We’ve come a long way from our humble beginnings in a garage back in 1992. Fast forward 30 years, and TasteTech is now a strong and reputable company of over 70 people. We’re still based in Bristol, run by the same family that founded us. Today we ship our industry-leading products to 43 countries around the globe.
Our Managing Director Janis Sinton has been with us from the very beginning. Her husband, Roger, founded the company. Here, she reflects on three decades in the industry.
Take us back to the beginning – how did the business start?
“My late husband Roger trained as a Food Technologist. He moved to Bristol in 1988 to become Managing Director of an American flavour company called Fries and Fries – which actually operated from the same site in Bristol where TasteTech is based now. I stayed in Bury St Edmunds with our three children, who were aged 3, 5, and 7 at the time, before joining him in Bristol a year later.
“Roger was made redundant from Fries and Fries in 1991, after the company closed the Bristol site. But he had spotted a gap in the market for fat encapsulation, initially for the chewing gum industry. He worked with a consultant to develop the idea, before landing a placement at KPMG, where he wrote the business plan for TasteTech and secured an investment from a firm of venture capitalists.
“Now he needed a team of people and a place of business, and the closure of Fries and Fries provided both! Roger enlisted the help of some of his former colleagues to create TasteTech. I was roped in as the company secretary, accountant, and buyer due to my numeracy skills. Next, we needed a space with a high roof to fit our machinery, and as the site in Brislington had just become available, we jumped at the opportunity.”
“In our first year we invoiced £9000 in sales. In our second year we achieved £65,000. In year three, we exceeded £300,000.”
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced?
“Setting up a manufacturing company with no guaranteed business and very little funding was tricky. For the first 5 years, we just had no idea if we would succeed. Luckily, Roger had many contacts in the industry who had great faith in him. They helped us secure the sales we needed to grow. We also had an incredible team around us.
“Stepping up as MD after Roger’s death in 2007 was tough. I knew I had a huge challenge ahead of me, but thankfully, my team rallied, and we achieved some incredible results.”
What are your highlights from 30 years of TasteTech?
“Celebrating milestones with the team has always been really enjoyable. Our 25th anniversary was particularly special – we hosted a black-tie gala at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. During the event we raised £3000 for St Peter’s Hospice.
“Every time we install new plants and equipment, we celebrate. After all, we have generated everything ourselves, by reinvesting all profits to build the company.”
“Another highlight would be the day our first container-load of product was shipped in December 2016, destined for Nigeria. To watch it go out was really special.
“Of course, our family fun day in 2011 to mark the opening of Unit 6 was very memorable. We had inflatables, face painting, a barbecue, a live band – all in our car park! Having all our colleagues and their families together for a bit of fun was lovely to see.”
What changes have you noticed in the industry?
“There has been a definite move towards healthier products. We’ve worked in the nutrition industry for a long time, and we’ve seen it become much more mainstream in its appeal. We used to call it sports nutrition but now its more of a lifestyle choice.
“This focus on healthy living has also led to a shift from synthetic flavours to natural ones. Consumers want to know exactly what’s in their food and where it came from. We’ve developed a wide variety of natural flavourings over the years. Our From-The-Named-Fruit range is also very popular.
“Another of our key markets is chewing gum, and we’ve seen big changes there too. There’s more demand for functional gums with added active ingredients, as well as the development of natural gum base as opposed to synthetic ones.
“Generally, products have improved over the last 30 years. They are technically more complicated, higher quality, and better tasting. This has led to a lot of innovation – for example, in flavoured chocolates. We created flavour8 in 2016 to help with this.
“Moving forward, I expect we’ll see more opportunities in specialised health foods, such as those designed to support gut health.”
Has the purpose of the business changed at all?
“For me, it’s always been about the people. We’re a family business and we’ve always valued our community. I’ve made some lifelong friends through this business. All of my three children have worked at TasteTech at some point in their lives. We wanted to create a legacy for them.”
“From the beginning, we set out to build a business that was sustainable into the future. We didn’t want to get to a certain point and then sell it on. We’ve always looked for projects that have potential and that could enable us to innovate further. We’re always developing. Always coming up with new ideas.”
