Supplier Focus: Fluffy Puffin

Here at Whitewed, we love seeing businesses grow, and we are lucky to have so many talented and ambitious business owners on our directory. 

This month we asked Chris Wooldridge of Whitewed approved Fluffy Puffin, creator of simply sensational tasting, silky smooth and tailor made flavoured ice cream and sorbets, how he's built up and developed his business.

Chris brings his Michelin star training from Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett to the forefront of his modern ice cream events business, and has created unrivalled 'bespoke' wedding and event ice cream and sorbet packages, and trust us, they're absolutely A-Mazing!

Here he shares how and why he started his business, what wins and challenges he has achieved and faced, his best piece of advice in business, and how, thanks to new premises, lockdown needed to work hard for him! ...

Tell us about Fluffy Puffin, the chef behind it and what you offer

Fluffy Puffin offers a high quality dessert option for all events. Primarily specialising in bespoke ice creams and sorbet. Chris Wooldridge is the creator of Fluffy Puffin, a chef with a background in Michelin star kitchens and the hospitality sector from London to France and the Channel Islands.

Why did you start your business? 

I started the business after 12 years in the industry, running kitchens as a head chef, I knew it was only a matter of time before I cut the ties and went at it on my own. I wanted complete control and freedom. I also craved getting back to face to face hospitality.

What was your lightbulb moment when you decided to start up? 

There wasn't really a lightbulb moment, more a case of years and years of experiencing many food based events and always being very disappointed by the desserts on offer. It seemed that unless you wanted to pay top dollar in a restaurant environment, you simply couldn't find a great street food style vendor. I saw a huge gap in the market where street food was exploding, but not many people had the skills, or experience to create a dessert option.

What made you take the plunge and go for it? 

I fell seriously ill, developing viral meningitis in 2015, when my first baby was just 5 weeks old. It was a hard wake up call. I was pushing myself too hard in a restaurant environment, putting my own health and happiness in jeopardy, all to fulfill someone else's ambitions. I knew that if I was to keep pushing myself like this in an unforgiving industry, I would be doing it on my own terms.

What have you loved so far? 

Without a doubt, the biggest reward is being part of an event, particularly a wedding, where we work so closely with a couple in the build up to their day. To see it all come together and watch guests enjoying what we have created is so rewarding!

What challenges have you faced that you weren’t expecting?  How have you overcome them? 

2020 - COVID! We haven't overcome it by any means, but we are adapting to offer more options and reach a wider audience.

Has there been anything that you were expecting to find tough but it’s not been that bad? 

I was always confident that my products would be a great hit, but the day to day running of a small business was all new and felt daunting at the beginning. However, now it's really cool to learn new skills and see your creation running smoothly.

A little birdie tells me you’ve been super busy during lockdown with a new service, do tell us all about it. 

To begin with, we moved into new premises in Foxham, in March - Bad timing I know, but exciting all the same. We now offer home delivery within approximately 15-20 miles of our new HQ. We have also been creating bespoke ice cream filled celebration cakes which have been fun to make. Finally we've just invested in a quintessential English ice cream tricycle that we are busy restoring which will be available for private hire within 2 weeks' time! We're excited about this.

How else have you expanded from your original offering and why? 

The new tricycle set up will enable us to offer our services at a mid-range price point which will hopefully open up a far wider audience.

Who cheers you on? 

My wife is my biggest supporter. We're a team, she doesn't work with me day to day, but everything we do is to juggle a new business, a full time career and a young family as a team. My girls are the cutest little mascots as well, 3 and 5 years old. My parents and in-laws are all really proud as well and often vocalise this, which during these times has been great. Our customers should also have a mention as we now have a loyal and regular customer base which has enabled us to stay afloat this year.

What’s your proudest moment in business? 

Awards were never really something I considered entering or striving for when starting business, but to have won 8 different awards, from business innovation, to dessert catering and wedding industry awards is something I'm quite proud of. I don't often sit back to give myself a tap on the back, which people say I should do, but personally I find that very hard to do when there is always so much to do.

Photographer credit: The Little Photo Company

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

A footballer. Other than my family, football is my biggest love and it was all I ever dreamed of doing. I know it's a cliche and thousands of boys would say the same, but that was me. I was playing with West Ham United youth development (despite being a die hard Tottenham fan) but had to undergo knee surgery at 14 years old which ultimately put me out of the running.

What is the best advice you’ve been given? 

Too much to list... I've taken so much knowledge from so many people over the years. If I could pass any of that knowledge on though, it would be to listen to and heed advice earlier on in life. People often say that you only learn from making mistakes, which is certainly true, however I would also suggest that many mistakes could be avoided by taking advice sooner.

In your day to day role, what can’t you live without? 

Coffee in the morning and wine in the evening! hahaha.

What’s next for Fluffy Puffin? 

2021!

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It's been a delight to learn more about you and your business Chris, thank you for sharing your Fluffy Puffin story so far with us. We so admire you and all that you've achieved - and we can't wait to follow your progress and see what happens next!

From the Team at Whitewed