Hello, my name is Maciek and I co-founded Get Wonky with my Fiancé Karina. Get Wonky is a sustainable drinks company that makes fruit juices out of wonky fruit and vegetables. Our delicious flavoured juices are made from irregularly shaped apples, strawberries, chokeberries and beetroots that would otherwise go to waste. By packaging our drinks in 100% recyclable glass bottles, we also aim to reduce package waste by 70%.
Where did the inspiration for Get Wonky come from?
The inspiration for Get Wonky came from a Love Food Hate Waste poster, which stated that over “4.4 million Apples get wasted every day”. We were shocked by this figure and wanted to do something to help tackle the growing problem of waste and inefficiency in food and drink production.
What support have you received from Big Ideas Wales?
We both studied at the University of South Wales and decided to stay in Wales to start up our business due to the huge amount of help and support provided by the Welsh Government and organisations like Big Ideas Wales. Big Idea Wales have provided us with both advice and funding. We have received one-to-one support and benefited from several of their events we have been invited to attend. They have been invaluable in helping us reach our potential and make our dreams become reality.
Have you made any mistakes? If so, what did you learn?
We have started our business with £800 and despite that we managed to grow quickly. However, if we secured investment after the official launch, we would grow much faster. We decided to wait a bit in order to retain the full control over the business.
“4.4 million Apples get wasted every day”
What has been the best piece of advice you have been given?
Keep selling.
What motivates you?
We have always had a bold entrepreneurial spirit and been passionate about business with a desire to want to work for ourselves. We are passionate about making a positive change, therefore our main motivation is helping to reduce food waste and tackling environmental issues.
What advice would you give someone thinking of starting a business?
To just go ahead and do it! Business is about taking calculated risks and being brave enough to act on your ideas. There is also a lot of help and support out there for budding entrepreneurs in Wales, which makes Wales a fantastic country to start a business. I would suggest doing research and seeing if you are eligible for any grants or support from organisations like Big Ideas Wales, as it can really help make a difference to the success and speed of growth of your business.
We both studied at the University of South Wales and decided to stay in Wales to start up our business due to the huge amount of help and support provided by the Welsh Government and organisations like Big Ideas Wales.
Would you of done anything differently in hindsight?
No, but it would be much easier if we had some initial investment in place.
What are your future plans?
We are on track to secure investment very soon to rebrand and relaunch with different drinks formats. We are also thinking about our own site here in Wales, but that’s our secret!