Last tuesday, Kingston Business School hosted ‘The Business of Food & Drinks”. The evening started off with a panel discussion with the founders of London based food and drinks business including Help To Grow Alumni. The conversation yielded several noteworthy perspectives on contemporary entrepreneurship and market innovation.
The Genesis of a Market Solution
The establishment of Bihari Drinks was precipitated by a fundamental observation within the alcoholic beverage sector. The founder, Vikas Thakker, recognised that existing products functioned primarily as supplementary elements to dining experiences rather than as intentionally designed complements to cuisine. This market inefficiency became the catalyst for their venture, demonstrating how consumer frustration can translate into viable business opportunities.
Value-Driven Business Philosophy
The founders articulated a deliberate approach to integrating personal principles into their organisational framework. Citing the example of Green & Black’s transformation of the confectionery industry through health-conscious innovation, they explained how Green & Black incorporates values of authenticity, equilibrium, and consumer respect into its core operations. This values-based methodology extends beyond product formulation to encompass the entirety of the customer experience.
Addressing Operational Complexities
A significant portion of the discussion focused on challenges that receive limited attention in traditional business literature. The Scoop & Waffle, founder, Helen highlighted the difficulty entrepreneurs face in formulating appropriate questions and identifying suitable advisors.
The Scoop & Waffle, founder, Helen Barker-Benfield highlighted the difficulty entrepreneurs face in formulating appropriate questions and identifying suitable advisors. The experiences shared by her illustrated the nuanced difficulties inherent in building sustainable enterprises.”
Helena highlighted how the Help to Grow Management course at Kingston had changed her business exponentially.
Actionable Guidance for Business Initiation
Perhaps the most pragmatic counsel offered during the evening concerned the timing of venture launch. The founders advocated strongly against deferring action while awaiting optimal conditions, whether conceptual refinement or capital accumulation. Their recommendation emphasised commencing operations at a manageable scale with subsequent strategic expansion, a methodology that enabled their own transition from ideation to market presence through rapid iteration and customer engagement.
Concluding Observations
The evening’s exchange underscored several principles relevant to modern SMEs practice: authentic problem identification outweighs trend exploitation, organisational values constitute competitive differentiation, and strategic action surpasses prolonged preparation in generating business momentum. These insights offer a framework for SMEs evaluating entrepreneurial pathways in an increasingly complex commercial landscape.
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