So why Mini Magoo muesli, Maria?I’ve been doing this for four years; before I was a film and fashion make-up artist. There are similarities – food can be a beauty product and I love the creativity involved. And what I love about this is that it’s my own project.
We can safely presume you like cooking, then?I got my love of cooking from my mum, who was Cockney Romany. I love it; it’s like alchemy. I love to mix.
And why muesli, granola and porridge, in particular?I’ve always been very healthy. I started to make popcorn for my goddaughter, Luna, then more substantial treats. From there is snowballed.
So how long was it before you had your first real product?That was my raisin muesli and it took six months.
Just six months?Yes, and I won a couple of awards within a year. But I was proactive.
Why organic? It’s tastier, and you can trust it. I’ve read a lot about food additives and organic is the only way I could go.
Is organic the way forward?If you start organic, you can remain organic. It’s much easier.
Are you certified?Yes. I approached the
Soil Association, and now that I’m associated I’m audited every year.
It’s an unusual name for a health food company…It’s the pet name of an ex-boyfriend! But it fitted.
Where do you source your ingredients?I started with health food shops, but now I use wholesalers. In the future I’d like to import ingredients myself directly, from – say – Sri Lanka.
And what sort of delights can you tempt us with?At the moment I have four muesli flavours (raisins, cranberries, blueberries, dates), four granola (ginger, orange, lemon, dates) and three porridge flavours (prunes, dates, cherry and coconut). There are more to come.
Do you have serving suggestions?The cranberry muesli is great with freshly squeezed orange juice and yogurt, the blueberry muesli with apple juice, and rice milk goes with the porridge.
Where do you sell your wholesome products?At
Borough Market (London’s famous market); Windsor Castle’s Farm Shop;
Daylesford Organic.
It sounds rather upmarket.I didn’t want it to be posh, but it ended up being so. My regulars and me have expensive tastes! I also do a couple of festivals, such as the
Real Food Festival, Bristol Organic Fair in September,
Sunrise,
Glade, maybe
Bestival, but I get a lot of my custom from Borough – twenty thousand people visit at the weekend.
Where else would you like your products featured?I’d love to get them into schools and hospitals. I’m all for the community, and helping people in need.
The product itself seems very healthy.The nutritional content is great. I use coconut oil, which is the only oil that keeps its structure when cooked at a high temperature, so it maintains lots of lineoic acid (found in Omega-3 fatty acids). My products contain fibre and fruit – and hemp and flaxseeds which are which are also great sources of Omega-3.
Have you had an opportunity to expand your business futher?I’m planning on people being able to buy online at some point, but if I get any bigger I’ll have to outsource. I’ve had offers from bigger companies to buy in but I've said no to expansion so far; it’s about integrity, not so much the need to be in control, but to be on one-to-one terms with the buyers. It’s more personal that way. I prefer to grow organically – excuse the pun – so for now, Mini Magoo will stay mini!
Is there a community of small producers?Yes, definitely at Borough Market.
What small company is your inspiration?Green & Blacks started small and remained an ethical company.
What advice would you give to budding small producers?Be tenacious. Enjoy your work as play.
Is there anything missing from your life right now?There’s nothing I would love more than an Aga.