufacture Podcast, sees Bethan Grylls speaking to Nick Croft-Simon, CEO of gluten-free brand White Rabbit.
White Rabbit is the brainchild of two friends, Croft-Simon and Italian chef, Matteo (Teo) Ferrari. Their story began many years ago in the Italian mountains, where Ferrari spent his childhood mastering family recipes at his uncle’s pizzeria.
Fast-forward 15 years and Ferrari meets Croft-Simon whilst working as a chef at the White Rabbit pub in Oxford.
Using Ferrari’s generations of experience in Italy, the entrepreneurial duo started refining and marketing authentic Italian pizzas off the pub’s menu.
Within two years The White Rabbit was rated No. 1 pizzeria in Oxford on TripAdvisor, selling over 2,000 pizzas a week!
It was during this time that the pair saw first-hand just how many people were missing out on their sourdough pizzas because they couldn’t eat gluten, igniting a spark that would eventually lead to the creation of their own food business.
In this episode, Croft Simon talks about the realities of building a challenger brand in a niche category and the drivers behind setting up their own dedicated bakery.
The conversation also digs into some of the hardest moments the team faced, including when a major player entered the category and undercut them on price.
“It was a delicate time for us because we just scaled up the production,” said Croft-Simon.
Over the last 10 years, the duo have continued to invest and upgrade the business.
Since its launch the brand has delivered sustained growth. In fact, White Rabbit is the UK’s second largest gluten free pizza brand and the number one contributor to gluten free pizza growth.
As well as their signature sourdough pizzas, crafted in their own bespoke gluten free bakery, White Rabbit also offers a range of authentic focaccia, pasta and desserts.
The brand can be found in leading retailers nationwide, including Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Waitrose, Morrisons, Co-Op, Wholefoods, Amazon Fresh, and Booths.
Have a listen to the interview here (see player above) or wherever you usually get your podcasts.
