Hemp food company business success

By NDJJosephW 
Source: northdevonjournal.co.uk

SINCE film producer Glynis Murray and director of photography husband Henry Braham introduced hemp oil to the masses, their product range has grown to include protein shakes and milk.

Glynis and Henry co-founded Braham and Murray, which owns Good Hemp Food.

The company began utilising the growing variety of the cannabis plant to offer an organic, wholesome alternative to established culinary oils after purchasing Collabear Farm in Tawstock, near Barnstaple, in 1996.

The pair met while working on a commercial 21 years ago, and have worked on the films Nanny McPhee, Everybody’s Fine with Robert De Niro and Brit-flicks such as Shooting Fish and Waking Ned.

And since the success of their flagship product – oil described by TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as the “British olive oil” and praised by Jamie Oliver – they have taken on a team of local talent, expanded their product range and managed to stay behind the camera while things flourish on the farm.

Glynis said: “We employ 12 local people, that is a side of it which has really grown.

“Now the company is bigger, it is so much easier to step back and let others do the day to day work – for us to have two hats on.

“The hemp oil continues to do well and you will find it in many supermarkets. It is a slow burner.

“But we also now make hemp milk from the same seed and hemp protein, which is an incredibly successful product because it is such a growing market.”

Hemp is a sustainable and profitable crop and the pair began growing it for fibre used in the BMW 5 and 3 series cars.

But having picked and tasted the hemp seeds in the fields they were inspired to create Omega 3-rich oil which has a nutty, earthy flavour with no bitterness.

It can be used in dressings or for cooking.

Jamie Oliver once poured it on ice cream and Glynis said it is healthier than olive oil.

Meanwhile, the secret to the success of the hemp protein products lies in the changing profile of the typical protein supplement customer.

While bodybuilders began mixing powder into shakes to help bulk up after a big work out, over the last three or four years other groups such as gym-going students and jogging mums have seen the benefits and looked around for healthy alternatives.

And it is the same for the milk, as those put off by dairy began to be similarly deterred by its main alternative – soya milk.

“People are looking at our product as an alternative to soya milk and the protein is doing really well as there are so many groups looking to buy it,” said Glynis.

“Soya milk has a bit of a bad reputation, rainforest has to be cut down to make it and it contains oestrogen, which puts some men off.

“Our hemp milk is completely natural, full of goodness and omega 3.”

Looking ahead, Glynis and Henry have the possible option of expanding another product, snack hemp seeds which have a taste similar to pine nuts.

And there are opportunities overseas, with Good products being sold in Holland, France and America, a nation with a big whole foods market to expand into.

Glynis added: “It is great to see something that you started on your own farm growing becoming a well-recognised brand and the people we employ enjoying the job and flourishing.

“You never stop getting a thrill from going for your weekend shop and seeing your own product on the shelves.”