The doughnut company making tasty treats for everyone

Borough 22 Doughnuts is a company specialising in allergen-free doughnuts, calling itself the most inclusive doughnut company in the UK. It makes doughnuts for everyone, including people with allergies such as gluten intolerances, and coeliacs.

The company's doughnuts are plant-based, vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, egg-free, Halal-friendly and Kosher-certified – all in service of its mission to provide safe, inclusive treats that in no way compromise on taste.

Founder and CEO Ryan Panchoo applied to the Uber Black Business Fund for financial support that would enable him to spread the company's mission and message far and wide. Here's his story.

How the Black Business Fund helped Ryan

How has the grant helped you expand production or reach new customers?

The Black Business Fund supported in the development of our marketing team and paid for a marketing manager and someone who can push our digital marketing.

What challenges did you face prior to the grant?

We had an amazing product and we relied on our existing customer base to spread the good news. As a gluten-free vegan bakery, it was important to get our message far and wide and this is where marketing became integral to our business growth.

Were there any significant product development or branding efforts that the grant money made possible?

Without the grant money, I wouldn't have had the capacity to focus on digital marketing and PR. I could only do this through the support of a grant.

How has the grant influenced your ability to cater to a wider customer base or offer new products?

We have introduced new customers through Tik Tok and Instagram. We also started a gifting campaign to share our product with people who would be passionate about our brand and spread our story with their communities.

Have you been able to invest in any specific marketing campaigns or partnerships since receiving the grant?

Yes, absolutely. We introduced digital marketing as a new strand of our activity, which wasn't possible without the cash injection.

How do you see this grant fuelling your long-term growth?

We've continued to grow our marketing and have also benefited from an entire rebrand this year, which has supported us in our long-term growth and visibility.

Watch the video to learn more about Ryan's story.

Transcript

Tell us about your business.

My name is Ryan Panchoo. I am the founder and CEO of Borough 22 Doughnuts. We specialise in allergen-free doughnuts, the most inclusive doughnut company in the UK. Our doughnuts are suitable for those with allergies such as gluten intolerances, and coeliacs.

It's plant based, vegan, soy free, dairy free, egg free, all of the above, and we're Halal friendly and Kosher certified.

How has winning a Black Business Fund grant helped your business?

So this year, we were successful in winning the Uber Black Business Fund, and it's helped our business in so many ways. The business has always been a one-man band. It's just been me and I've been wearing multiple different hats.

One of which was marketing. When we moved from a domestic kitchen to a commercial space, I needed to have someone take that over and run it for me properly. Winning the grant allowed me to hire a marketing manager and a PR team.

We then worked on a marketing strategy that we've been able to implement across our company, and we've also even had a rebrand.

So if you haven't applied for the Black Business Fund already, I'd encourage everybody to do so. What are you waiting for?

Apply to the Black Business Fund today

Want £10,000 to give your business a much-needed boost during this difficult time of trading? Find out how to apply