From idea to £25m exit - Jimmy's Iced Coffee Founder, Jim Cregan
Jim Cregan built Jimmy’s Iced Coffee from scratch, spotting an untapped market, designing a product that stood out, and making its way onto the shelves of Selfridges in just 4 months.In this episode, Jim shares the founding story, the thinking behind Jimmy’s distinctive “BottleCan” packaging, and how personal touches and relentless energy helped build a brand people loved. We also dive into retail strategy, going direct-to-consumer, treating suppliers as humans, and how the £25m exit to Britvic finally came together.00:00 - Start00:59 - The founding story of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee06:04 - The iced coffee market at the time09:44 - How Jimmy designed and packaged the product12:21 - Why Jimmy’s is in “Cottles” or “BottleCans”19:56 - How Jimmy’s got into Selfridges 4 months after launching20:50 - Hustling their way into Whole Foods and other stores26:58 - How Jimmy’s got a listing in Tesco28:05 - Treating suppliers like humans31:15 - Choosing to go Direct to Consumer in addition to retail32:53 - Adding the personal details that matter34:20 - How Jim marketed Jimmy’s Iced Coffee39:39 - Jim’s advice to aspiring founders41:57 - How the £25m exit to Britvic happened
