A Taste For Business
Erica Sheehan gave up a career in corporate communications to start her successful Homespun food range from her kitchen, writes Kathleen O’Callaghan
Erica Sheehan established niche food brand Homespun in September 2014, and her previous work experience did little to prepare her for running her own micro enterprise. Erica was communications manager with CocaCola for seven years prior to doing her own thing, and before that she had worked comms roles at Bus Éireann and Irish Rail.
Based out of her home in south Dublin, Homespun is best known for its Quinoa Crunch brand, which is made in different flavour varieties. More recently Erica has developed Chicory Root Syrup, which has been picked up by SuperValu for listing in 150 stores and is also sold in specialty shops including Donnybrook Fair, Avoca and Nourish.
“I loved PR and communications work but I had a gut instinct that there was something else I had to do, so I followed my heart and started making Quinoa Crunch from my kitchen,” Erica recalls. “I made it with popped quinoa and sold it at the weekend in the Farmer’s Market in Glasnevin. It gave me a real taste for business and I loved the pace and being my own boss.
“I called the brand Homespun because it was spun out of my own kitchen after I got married. I was fortunate to be accepted into the SuperValu Food Academy and it was a fabulous learning curve. The academy teaches participants about food health and safety, business finance from margins to mark-ups, creating packaging and branding, and how to approach retail buyers. In a tribe of like-minded people and there was a great sense of camaraderie.”
When Quinoa Crunch reached the standard required of a shop brand, SuperValu invited Erica to feature in a TV commercial along with the Happy Pear twins. As output increased, Erica searched for a bakery to make her
crunch bunch range, and found one in West Cork. She then worked on the packaging and brand look, and entering food awards, which can result in valuable publicity.
Erica stumbled on the idea for the Chicory Root Syrup in Belgium when she was investigating low-sugar ingredients for her Quinoa Crunch recipe. She liked the benefits of the root syrup so much she decided to import the sweet and healthy elixir, and then bottle it with G’s Jams in Co. Laois.
“It’s an incredible product as it tastes a bit like honey or a maple syrup but it’s totally plant-based and without all the sugars of honey or agave,” says Erica. “It’s a great ingredient for customers trying to manage their blood sugars and avoid sugar spikes, plus it’s very high in probiotic fibre that’s important for gut health. It’s also lovely on toast or porridge.”
The start-up phase of Homespun Foods Ltd was a labour of love. The financial year to the end of August 2021 was the first year the company had an excess of assets over liabilities. Net profit in FY22 — the surplus after all the business overheads including Erica’s salary are paid — was €48,000. Net current assets — money owed to the company and cash in the bank — expanded from €2,000 to €50,000.
A new oat-based snack bar is on the way from Homespun this year. “The business is going well, especially in the current climate when the margins on food are very tight,” Erica explains.
“Increasing our volume and growing the range will also benefit our margins. I love the business and being my own boss and I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s such a great experience to become the owner of a trusted Irish brand that combines taste, innovation and health.”
‘I love the business and being my own boss’