Nope, it’s not an April Fool’s Day prank. Alcohol-infused candy floss is real, and we recently spoke to Sarah from Sweet Mother Fluffer about her brand new business selling tubs of these sweet clouds of floss. From the moment that light bulb appeared above her head, to the quirky branding she’s so cleverly crafted, to the excitement of being featured on TV, we chatted about Sarah’s journey so far creating this unique product. If you’re looking to launch an online store then this is one interview you won’t want to miss!
Hi Sarah! You make alcohol-infused candy floss, how did you come up with such a unique idea?
I recently went travelling around Japan, and left feeling incredibly inspired, especially by the culture. There’s a great candy floss store in Harajuku, Tokyo that I absolutely fell in love with. I realised that the UK needed more candy floss, and I wanted to create something a little bit different. My idea: alcohol-infused candy floss was born. The grown-up treat, for big kids.
What were you doing before you started your business?
I work in advertising as an associate creative director at NOW, an agency in London. I’ve been working in advertising for the past 10 years as an art director, building brands for clients. So it’s nice to build a brand that’s solely for myself.
How long did it take you to go from idea to launch?
It’s taken around 1 and a half years from initial idea, to recipe testing, branding, and website building. I’m very excited to launch my shop on April 1st.
We love your branding! What was your process for coming up with this?
I think coming from an art direction background has helped enormously. Creating a look for my brand was super important. I wanted to keep it very simple, and almost scientific. I’ve taken inspiration from Japan for the poppy colours, and I’ve spent a lot of time looking at the DNA structure of sugar molecules which led me to the simple type and shapes I’ve created in some of my logos and designs. I work with an amazing designer Loty Ray too, who has really helped bring the brand to life.
What is the biggest hurdle you’ve had to overcome so far?
Learning the ins and outs of how to actually set up a business. From trademarks to licensing, to simply opening a business bank account. It’s a world that I’m not usually privy to, so learning about all the stages of business set-up has been a real challenge, but fun (in parts) too.
Where do you create your product?
I make my product from home, in my kitchen.
How much candy floss do you eat on a daily basis?
Ha! It is hard to resist. Candy floss is extremely more-ish, but I try to stick to just testing each flavour, rather than eating a whole tub at a time!
Your candy floss was recently featured on This Morning – congrats! How did that happen, and do you have any advice for entrepreneurs looking to get their products featured in the press?
It was so great to be featured on This Morning. I was lucky enough to be approached by findmeagift.co.uk as they wanted to feature my candy floss on their site. As part of the feature, they asked me to send This Morning one of my Sweet Mother Fluffer boxes. It was amazing to see Holly and Phil tucking in. My advice to other entrepreneurs would be to build a solid brand and a solid tone of voice that’s easy and simple for people to fall in love with. Then keep people interested with your content and your product, and hopefully people will start taking notice of it.
What is the number one piece of advice you have for anyone looking to develop a product?
Make sure you believe in what you are creating, and before you develop your product make sure there’s a market for it. Oh, and speak to as many people as you can for help and advice along the way.
When and where can everyone buy your delicious candy floss?
I’m so excited to announce that my online shop at sweetmotherfluffer.com will be opening on the 1st of April – today – for orders!
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