With iced coffee generally being known as sugary, laden with additives and just not great for your health, Minor Figures have certainly filled the gap in providing us with the healthiest and most delicious tasting cold brew coffee we’ve ever had!
Not only is their product healthy and great tasting, but Minor Figures have hit the ground running, winning ‘The Most Innovative Product’ at the London Coffee Festival and also the ‘Best Retailers Product’ at the 2016 Retailers Choice Awards – they are a product not to be missed.
We featured Minor Figures in our Spring Box and it was an absolute hit, so we decided to interview one of the founders, Jonathan, to tell us their story!
Tell us a bit about the people behind Minor Figures
With a shared love of coffee and Biggie Smalls*, Minor Figures was started by Stuart, Will and me (Jonathan) in London in 2014. Stuart is an Aussie who ran KeepCup In Europe, Will, a talented barista and even more talented jazz musician, and myself, an Aussie who was previously running a tea business in London. Although 2 of the 3 founders are Australian, we were all in London when we started the business, however I have returned to Australia to bring Minor Figures home.
*the name Minor Figures was inspired by Biggie Smalls’ song Warning.
What would an average day in the life look like for you?
It is probably cliché but there really is no such thing as an average day. For example my to-do list today covers sales, finance, shipping, PR, point of sale development, deliveries, stock-take, packaging printing and new product development. Tomorrow will be completely different.
Woah! A crazy day indeed! How do you maintain your own health and wellbeing whilst being so busy?
Running along the beach, Crossfit (shout out to Crossfit StKilda), meditation and I try to eat as well as I can. At our brewery we have a newly installed chin up bar (which we are rubbish at) and play the odd game cricket in the car park.
What inspired you to want to start Minor Figures?
Initially it was our shared love of coffee. But also creating a portable high quality iced coffee using the cold brew method as an alternative to the ubiquitous high sugar, additive laden and junky iced coffees that are made with coffee powder/coffee syrup.
What have been your biggest trials so far?
The biggest trial for us has been knowing when to bet big. Backing an idea or hunch and going “chips in”. These moments are a true test of our convictions.
Here at Retreat Yourself, we LOVE dreaming BIG – what is your vision for Minor Figures?
We want to be the leading cold brew coffee brand in every country that we are in and in doing that get people from those countries drinking higher quality and healthier iced coffee. Mainstream is often seen a dirty word but for us mainstreaming cold brew coffee is the way we can make the biggest impact.
For anyone out there wanting to start their own business, what would your biggest piece of advice be?
Make sure you have business partners you can learn from, you can rely on and are equally as passionate about your business as you.
Want to check them out?
www.minorfigures.com
Instagram.com/minorfigures
Facebook.com/minorfigures