This woman bakes kilos of granola

Sarah Napier, owner of ‘Granola for Gangsters’, bakes kilos of 100 percent natural granola in the shared kitchen of Kitchen Republic. She talks about her experience, struggles and success as a food entrepreneur. 

How did you start your business?

I simply made granola at home for myself. Friends and my roommate were the first people to taste it and they thought it tasted amazing. I also often gave a bag of granola when someone had a birthday. The first commercial interest came from Headfirst Coffee Roasters, and they became my very first paying customer. Those guys pushed me to come up with attractive packaging and really think about the branding.

What is your biggest challenge as a food entrepreneur?
I find sales a major challenge: walking into somewhere with a bag of granola and then selling myself. I really hate it, but fortunately, most customers have come to me instead.

‘Scaling’ is also a challenge. I want to make sure I continue to enjoy what I do and that it doesn’t feel too much like work. But at the same time, I also want the business to grow, so I’m constantly looking for the balance between business and fun.

I find sales a major challenge: walking into somewhere with a bag of granola and then selling myself

What is more important: money or a good idea?

If you start a business with a lot of money without a good idea behind it, you have nothing. Consumers have a kind of sixth sense for products that aren’t authentic. Especially when you have a good idea, you can easily sell it to people and the money will come naturally.

Your best advice for people who want to start a food business?
This is advice I received myself: do something that really suits you and that is close to your heart. And a more practical piece of advice: keep working in your own kitchen for as long as you can. Only look for your own space once your success has outgrown your kitchen. As soon as you have to pay rent, everything becomes much more complicated.

When do you consider yourself a successful entrepreneur?
When people show that they believe in you and your product. And when you see that someone who doesn’t like granola at all suddenly enjoys it because of your recipe. Order your own granola here from Sarah’s webshop.

Read more here about Kitchen Republic, the shared kitchen where Sarah bakes her granola. 

Text and photography: Nora van den Heuvel