Harper's Health and ATI2 success story
Consultancy, Product Photography, Connecting with Suppliers and Strategy Meetings
Harper鈥檚 Health made contact with ATI2 at the start-up stage of the business, knowing full well there was a lot of work to do to bring their idea of a healthy vegan tempeh snack range, Tempiii, to life and to market.
鈥淚t鈥檚 initially very daunting and isolating to start your own business鈥 said Alice Harper, Founder & Director of Harper鈥檚 Health. 鈥淚 was recommended to ATI2 through Outset while searching for support to kickstart the business.鈥 she added.
Alice鈥檚 background is in nutrition where she currently works part-time as well as having studied nutrition at university; graduating with first-class honours.
She discovered tempeh while in Bali and immediately fell in love with the product; a fermented soybean which contains more protein, vitamins and fibre than tofu. It also made her wonder why it wasn鈥檛 more widely available back home in the UK. Noticing a potential gap in the market on a gap year, she set out to bring tempeh and Tempiii to the UK herself.
鈥淚鈥檝e worked in many jobs where I felt unfulfilled and unchallenged. I always wanted to own my own business to align my passion for healthy eating with work and life satisfaction.鈥 Alice told us.
The Tempiii product and brand ethos had to reflect Alice鈥檚 own personal values; healthy, sustainable, forward thinking and plant-based. After some initial market research, Alice learned there were no single-serving tempeh based snacks in the UK, which is exactly where Tempiii would position itself to fill that gap.
鈥淎TI2 helped so much by putting me in touch with the right people, like a packaging supplier with a low-carbon footprint, as well as setting deadlines and keeping me accountable for meeting them.鈥 she explained.
Alice also received mentorship support, regular contact and strategy meetings, a product photoshoot and was put in touch with Access to Finance, Oxford Innovation Food & Drink and SWMAS.
Without ATI2 I wouldn鈥檛 have heard of these schemes, it鈥檚 opened a lot of doors and accelerated me months ahead of what I could achieve on my own.
Alice Harper 鈥 Founder & Director of Harper's Health
With the support of ATI2 and a lot of hard work from Alice, Tempiii is now available on the market with its first range of flavours: Soy, Fajita and Tandoori. Alice now has ambitions to expand regionally throughout Devon and Cornwall and then nationally; ideally being stocked in supermarkets for the whole UK to enjoy.
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e been fast-tracked and connected with people, suppliers and organisations that I wouldn鈥檛 have without ATI2鈥檚 help.鈥 she says.
In April 2023, ATI2 were thrilled to learn that Alice has been awarded GOLD in Taste of the West for all three of her Tempiii flavours.