For many entrepreneurs, a business idea begins by spotting a gap in the market.
For Megan Murrie, the founder of Nakey Bakey, that gap was discovered after years of suffering with endometriosis and a severe nut allergy.
Frustrated by the lack of healthy, safe food options available, she began researching nutrition and experimenting with recipes in her home kitchen by making her own granola free from the top 14 allergens, with no added sugar.
Using simple ingredients that did not trigger her symptoms, she created products that supported her health, and very quickly friends and family began requesting the recipes.
‘For years I was in and out of hospital, exhausted, in pain and relying on medication just to function,’ Megan said.
‘I reached a point where I knew I couldn’t keep living like that, so I decided to take control of what I could, starting with food and nutrition.
‘I began researching nutrition and baking in my home kitchen using ingredients that didn’t trigger my symptoms or my allergy.
‘Over time my health improved and I started to feel more like myself again.
‘When I went into shops, I still couldn’t find food I could eat safely that was healthy as most free from products were either full of sugar or packed with unnecessary ingredients.
‘Friends and family began asking for the products and that’s when I realised there was a real gap in the market.’
Nakey Bakey uses real, recognisable ingredients such as quinoa flakes, organic coconut and locally sourced freeze dried fruit and avoids artificial sweeteners, flavourings and preservatives.
‘Starting Nakey Bakey was exciting but it was also challenging at times,’ Megan said.
‘Because we are fully allergen free, I could not produce from home or use shared facilities, so I had to make big decisions early, including investing in a dedicated production unit.
‘That meant financial risk, long hours and backing myself before there was proof it would work.
‘Building a food manufacturing business involves navigating regulations, food safety, accreditation and scaling, all while protecting quality.
‘There were moments of pressure and doubt, especially in the early stages because the responsibility is significant when allergens are involved.’
The process is hands-on and carefully controlled, and that commitment to quality recently resulted in the achievement of SALSA accreditation, an important benchmark in food safety and manufacturing standards.
It also helped open doors to new opportunities, including supplying granola products to 18 high schools across Fife.
‘The best part has been seeing something that started as a personal solution now making a real impact,’ Megan said.
‘Supplying 18 high schools across Fife has been one of the most meaningful milestones so far.
‘It was always one of my goals for the business, but I did not expect it to happen so quickly.
‘It feels very full circle, I started Nakey Bakey because I could not find food that worked for me and now young people have access to healthy, allergen free, lower sugar granola as part of their everyday school environment.
‘For me, it is about making safer, healthier food part of the norm rather than something seen as an alternative. Seeing the products there reminds me exactly why I started.’
There is often an expectation that allergen-free food means compromising on quality or taste. Nakey Bakey was created to challenge that idea.
Megan says more people are taking the time to read food labels and understand what is in the products they buy.
They want ingredients they recognise and food they can trust. In the free-from market, many products still contain high levels of sugar, artificial ingredients or long ingredient lists.
There is often an expectation that allergen-free food means compromising on quality or taste. Nakey Bakey was created to challenge that idea.
By using simple ingredients and producing everything in a dedicated allergen-free facility, the business aims to show that safe food can also be healthy, transparent and enjoyable to eat.
‘Awareness around food has definitely grown, especially with the influence of social media and greater transparency around ingredients,’ Megan said.
‘People are reading labels more closely and questioning long ingredient lists. That can feel overwhelming but at its core it comes down to trust.
‘For me, it’s not about labelling food as good or bad, it’s about knowing what you are eating.
‘If the ingredient list is long and full of things you would not use at home, people are starting to question that.
‘In the free from category especially, compromise has become normal, higher sugar, unnecessary ingredients, artificial ingredients or shared allergen facilities which may contain labels.
‘I wanted to challenge that and show that allergen free food does not have to lower the standard.
‘The health aspect is important, but so is quality and taste. If it does not taste good, people will not come back, and we regularly receive messages from customers telling us how much they love the products.’
Nkey Bakey was recently selected as one of the winners in Scotmid’s prestigious Scottish Favourites competition and it can be found in stores.
Read more Producer’s Corner here.
Subscribe to read the latest issue of Scottish Field.
TAGS