
Writerâs block is realâor maybe itâs not even that. Maybe I just havenât been writing much lately, so it feels like something itâs not. Either way, Iâve missed it. Blogs, chit chats, emails, and just creative writing in general have always been something I love to do. Itâs the kind of thing Iâve naturally gravitated towards and spent loads of my free time doing.
Funny little fact: I actually sleep with a notebook tucked under my pillow. Sounds a bit silly, I knowâbut honestly, some of my most fun ideas (like Oâbar) and product concepts have come to me in dreams. Iâll scribble them down half-asleep, and then later, weâll reference those wild little notes during R&D sessions in the factory. That notebook has everythingâgoal setting, vision writing, stories, feelings, random fun new ideas. Itâs not exactly neat or Pinterest-worthy, but itâs absolutely packed with magic.
Then thereâs my floral wooden box. Itâs so prettyâsort of vintage-lookingâand I think it used to hold all my mumâs travel photos from when she ran off to see the world at just 17. I loved it when I was a teenager, and somehow it just ended up in my room instead of her office. She didnât mind. I always tell Jamie that if the house were ever on fire, aside from grabbing the pets, that box would be the very first thing Iâd save.
Why am I telling you all of this? Well, May was always going to be a funny kind of month. Itâs the time of year when we focus on internal planning and growthâtaking a step back to really look at the business. Itâs also the one month where targets are generally a little lower, which gives us the space to dive into bigger picture projects. So if Iâve been a bit quiet over the past 30 days⌠thatâs probably why!
Jamie and I also had a whirlwind of a time experiencing the hustle and bustle of in-person trade sales for the first time. We did four trade shows last monthâback to backâand honestly, it was amazing!
We got to meet some potential big customers face-to-face. From Deliveroo (who weâre already working withâyay!) to the likes of Blue Diamond, Leonardslee, and even The Hollies Farm Shop. You know⌠the now viral farm shop since Molly-Mae mentioned thatâs where she pops in for a quick cuppa!
Between all the planning, vision boarding, and scribbling in my scruffy notebook, these trade shows really hammered home just how important planning ahead actually is. And when I say planning ahead⌠you wonât believe itâweâre now working with people on projects for Christmas 2026. Not this Christmas. The one after that! I mean⌠what?!?
Growing a business, when you really strip it back, always comes down to the numbers.
If you're losing money on every product sold, well⌠the cash will run out pretty fast. Youâll be out of business before you've even finished packing up the last box of chocolates. Thatâs exactly why Jamie and I are laser-focused right now on keeping our running costs low. I know, it sounds obviousâbut honestly, sometimes it takes a simple truth to really click.
The other day, we had a call about a local competition weâve enteredâit offers up to ÂŁ50,000 worth of expert guidance and support. During the call, the man interviewing us was genuinely surprised when we told him weâve grown Catherineâs Originals by over 100% in less than a year. He said itâs practically unheard of for startups like ours, especially in such a competitive space, with just two of us grinding it out day-to-day. He asked, âHow have you done it?â And in that moment⌠I didnât really know what to say.
Of course, once the call ended, I went straight into reflection mode.
Showing up every single day, setting good foundations. A motivated team. Sacrificing downtime, putting Originals first no matter what, being in love with what you do, not just loving what you do, offering something truly valuableâand refusing to compromise on that. That mindset of âanything is possibleâ has been everything. Itâs made the long days worth it. And with just Jamie and I in the office, weâve had to find ways to work smarter. Not cutting cornersâjust maximising our efficiency. Because the truth is, thatâs what keeps margins healthy, overheads low, growth potential, new products and competitive prices for you guys.
My cousin once said the quote: âIf thereâs a really urgent task I need help with, Iâd ask the busiest person I knowânot the one with all the time in the world.â Because the busiest people? Theyâve figured out how to plan, prioritise, and just get stuff done. I never heard that before. That advice rings so true in everything we do here. Another one of those simple little truths⌠that actually holds a lot of weight.
Amongst all the trade shows, new plans, and taking a step back to really analyse our growth⌠we also moved into our new office! I canât actually remember if I mentioned that last timeâbut let me just say, itâs bloody amazing! Honestly, not having to pack up my entire workspace every time the team sits down for lunch is a total game changer. Goodbye, breadcrumbs in between my keyboard keys!
And thenâbecause we like to keep things interestingâI had to whisk Jamie off on a very last-minute trip to Italy. Why? Well, our new wrapping machine (weâve lovingly named him Bobby) has been sitting in our warehouse for nearly two months. We were sold on the fact that Bobby could wrap using a home-recyclable paper material. But plot twist⌠we hadnât been able to find that material. So yes, there was a moment of panic where we thought weâd spent tens of thousands of pounds on a machine we couldnât even use. đ
But fear not! The Italy trip did the trickâwe sorted it all out, Bobby is officially staying, and soon enough, Snap Me and The Cookie Muncher are getting a proper glow-up!
Oh, and the best part? Jamie came back from Italy a coffee drinker! Why does that excite me so much? Because it means I no longer have to go on coffee dates alone. Small wins, big joy.
Weâre also launching a summer chocolate rangeâŚÂ very, very soon! đ
The official go-live date is 9th Juneâmark your calendars!
Iâve already shared a few sneaky teasers (because honestly, why not get you all as excited as I am?), and so many of you have already guessed one of the products⌠so if youâve made it this far into my little chit chat, I think you deserve the inside scoop. Ready?
Weâve got a Pistachio-Dubai-style vegan Oâbar coming your way! đ
Of course, itâs completely Original in its own wayâbut oh wow, it hits different. And the best part? Itâs dairy-free, gluten-free, and everyone gets to join in on the fun.
If you want to make sure you donât miss out, you can pre-order the Summer Bundle now! The other two products in the bundle are just as dreamyâI pinky promise they wonât disappoint. đ
We celebrated Jamieâs 24th birthday in true Originals styleâsmoothie bowls, a wonky buttons-themed cake and⌠a solid day of Jamie and me figuring out what had gone wrong in production. đ
Not quite the relaxing birthday he mightâve imaginedâbut hey, it wouldnât be a Catherineâs Originals celebration without a bit of chaos and chocolate involved!
The wind and rain seem to be back, but it did mean we finally got to see the new lights on our choco office all lit upâand that brought me so much joy.
Keep your eyes peeled, and come connect with me over on Instagramâthatâs where we share all the day-to-day fun, and Iâd love to hear from you. Write to me! Tell me what you think about our creations, what improvements we could make, or just pop in to say hi.
Honestly, it means the world to know whoâs out there enjoying what weâre building. đ
Stay original, stay sweet,
Catherine x