The Munich startup The Fresh Manufactory delivers fruit salads that last for ten days — and taste good too (Editor's note: We tasted a week-old fruit salad, and it tasted really fresh!). Founder Dr. Jenny Müller tells us what else there is to know besides the new packaging technology, which has been patented.
1. Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Jenny (33). I have a doctorate in marketing and, before founding my startup, I worked for five years in corporate development and strategy at the REWE Group. It was a lot of fun. During my time there, I also noticed that there was no brand for freshly cut fruit, only the supermarkets' own brands.
That's when I came up with the idea of founding my own startup and creating such a brand. I love fruit and am happy when I don't have to cut it myself 😉.
It quickly became clear that if I wanted to pursue this, I needed support from someone who knew a thing or two about food. During my sabbatical in Indonesia, I therefore remotely sought out a co-founder. Anna Gruber (30), a nutritionist, came up. She is well-versed in product development, hygiene, and quality assurance, making her the ideal addition to my team.
Innovative fruit salad?
2. But that's been around for a long time!
You might think so, but there actually isn't a dedicated brand for freshly cut fruit salad yet. What's true: Supermarkets have been offering cut fruit for a long time. However, only from their own brands, such as REWE and EDEKA, and the quality varies greatly: Sometimes the fruit is really good, sometimes it just tastes old and no longer fresh. I was often dissatisfied with the selection—once I only got fermented strawberries in my cup. ÖKO-TEST agrees: They tested the product in March 2016. Some of the samples were even rotten.
We want to change that: We offer reliable, high-quality products that we want to offer in supermarkets throughout Germany. We want to become the Ritter Sport chocolate of fruit salads, so to speak.
A new packaging technology
Our fresh-cut fruit stays fresh and crisp for ten days. We achieve this through extremely hygienic production, a vitamin C coating, and a protective gas atmosphere. We've also applied for a patent for a packaging solution that mechanically extends the shelf life of our fresh-cut fruit. The ten days of freshness are particularly important to us because they allow us to significantly reduce food waste, which is still very high in this sector.
3. What are the three main ingredients for your recipe for success?
Very high quality standards, a strong brand and a good team.
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
We're really happy with the development at the moment. We started product development in February in cooperation with Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences and have now found a recipe that offers high quality and naturalness. We're now waiting for our own packaging machine and will start selling in the fall.
Munich residents can test in advance
To all Munich residents: feel free to stop by FrischFutter on Marsstraße, where we can use the kitchen and our fruit salads will soon be available for purchase.
5. What does Munich mean to you?
Munich means home to me. I grew up here and am happy to be back after ten years of touring Germany.
From a purely professional perspective, I think Munich is a good place to build a startup: There are many good institutions that help you, such as Baystartup, accelerators (we are currently in Burda Bootcamp) and friendly, helpful co-startups. We feel really comfortable here.
The baby unicorn is fed with fruit
6. How will your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
Good question. We're currently working on a tiny baby unicorn. Our next goal is to get sales going. We're putting all our energy and love into that. If they don't sell, which we certainly hope won't, we'll be happy to talk about what we underestimated at a fail night.
7. Hiking or beer garden?
Clearly: hiking – with our fresh-cut fruit in your backpack 😉.
