Meet Lauren and Sophie, the founders of Mabel’s Vegan Yorkshires

We are proud to have a diverse member base and want to encourage greater diversity in entrepreneurship every day! Following our Pride Month 2021 blog article posts one and two this year, to celebrate Pride, we continue to highlight Tide members from the LGBTQIA+ community. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

We are thrilled to introduce you to Lauren and Sophie, the founders of Mabel’s Vegan Yorkshires!

Hi Lauren and Sophie, we’re so happy to chat with you today! Can you tell us about your business and when you started?

We are Lauren and Sophie, a married couple from Manchester. Mabel’s Vegan Yorkshires was started in 2019 when we realised that vegan Yorkies simply didn’t exist. As vegans ourselves, we are passionate about promoting plant-based lifestyles and eating delicious food so we wanted to share Lauren’s delicious vegan Yorkshire puddings with the whole country!

These sound delicious! What do you love most about your company and being small business owners?

It sounds like a cliché, but Mabel’s really is our baby. Lauren started from nothing at all; we now have thousands of customers across the country. We love being able to work together, and whilst having a small business certainly is a roller-coaster, at least we get to ride it together. What we love most is when we receive positive feedback or reviews from customers saying they love our Yorkies; you can’t beat that feeling!

You launched Mabel’s Vegan Yorkshire in 2019, what’s been your biggest challenge since?

Scaling up is a big challenge. In 2021 we had sold out for Christmas by the end of August. It’s a great problem to have, but it’s frustrating not to be able to supply all of the demand.

This is a fantastic success story! What’s one thing you wish people knew about being an LGBTQIA+ business owner? Is there anything you find to be different for you from other people in business?

You can do it! If you have a dream or a vision, you should absolutely follow it. It will be fun, sometimes hard, but always a great experience. Our product is not specifically aimed at the LGBTQIA+ community, but we have many customers who identify as such. We always find the community to be a great source of support!

How can people who don’t identify as LGBTQIA+ be better allies?

To be an ally literally means ‘to combine or unite a resource or commodity with another for mutual benefit’. People who don’t identify as LGBTQIA+ can also use their voice to support the community, spread positivity and inclusion messages and reject abuse, step in when they feel someone is not being treated with respect because of their sexual orientation.

What do you think Tide can do to amplify the voices of our LGBTQIA+ members? Why do you think it’s important?

Visibility and representation are key in supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. By amplifying the voices of the LGBTQIA+ business owners, but also the voices of black business owners, neurodiverse business owners, female business owners or any group that may be under-represented in the mainstream, Tide can help inspire and show that absolutely anyone can be a business owner if they follow their dream and vision.

Why is it important for corporations to amplify LGTBQIA+ voices and why is it important to celebrate pride? 

Corporations showing support for Pride help increase visibility, generate debate and send a message of inclusion and diversity within their own organisation, but also to their customers and potential customers. Pride events are so important in the LGBTQIA+ community: they are truly an occasion to get together and meet like minded people from all over the country. They carry a message of hope and positivity and highlight diversity within the community, and to the rest of the world.

Speaking about Pride events, what’s your favourite Pride memory?

We actually met at Brighton Pride through mutual friends so Pride is more than an event to us, it’s our anniversary too!

You have mentioned women entrepreneurs, Tide has made a commitment to support 100,000 women in business by the end of 2023. What advice do you have for other women looking to start a business in the food industry?

Our advice would be to connect with other similar business owners as much as possible: there are ups and downs and it really helps to talk to people who have gone through similar growth and listen to their experiences. Just reach out on social media or LinkedIn or get involved in networking events.

💡 You can learn more about our commitment to support women in business on our website here.

How did you hear about Tide? Why did you choose us for your banking?

We noticed Tide via social media and how active they are in supporting sole traders and small businesses. By posting great content and useful tips. We felt confident we would be in good hands.

Do you have any other tips for fellow business owners or those just starting out?

You CAN do it. Don’t get disheartened if you have a bad day, or a bad week, or even a bad month. Always keep your mind focused on the bigger picture and the goals you have set for yourself and your business. 

What’s next for Mabel’s Vegan Yorkshires?

We are currently working on scaling our business to dramatically increase our output and expand our distribution network. Watch this space!

You can order some vegan Yorkies on Mabel’s Vegan Yorkshires website and don’t forget to follow them on Instagram to view some of their delicious vegan roast inspiration like the one below 😋