Celebrating Welsh Start Ups: Roots

13/03/23

In this week’s celebration of Welsh entrepreneurs, Business in Focus presents, Sami Gibson, a single mother and entrepreneur who set up her own business, Roots.

At Roots you can find fresh herbs and spices that are naturally and locally grown in West Wales. Sami was always passionate about nature whilst she was growing up and recalls harvesting wild berries and fruits for wines and desserts with her grandmother. Being an avid traveller, she accumulated an abundance of knowledge about farming from her travels to Canada, Nicaragua, and the Isles of Scilly.

Determined to build a self-sufficient and independent life, Sami brought her passion for farming and nature together and decided to start her entrepreneurial journey and set up her business. Roots primarily grows herbs and spices but also produces blends such as stuffing herb mixes with wild bilberries, a nasturtium salt, and pizza sauce among other things.

Sami went through numerous challenges and had given up the idea of setting up her business as she lived in a rural area and had no access to a laptop or internet connectivity, when she approached Business Wales.

With the help of an expert business advisor and 1-2-1 support, Sami came up with a business plan and a cash flow projection for her business. She also received funding through the Barriers to Start up Grant with which she purchased equipment and marketing materials.

“I couldn’t have achieved any of this without Business Wales and their support has been invaluable. I now have my own website and trade regularly at markets. This project is a dream come true and as I watch the herbs flourish, the biodiversity boom and the food miles shrink, I feel blessed to be able to provide affordable, healthy ingredients which go from field to packet in a matter of hours with no chemicals involved.”

If you have a dream to create a business, Business in Focus can support you. At Business in Focus, we aim to recognise home-grown talent and celebrate Welsh start-ups.