Oaknut
It is fair to say that recent events have affected each and every one of our lives in some way. Although many of us are back into our old routines, others have taken this opportunity to change their lives. This is most certainly true for Bryan Phillips - owner of Oaknut. Here is his story…
Before…
Just over a year ago Bryan worked in financial services, involved with product development. He worked hard with long hours and by the time he got home was generally stressed and tired. It’s a familiar story. However, Covid hit and everything changed. This enforced period of being at home made Bryan realise that there really was so much more to life! Unhappy with his lifestyle and wanting to embrace a new healthy way of living, while being able to spend more quality time with his family, he sought a new adventure - in acorns!
Bryan said “During lockdown I was really unhappy with how I was living my life and took a hard look at my values. I decided I wanted to focus more on an eco-friendly lifestyle which includes incorporating native and seasonal foods into our eating habits and generally being more positive and live by the values I truly believe in.”
During…
While out for a walk one day in 2020, Bryan noticed that acorns were in particular abundance and was curious if they were edible, so began to learn more about them. What he discovered is that Oak trees have a cycle where every 6 or 7 years they will have a very healthy crop, a mast year, with 2020 being one of them. Although acorns are not good for us raw, Bryan found out that once leached, they actually have a number of health benefits. In fact, acorns formed part of our ancestors diets and still do in many countries across Europe and indeed the world.
The more he researched the subject, the more interested he became and began to process acorns himself to turn them into hot drinks, as an alternative to tea or coffee, and discovering that acorns from different species of Oak have a different flavour. Most importantly once processed, acorns can actually provide an energy boost, but without the caffeine. They are also low in salt, low in sugar and high in dietary fibre.
With this in mind, the concept of Oaknut was born.
The challenges…
Every new business venture comes with its own challenges but when you are trying to set up a new concept and unable to travel it makes it even harder!
Bryan said “Trying to grow a new business through lockdown was very challenging. We needed to build relationships with our suppliers and that is harder to do when you can only speak to them on the phone or online. Normally you would build these relationships face to face but it just wasn’t possible.
“Also, as acorn harvesting is seasonal, it is important to be able to source and store the amount required to last until the next harvest and unsurprisingly acorn harvesting is not that commonplace. In the UK, the amount of the crop in 2021 will be far less than 2020 although this will increase again over the next few years and we are working with some landowners to experiment harvesting English Oak acorns. These are all considerations when preparing for supply and demand.””
After…
Following intense testing, Bryan perfected his first hot drink infused with Portuguese acorns. It is this concept that he has now turned into the first product being launched by Oaknut - the Original Roast.
The Oaknut Original Roast is now on sale in a local eco-friendly refill pantry shop in Bryan’s home town in Hertfordshire. They have also launched their website (www.oaknutliving.com) where you can find out more about them and order their products online.
Although the choice is currently limited, Bryan plans to offer a range of acorn based infusions and food. His ideal is to provide a native drink from acorns harvested in the UK, as well as acorn energy bars which are currently being tried and tested.
Where we came in…
Oaknut is all about making the most of what nature provides us and in their packaging they wanted to ensure that the material they used was not harmful to the environment. The bags used are from a biodegradable material and Bryan wanted the labels to also be biodegradable. He tried to source a label printer locally, however, the adhesive used was not biodegradable, so his search went further afield and found us - the GREEN LABEL company.
He saw that we could offer fully biodegradable labels, adhesive and all. Bryan is so happy to have been able to stick to his values with regard to eco-friendly packaging and with the labels we printed for him and said…
“The GREEN LABEL company surpassed my expectations, offering a very professional and efficient service end to end. The labels are both high quality and 100% degradable at a competitive price, which was exactly what I was looking for and not something that is easy to find. Thank you.”
Make the change
Maybe you are looking to bring a new concept to life or even change your life. Either way, considering the environment in everything we do should be a top priority. There are many ways that subtle changes can be made to reduce the negative impact on the environment, choosing eco-friendly labels is just one of them. We asked Bryan how he feels now:
“Making such a life change was daunting but such a positive move because I want to be there for my family and live by my values. I want to enjoy everyday.”
To find out more about Oaknut or purchase their Acorn Infusion Original Roast, visit their website here. Or you can follow their journey on Instagram.
To find out more about biodegradable labels, get in touch with us, we will be very happy to hear from you and support you in your efforts to be coming more eco-friendly!
