“It’s initially very daunting and isolating to start your own business” said Alice Harper, Founder & Director of Harper’s Health.
“I was recommended to ATI2 through Outset while searching for support to kickstart the business” she added.
Alice’s background is in nutrition where she currently works part-time as well as having studied nutrition at University; graduating with first-class honours.
She discovered tempeh while in Bali and immediately fell in love with the product; a fermented soybean which contains more protein, vitamins and fibre than tofu. It also made her wonder why it wasn’t more widely available back home in the UK. Noticing a potential gap in the market on a gap year, she set out to bring tempeh and Tempiii to the UK herself.
“I’ve worked in many jobs where I felt unfulfilled and unchallenged. I always wanted to own my own business to align my passion for healthy eating with work and life satisfaction” Alice told us.
The Tempiii product and brand ethos had to reflect Alice’s own personal values; healthy, sustainable, forward thinking and plant-based. After some initial market research, Alice learned there were no single-serving tempeh based snacks in the UK, which is exactly where Tempiii would position itself to fill that gap.
“ATI2 helped so much by putting me in touch with the right people, like a packaging supplier with a low-carbon footprint, as well as setting deadlines and keeping me accountable for meeting them” she explained.
Alice also received mentorship support, regular contact and strategy meetings, a product photoshoot and was put in touch with Access to Finance, Oxford Innovation Food & Drink and SWMAS.
“Without ATI2 I wouldn’t have heard of these schemes, it’s opened a lot of doors and accelerated me months ahead of what I could achieve on my own,” said Alice.
With the support of ATI2 and a lot of hard work from Alice, Tempiii is now available on the market with its first range of flavours: Soy, Fajita and Tandoori. Alice’s now has ambitions to expand regionally throughout Devon & Cornwall and then nationally; ideally being stocked in supermarkets for the whole UK to enjoy.
“I feel like I’ve been fast-tracked and connected with people, suppliers and organisations that I wouldn’t have without ATI2’s help,” she says.
In April 2023, ATI2 were thrilled to learn that Alice has been awarded GOLD in Taste of the West for all 3 of her Tempiii flavours.