Providing food for thought to Tees Valley businesses

One of the UK’s youngest and most successful entrepreneurs is to share his business insight at Teesside University Business Exchange.

Fraser Doherty – otherwise known as ‘Jam Boy’ – will be talking about his journey from farmers’ markets to being named Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year.

When he started the company Fraser was just 14.

Using his Gran’s recipes he sold jam at farmers’ markets and to delicatessens.

Now 23, Fraser went on to become the youngest ever supplier to a major supermarket chain - Waitrose launched the range in March 2007.

Fraser said: 'What my story shows is what can begin for anybody as a hobby in their kitchen, bedroom or their garden shed with a little bit of know-how and imagination it can grow into something amazing and can change their lives, I know Superjam has changed mine.'

SuperJam now supplies more than 2,000 supermarkets including Tesco, Asda Wal-Mart, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Waitrose in countries around the world including Australia, Russia, Denmark, Finland and Ireland.

The company is also exhibited in the National Museum of Scotland as an ‘iconic Scottish brand’ alongside Irn Bru, Tunnock’s and Baxters.

Fraser now invests in SuperJam Tea Parties – a charity he set up to help banish the isolation felt by elderly people who live alone, in care homes or in sheltered housing, and each event attracts up to 600 people.

He has also penned a book – The SuperJam Cookbook - sharing his jam-making secrets with others.

And in 2011 he launched SuperBusiness, a book detailing his journey and everything he has learned.

His appearance at the Business Exchange comes hot on the heels of Reed Paget, founder of Belu-Water, the UK’s most eco-friendly and world’s first carbon neutral bottled water.

The former journalist and film-maker turned world-leading social entrepreneur told last month’s Business Exchange that those willing to explore more sustainable methods of manufacture can have a huge impact on the global brands.

He said: 'A disruptive green business, one that is willing to find new ways of manufacturing, can change the way larger companies operate.

'We did it with Belu and the larger companies providing bottled water followed.'

Reed believes there is a battle to be had in the green space adding: 'We welcome that and more companies should explore the possibilities, I encourage anyone to find a niche and see what happens.

'There’s definitely a financial value to be gained if you have a product that has an eco-advantage, but is has to be competitively priced and of equal if not better quality.'

Belu is the UK’s fastest growing bottled water brand and was the first in Europe to use compostable bottles made from corn and the first to commit all profits to clean water projects.

Reed also co-founded Ecocap, a company which has patented a new bottle cap designed to help increase the recycling of plastic caps.

He is now focused on developing and financing a wide range of eco-friendly products via his latest venture, One Earth Innovation.

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