Liam Watson

Q: What in your background prepared you for this startup?

Believe it or not I originally trained as an herbalist. I manufactured plant-based supplements selling to independents nationwide, along with Tesco and Amazon. How natural medicine could fuel and support the body always fascinated me. At the same time, I also set up my own milkshake shop called Shake’n. Throughout the years I saw that there was a gap in the market for a 100 per cent natural milkshake. I’m not one to shy away from a challenge, so I took my knowledge and experience on milkshakes and herbal medicine and brought them together to create Canny.

Q: What features of the flavoured milk market made you interested in producing your own?

The fact the there wasn’t anything truly natural. Certain ingredients that are currently used are not natural due to over processing. I wanted to take something that is loved by so many and create a product that was without question, 100 per cent natural – the flavour, the colour, everything.

 Q: What do you consider your greatest achievement/greatest challenge?

So far I’d say moving from a PET bottle to a Tetra Pak with a Dream Cap. This packaging is more sustainable and environmentally friendly than a PET. I used to have to handfill the bottles and knew nothing about machines or processing on a large scale. Moving to a Tetra Pak and educating myself along the way has been a challenge but 100 per cent worth the effort.

 Q: How is social media helping to sell the brand?

We love social media. Being a start-up, it’s crucial, most importantly to keep in touch directly with the people that drink us as well as getting on other people’s radars. It also gives us the chance to show the public our personality, who we are at the heart of Canny, which is important when creating a sustainable brand. And we are “always canny, never nasty”.

Q: What flavours/products are you looking to expand into?

We are always experimenting but we can’t say much yet, plus we are still so new we need to educate people into what Canny is all about.

 Q: What do you think of the British dairy market?

Having recently been lucky enough to travel to some other dairy markets, I think the processing and standard of milk is second to none. However, pricing continues to be an area of focus.

 Q: What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day starts at 6 am, getting into the office for 7. First working through the nights emails before 8, at around 7.30 I get an email with up to date stock holding, and recent sales. Checking social media stats and any interactions online. From then on, it’s making sure we are getting to the right places at the right times, and growing our ‘family’. I normally finish around 7pm.

 Q: Outside of work, what are your hobbies/interests?

I will always be passionate about health and fitness. Having come from a background of herbal medicine, it will be something that will always stay with me. That being said, I am a typical Geordie bloke, so I also love food; trying new recipes and finding amazing food haunts in Newcastle. I am just like every other bloke really, always up for trying something new or different. Other interests are mountain biking, playing the drums (I learnt when I was in school), and seeing mates for a couple of drinks on the weekend – all just the usual. But really my main interest right now is seeing Canny grow from strength to strength. I love what I do, I love what we have created and I love seeing Canny take over the world, one milkshake at a time.

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