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It’s no secret that young professionals have begun to prefer the flexibility of working from home.
But the power of working in the office is far from over – at least that’s what entrepreneurs Jamie Laing and Edward Williams, who run the cat-shaped confectionery brand Candy Kittens, think.
Jamie Laing, who rose to fame on reality TV show Made in Chelsea and now presents Radio 1’s Going Home program alongside Matt Edmondson, started Candy Kittens with co-founder Ed Williams in 2012.
The company, which specializes in vegan sweets, has since signed deals with retailers including Selfridges, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose, and launched partnerships with major brands such as Brewdog and Netflix.
It has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years, with revenues of £12m in 2023, up from £9.4m in 2022.
It also became one of the first B Corp-certified candy brands in October 2022, with a 30 percent increase in brand awareness by 2023.
Sweet factory
Sitting with the two co-founders in their recently opened Marylebone HQ, unironically called The Sweet Factory, I come to realize that their focus on good work culture may just be part of the secret behind the brand’s recent success.
The Sweet Factory is home to a diverse portfolio of ventures beyond Candy Kittens, including Laing’s podcast group Jampot Productions and investment firm Tuckshop.
“I think we do our best when we’re happy,” Williams, 35, says.
“People used to go to an office and couldn’t wait to get back out, (but) people actually want to stay here and I think that’s the difference.”
Having all three brands under one roof may raise questions about what a day in the office might look like, but both Laing and Williams seem confident that their concept of (quite colorful) collaboration seems to be working to their advantage.
“People talk about offices being dead and I question that in the same way that people talk about retail being dead — retail is dead when it’s done poorly,” says Williams.
“Offices are dead when they’re crappy old offices … but we’re proof that offices are alive and kicking,” he adds.
Putting your ego aside
One might question why Laing, 35, would venture into the confectionary field after building quite a long and influential career on television.
When he met Williams in a pub just over a decade ago, however, everything started to fall into place – especially given that he had the idea and Williams had the plan.
“We kind of had two different sides of the same idea and it came together from there and just snowballed,” Williams says.
“What was so great is that Ed and I both had a huge appetite for risk. We were always going to be entrepreneurs,” adds Laing.
But while the two are adamant that “everyone brings their own thing to the table”, Laing – who has always been seen as the face of the brand – says that the most important thing from the start was putting the concept of ego aside.
He adds: “We took the ego right away, which I think is so important. I think the reason many businesses fail is because of ego.”
Build for the long term
It took nearly two years to develop Candy Kitten’s first product, but that didn’t stop the two from connecting with their desired audience right from the start through growing social media channels and various in-person pop-ups.
“When the product eventually came out, they wanted to buy it because they wanted to support the people, not because they were desperate to try a new sweet,” says William.
To achieve its goal of becoming a successful and leading candy brand, it was all about creating a strategy that was sustainable for long-term growth.
He adds: “We didn’t just rely on Jamie’s name and profile. If we had, we could have slapped his face on the front of a bag, sold a million bags of candy and been like yeah, clear, happy days.
Resume
Name: Jamie Laing
Business: Candy kittens
Based: Candy kittens
Title: Co-founder
Age: 35
Born: Oxford
Living: London
Studied: University of Leeds
Talents: Random facts
Motto: The safe bet kills ambition
Best known for: Being a good conversation partner
First ambition: To open a candy store
Favorite Book: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
Best advice: Trades are paid in two currencies, cash and experience, take the experience first and the cash comes later
Name: Ed Williams
Business: Candy kittens
Based: Candy kittens
Title: Co-founder and CEO
Age: 35
Born: Caerphilly, South Wales
Living: Oxfordshire
Studied: Loughborough University
Talents: Find trends and build brands
Motto: Better is possible
Best known for: Being Jamie Laing’s sensible business partner
First ambition: Always wanted to be an architect
Favorite book: Bread and butter by Tim Roupell
Best advice: There are no shortcuts, hard work beats talent!