Heavenly Tasty is ‘Pitch Perfect’

The Fintona entrepreneur behind one of the Omagh area’s most exciting up-and-coming businesses has been selected to represent Northern Ireland in the final of the UK’s biggest small business competition.

Shauna McCarney of Heavenly Tasty Organics, which manufactures organic baby weaning meals, won the Northern Ireland heat of ‘The Pitch’, which sees 80 shortlisted businesses, including 8 from the north, compete for a chance to win a prize fund valued at over £50,000.

The mum-of-two, who started the Omagh based business just four years ago, impressed with her pitch in front of a panel of judges and a live audience at Liverpool’s Maritime Museum last week.

She is now looking forward to the UK Final in London on November 16, with the other regional finalists representing England, Scotland and Wales.

Describing her win in the heat as “a marvellous endorsement” of the business which offers young mums 100 per-cent natural baby weaning products, Shauna now hopes the competition will help her raise the company’s profile across the Irish Sea.

“We already have a strong base in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland especially with retailers such as Musgrave and SuperValu,” she said.

“However success in The Pitch will help me to develop sales from the inquiries I have already received from potential customers in Great Britain. My objective is to be selling my products in Britain within the next 12 months.”

Launched in 2008 as part of the Bristol Design Festival, The Pitch has since grown to a UK wide competition for smaller businesses, enabling owners of local start-ups and small companies to pitch their business to a panel of successful entrepreneurs.

The top prize includes mentoring and consultancy support worth £50,000.

Describing Shauna’s strong pitching ability and her strong business model, Maynard Mawhinney of Invest Northern Ireland said, “Invest NI has
worked closely with Heavenly Tasty Organics in recent years to help them to develop the type of innovative products and sales strategies which have enabled the business to grow and develop. I would like to take this opportunity to wish her luck for the final event in London.”

Heavenly Tasty Organics has already won an impressive cluster of major awards for enterprise, innovation and quality from organisations including the Soil Association, the leading body for organic products, Women in Business in Northern Ireland and Maternity magazine
in the Republic of Ireland. Shauna has also been once again been short-listed for the Women in Business NI Awards for 2012.

Source: ulsterherald.com