A Suffolk food entrepreneur is being feted as one of the UK’s top businesswomen.
Victoria Monaghan, co-founder of The Fresh Sauce Company, has been named among the top 100 women in business by f:Entrepreneur and heads to London on Friday, March 8, to celebrate International Women’s Day at the House of Lords.
Victoria, whose business is based at Suffolk Food Hall at Wherstead, near Ipswich, previously managed a local deli and catering company, and has worked in the food industry all her life. She says her business was born out of a passion for food.
MORE – Chip Shop Curry Sauce creator wins first place at Suffolk start-up lab“Me and my other half went travelling through Italy and tasted the most amazing fresh pesto, so I decided to make it. From then we have been fortunate to work with the University of East Anglia and big supermarket data, allowing us to highlight flavour categories which appeal to those interested in finer foods,” she said.
“In August last year, we underwent an investment round after being selected as a Future50 company for the eastern region and I came on to work on the business full time.
“Our mission is to get people eating more fresh food. All our sauces are additive free, and packed with lots of fresh herbs, providing a quick dinner in 20 minutes delivering fresh home cooked flavours.”
The firm’s pestos, curry pastes and limited edition sauces are now stocked by independent shops across the UK, including locally, Suffolk Food Hall, Friday Street, Snape Maltings, Goodies Food Hall, C J Barkers Butchers, Palfrey and Hall, and Bury Lane Food Hall.
Victoria has spearheaded the business’s recipes while simultaneously managing the sales and renovating a yacht.
“I’m honoured to have been named as one of the #ialso top 100 women in business and cannot wait to meet fellow female entrepreneurs at the House of Lords.
“Life as a business co-founder - especially at start-up stage - involves a lot of multi-tasking and taking on different roles, and it’s fantastic that this is now recognised and celebrated,” she said.
Michelle Ovens MBE, founder of f:Entrepreneur, said the women selected were “trailblazers” demonstrating that “entrepreneurialism is a space being reinvented by women”.
Victoria’s business, set up with Mark Robinson, was originally called Taste Collectiv.
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