Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Kapoor and Theresa Halliburton.
Kristen and Theresa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As co-founders of Flouwer Co. we met as neighbors but became friends over a shared enjoyment for entertaining others through food and socializing. We started out styling cheese and charcuterie boards and were simply looking for ways to set ourselves apart with fun and unique ideas. Theresa is an avid gardener and thought of incorporating edible flowers into our recipes and when we started baking our artisanal crackers, we knew we had stumbled upon something special.
We began supplying local restaurants with our Flouwer Co. Artisanal Crackers in 2019. Shortly after, we were being asked where individuals could purchase a box, so we decided to expand into our retail line this year. Although it has been a wild ride to say the least, especially given the challenges presented by COVID-19, we are thankful every day to be able to build a business that truly represents who we are and what we enjoy doing. We still love to see how interested and excited people are when they find out they are eating edible flowers – the food itself becomes a topic of conversation.
We have big plans for Flouwer Co. that include expanding our product line into new cracker flavors, additional food items as well as products for your home and garden. We also want to inspire others by sharing simple recipes, entertaining tips, and gardening methods through our blog. At the end of the day, food and flowers make people happy so why not combine the two?
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Has it been a smooth road? Ha! Nothing has been simple about launching this business, but we both knew it wouldn’t be easy. There are the usual struggles around becoming a food manufacturer and the complexities of finances and taxes, but what we feel has been most challenging is simply cutting through and getting our products out into the world. We have fun and unique products, but reaching your ideal customers is definitely a challenge with the vacuum that is the Internet and social media.
Another specific challenge has been sourcing large quantities of quality edible flowers. Edible flowers must be organic and tend to be very pricey so finding the right farming partners who share our same values of quality and strong advocacy for locally and organically grown food has been a challenge. Also, COVID-19 has obviously complicated everything, but now that our product has found its way to some very exciting shops and restaurants, all we want to do is connect with people and see what people think. That personal connection is obviously missing at the moment so we will have a lot of making up to do as soon as we are able.
Flouwer Co. – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
With Flouwer Co., what we specialize in is also what sets us apart. There are very few companies that utilize edible flowers so there is certainly a gap in the market for our products. We also want to inspire people at home and prove that you do not have to be a trained chef to add a little fun to even the simplest of recipes.
Our first product was our Flouwer Co. Artisanal Crackers that are vegan-friendly and handmade in small batches with a limited list of simple ingredients. Our flagship flavor is called No.1 and it is full of edible flowers as well as garden herbs like rosemary, dill, basil and chive.
We have expanded to include Flouwer Co. Grow-At-Home Edible Flower Seeds as well as our brand new Flouwer Co. Edible Flower Sprinkles that are now available this month! We also have new and very exciting cracker flavors slated to launch in early 2021.
We are most proud of two things; our limited, clean, vegan-friendly ingredient list and our eco-friendly packaging. Regarding our ingredients, in addition to the herbs and edible flowers, we have a shortlist of five easy to identify ingredients. Our cracker packaging is made up entirely of recycled and recyclable paper and biodegradable cellophane to minimize our waste and effects on the environment.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
We have really strived to celebrate every milestone along the way. From our first sale, to our first food show, to the time we were actually served our own crackers while we were dining out at a restaurant. There have been so many moments to be proud of and we hope to never, never lose sight of that. We are proof that you do not have to stay in your lane; if you are passionate about something and willing to pursue it, the rewards can be very fulfilling.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.flouwerco.com
- Phone: (720) 295-9026
- Email: admin@flouwerco.com
- Instagram: flouwer.co
- Facebook: Flouwer Co.
Image Credit:
Step Beyond Studios
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