Andrea Perrier & Kelly Macleod, Pure Gourmet, Food, The Story ExchangeYour Name: Andrea Perrier & Kelly Macleod

Business Name: Pure Gourmet, a maker of pure sorbets and gelatos

Type of Business: Food & Beverage

Business Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Website puregourmetfoods.com
Twitter @puregourmet
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PureGourmet
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/puregourmet/

Reason for starting
We started out of the desire to have frozen convenient foods for busy people like us that didn’t have any ridiculous ingredients or flavor additives. We wanted an All Natural and High End product that also tasted GOOD!! And Pure Gourmet was born.

How do you define success?
We define success first by seeing the pleasure on peoples faces when they first taste our product. Secondly we would say true success is knowing that our beliefs of providing a purely pleasurable, delicious & all natural “No Funny Stuff” product is what consumers like us want and repeatedly buy. This brings us Joy and Joy is Success!

Biggest Success
Our biggest success thus far was when we went from a few Whole Foods stores in the Mid Atlantic carrying only 4 flavors to them giving us a whole shelf (7 flavors) to then increasing to a total of 3 Regions thus far. They are very supportive of local companies but you still must meet their sales requirements.

What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it?
We feel our top challenges are breaking into competitive distribution as well as funding large chain slotting fees. We are addressing the distribution issue by using key brokers with particular experience in ice cream. Slotting fees are being addressed with the addition of outside investment.

Who is your most important role model?
For me (Andrea) it would have to be Bethany Frankel of Skinny Girl Cocktails. Her tenacity inspires me.