2025: New Year, New website, new strategy (healthy snacks for offices)! Read about our 2024 reflections and 2025 goals.
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As we step into 2025 with big goals, I wanted to share what you can expect from us in the coming 12 months. I'll start by reflecting on some highlights from 2024 that have set us up for the year ahead.
A Look Back at 2024
2024 was a pivotal year for Manna as we shifted our focus from running a physical retail cafe to growing corporate sales (ie. delivering snacks direct to offices). To support the execution of this new strategy, we expanded the team at the start of 2024, with Jamie and myself joining to drive sales and marketing efforts, and in October, Vanessa made the decision to close the cafe after four successful years.
Having operated the cafe since 2020, Vanessa made the tough decision to pivot entirely away from the cafe to corporate sales. Why? The cafe, whilst it was great for meeting people and building brand awareness, did not drive corporate sales - customers saw us first and foremost as a coffee shop (we were even rated the best coffee on the peninsula!). Over time, coffee overshadowed our original focus on the healthy snack concept.
Closing the cafe has allowed us to put snacks back at the forefront of everything we do & talk about. Our mission is clear: we make and deliver healthy office snacks to boost staff productivity and wellbeing.
I personally enjoyed perfecting my latte art and getting to know our regular customers during the period I worked there - and Vanessa enjoyed some days too! - but we’re also glad to see the back of the all-too-regular cold, dark mornings, waiting for customers to arrive.
Here are some highlights from 2024:
H1: Operating the cafe full-time while exploring corporate sales
- Began outbound sales to corporate offices.
- Secured our first repeat corporate customers, delivering snacks to over 10 new offices by year-end.
H2: Transitioning away from the cafe
- Launched office pop-ups at Tower42, 1 Angel Court and Moor Place. Check these out here.
- Introduced new packaging for our Hazelnut Chai Brownie.
- Closed the cafe in October.
- Launched a new website tailored to corporate clients. Check that out here.
- Streamlined our corporate bundles (Bronze, Silver, Gold) to simplify the ordering process and support scalability. Check these out on our corporate website page here.
- Sold over 50 advent calendars
2025: Focus on corporate sales growth with London-based offices
Our mission for 2025 is simple: sales, sales, sales! We’re focused on bringing our 100% natural, energy-boosting snacks to more offices across London, helping to promote productivity and well-being in the workplace.
The groundwork laid in 2024 is already paying off, with orders placed for January and office samplings scheduled for later this month.
Fancy meeting us at an office sampling near you? We are hosting office samplings on the following dates:
- Moor House, Liverpool street - 16th January
- 1 Angel Court, Liverpool Street - 30th January
Feedback from early customers has been incredibly encouraging, and it’s driving us to grow further.
Why Work With Manna?
Clients work with us to introduce healthier alternatives alongside their current office snacks, to support the rising demand from employees and executives for natural, healthier options.
Our offer is simple: we make & deliver our 100% natural, energy-boosting snacks to offices across London, designed to fuel office workers in a healthier, more sustainable manner.
Together with our customers we’re helping to promote staff productivity and wellbeing.
If you’d like to introduce Manna snacks to your office - or know someone who might - drop us an email at vanessa@mannaeating.com.
What else can you expect?
Beyond corporate sales, Vanessa is keen to trial new sales channels for our Hazelnut Chai Brownie, including independents and platforms like TikTok and Amazon. Stay tuned for updates!
Thank you for your support so far.
We’re excited about the journey ahead and look forward to chatting with you soon,
Laurence, Vanessa and Jamie