The Creation of Originals
Catherine’s Originals was founded by Catherine. With life partner and now business partner Jamie. The slowly expanding team has taken the plunge and the fully in-house production line is a go! From learning about chocolate, to coming to grips that they'll build the factory themselves. They really are bringing a vision to life.
Here's how it started...
The Lightbulb moment
December 2020
Catherine, age 18, had a a burning desire to one day run her very own business. Stuck in a rut, and couldn't find her way out, quite literally found herself under the Christmas tree analysing a tin of the Christmas classics we have grown up fighting over.
"Catherine, whatever are you doing playing with chocolates. You're too old for that" Karen (Catherine's Mum) asked in a confused manner.
"It's been 9 years Mum! It is about time I can enjoy a dairy free selection once more. There must be so many like me missing out... I am going to make chocolates Mum" Catherine explained with excitement.
She danced her way into the new year, excited for the adventures to come. April 21st 2021, Catherine's Originals was founded.
That year consisted of trying lots of chocolate, working with Chocolate Wizard Jack and Georgie, a childhood friend. Catherine's 9 original Originals came to life.
Our First customer
The month of November was a challenging one. Catherine had been planning behind a screen for the past 10 months and it was now time to test her dream with the public.
Making 30,000 chocolates by hand in a rented chocolate kitchen in Henfield, Sussex. They couldn't wrap the chocolates fast enough! Every night finishing at 8pm, then driving thousands of unwrapped chocolates home to do a night shift of wrapping. It really was a Christmas miracle they got made!
650 boxes sold swiftly, during 3 rainy weekdays in December. The team couldn't believe the demand was so big.
"What now?" The team thought
Raising the funds
January- December 2022
A successful proof of concept stage in the bag. The demand was there and it was now time to seriously scale.
Catherine, uncompromising, decided to build her own factory. Rather than teaming with a company who's values don't align. Product too tricky to co-manufacture, it was fundraising time.
Winning The Deliveroo Big Pitch and welcoming onboard our first investor (shout out Mark). With support from the LoCase and Invest4 grant, as well as our wonderful community, with a successful Kickstarter campaign, we invested into our machinery.
Diving in deep
May 2023
After countless days, viewing units across Sussex, Jamie and Catherine found their perfect space in Arundel. Not far from where the pair met. A deposit was put down and it was time to build a factory!
To cap off an amazing 2023 we won three (yes three!) awards at our local business awards. We took home New Business of the Year, Green Business of the Year and our founder Catherine won Entrepreneur of the Year at the Arun District Business Awards 2023.
Last Christmas...
December 2023
By December we had built the factory, perfected our recipes, and got in the swing of production. What happened next, no one could've predicted...
Word got out on social media about our revolutionary chocolates, and suddenly an influx of orders hit our website in December. We worked tireless to fulfill all of the orders and even filled vans to the brim to make sure everyone got a box!
The Adventures of Building a Factory
"Did we actually just build a factory?"
At Catherine's Originals, we've worked hard and raised funds to keep everything in-house without compromising our product, values, or quality. We're eager to expand our team and business, and would love to hear your feedback and thoughts. Join us on this chocolatey adventure!