James Averdieck, as the Founder of Gü and The Coconut Collaborative, has worn many hats as an entrepreneur. His business has always inspired me. I had the pleasure of interviewing him for my blog and I am delighted for him to be the first male entrepreneur to feature on VC News.
What is your earliest memory of scent?
The one that sticks with me is the smell of “Kouros” back in the 80’s
What inspired you to go into the food industry?
I always wanted to have my own business. It’s almost impossible to start a bank or a telecoms business from scratch but the food industry is very entrepreneurial.Gü vs Coconut Collaborative - what are the similarities and differences in running these two businesses?
Gü was an instant success and was great fun. I sold it too early but as they say - better to sell on the way up than on the way down. Coconut Collaborative was slower at the start but has accelerated on the back of the plant based boom - People eat way more yogurts than desserts , so there is more growth for us and it is already a bigger business
What have you found most inspirational about London?
I’m inspired by the food scene in London. Charlotte and I love discovering new cuisines - one of our regular favourites is Palomar , modern Israeli food with lots of interesting influences (on Rupert Street)
Your favourite spots in the city?
Somerset house in winter, the Connaught Bar for a dry martini and Wimbledon common for dog walks
