Emerging category - Cully & Sully

Entrepreneur: Colum O'Sullivan and Cullen Allen
Business Activity: Food Production

Established in 2004, Cully and Sully supply a range of restaurant endorsed prepared meals to retail outlets throughout Ireland. Friends since childhood their business concept stemmed from witnessing the success of Column’s mum’s Granary food store based in Cork.

The company has a range of six prepared meals, one of which is Sherpard’s pie and deemed a huge success.  In September 2005, it launched its patented pub food concept which is currently available in over 100 pubs throughout Ireland. This concept allows publicans who do not have kitchens to serve Cully & Sully pies to their customers.

Over the coming months Cully and Sully will launch a number of new pies including Beef & Stout pie and will be launching products into other areas of the convenience category. 

The company supplies over 100 public houses, and approximately 500 shops nationwide including SuperValu, Centra, Superquinn, Dunnes Stores, Spar and a host of independent shops.

Entrepreneurial Questions

What vision prompted you to start your business?
We both wanted to start a food business. We had loads of different ideas but constantly came back to the success of the Granary and why so many people who had plenty of time to cook still bought meals from Sully’s mum. We were convinced that if we could use the expertise of Ballymaloe and The Granary to develop a range of meals then surely there would be a massive demand.

Describe your progression from start up to your current status?
We are still very much a start up company and will be only 2 years selling pies this September. It’s been a complete rollercoaster ride with plenty of highs and lows In Sep 2005 we launched the pub concept and in February 2006 we launched into the Dutch market.

What was the biggest risk you have taken?
We were resolute about retaining full ownership of the company so that we could develop it the way we wanted and not have to answer to venture capitalists and so on. So we both personally had to borrow more money than we could ever afford.

What has contributed to your success?
Being the face of the company has probably been very important. Now, with all the massive companies out there, there is less of a connection between the customer and the producer. For the first 9 months we both spent every Thurs, Fri and Saturday in supermarkets around the country doing demonstrations, answering questions and promoting the product. It was exhausting but totally worth it.

What is your biggest business achievement?
The fact that we are still in existence!

What is the best piece of business advice ever received?
Never compromise on quality – Myrtle Allen

Express the biggest challenge you see?
The fickle nature of the food market and the lack of knowledge that exists amongst young people about food. Every month there’s a new trend – GI diet, low fat, low carb, atkins, low salt, etc etc. People are being educated by big companies about food rather than at home/school and so are not able to make proper decisions. So many young people have lost the ability to really taste food.

Name a famous international entrepreneur you admire and why?
Jamie Oliver. He’s done wonders for raising the knowledge, interest and accessibility to food all over the world. He is a tireless worker and actually cares about food.

How do you recharge your batteries?
Catching mackerel in West Cork and cooking them onboard somebody else’s boat at sunset!