Braham & Murray Limited
- Portfolio Company: Braham & Murray Limited
- Date of Initial Investment: 22 August 2008
- Round of Financing: First Round
- Sector: Food
- SWVF Role: Investor
A North Devon company which supplies premium hemp seed oils and dressings to major supermarket chains such as Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury’s has secured investment from the YFM Group-managed South West Ventures Fund to drive sales of its GOOD OIL range.
Braham & Murray, based in Barnstaple, was founded by Henry Braham and Glynis Murray, well known for their achievements in the film industry but who also have a hemp seed growing and processing business at nearby Collabear Farm.
The products – GOOD OIL Original, GOOD OIL Mild & Light, GOOD DRESSINGS and GOOD SEEDS – have a delicate nutty flavour and can now be found in 1,500 stores throughout the UK. The striking brand image was designed by Paul Arden, formerly Executive Creative Director at Saatchi and Saatchi.
GOOD OIL is one of the healthiest culinary oils on the market. It has half the saturated fat of olive oil and is rich in Omegas (essential fatty acids), which the body needs for a healthy heart as well as being important for the brain, nervous and immune systems. Analysis by nutritionists at King’s College London shows that 10ml of GOOD OIL per day makes a substantial contribution to the intake of essential fatty acids required for good health.
The market is being driven by changing consumer attitudes and preferences towards healthy eating, resulting in declining sales of solid saturated fats and an increase in sales of speciality and ‘special’ oils, such as those derived from hemp seed. Sales of oils are expected to grow by more than 50 per cent to reach £400 million by 2012.
Braham & Murray have generated revenues in excess of £1.5 million since the business started trading in 2006. With the two oil varieties and the dressings products proving most popular, year-on-year sales growth has reached nearly 100 per cent despite a negligible marketing budget.
Website: www.goodwebsite.co.uk
