She borrowed £6,000 from a friend and did not pay herself for two years

Ros Heathcote started making bone broth at home in her thirties after developing allergies and being advised to focus on gut health. The recipe came down from her great grandmother. Making it was a return to something familiar rather than a business idea.

The idea arrived in a conversation with the local butcher she was collecting bones from. He mentioned that most of their bones were being thrown away and incinerated. She registered the business within hours and started hunting for kitchen space.

The funding was £6,000 borrowed from a friend, enough for a small rented kitchen and essential equipment. That friend is still a shareholder. She did not pay herself for two years, kept working full time, moved into a house share, and put everything she earned back into the business.

She came from data analytics at Coca-Cola rather than food or business school, and told SME Magazine that what mattered was gut instinct, in both senses.

“He mentioned they were throwing away and incinerating most of their bones. That stopped me in my tracks. Within hours, I'd registered the business.”

Ros Heathcote, speaking to SME Magazine