The Phat Files - Part 2
The Phat Story –
The Moment We Started to Believe
When we launched The Phat Pasty Company in 2006, we had no grand masterplan.
There wasn't a five-year strategy pinned to the wall or a spreadsheet forecasting world domination.
There was just Laura and me, a converted campervan called Phatty 1, and a determination to build something we'd be proud of and test ideas for the future...
What happened next surprised even us.
A Leap of Faith... Again
Most people would probably wait until they knew a new business was working before investing even more money.
We lasted about a week.
As soon as Phatty 1 hit the road, we realised something. If we wanted to keep the momentum going, we couldn't afford to stand still.
The only problem was that building one of our distinctive Phat Vans took around six weeks. If we waited until we desperately needed another one, we'd already be too late.
So another leap of faith was taken.
We ordered Phatty 2.
This time there was one important difference.
It had to be blue.
Everything else stayed exactly the same. Another mould was commissioned so it carried the same distinctive Phat shape and front, another surfboard ordered and a klaxon horn added that customers were already beginning to recognise. Even in those early days we understood that our vans weren't just vehicles—they were our shop window, our advertising and our brand, all rolled into one.
It felt like a huge commitment.
Looking back, it was one of the best decisions we ever made.
Finding the Right People
Ordering a second van created another challenge.
Someone had to drive it.
We placed a small advert in the local paper and hoped we'd find someone who shared our enthusiasm.
Then Hazel walked through the door.
Sometimes you meet someone and instinctively know they're going to fit.
That was Hazel.
We knew she'd be brilliant with customers, but even more importantly, we knew she'd understand what Phat stood for.
Every morning Hazel arrived at our house and joined us around the kitchen table, chatting about her day and with the local radio blearing out tunes and local news. We started off playing the beach boys on the back of the van and Hazel knew every word.
She learnt everything from the ground up.
Making sandwiches.
Preparing the pasties.
Packing the van.
Checking every order.
At Phat, we had one simple philosophy.
You should never sell something you haven't been proud to make yourself.
Every item that went onto Hazel's van had passed through her own hands.
That wasn't just good quality control.
It created pride, ownership and a genuine connection with every customer she served.
Hazel became part of the Phat family almost immediately.
Before It Even Arrived...
The amazing thing was that by the time Phatty 2 finally arrived...
The route was already full.
Without even turning a wheel, it had a day's work waiting.
For the first time we stopped and looked at each other.
Maybe this wasn't just a little business.
Maybe...
Just maybe...
We'd found something that could really grow.
Dreaming Bigger
With two vans working flat out, we finally allowed ourselves to think beyond simply surviving the next week.
Both Laura and I had come from corporate foodservice backgrounds (we actually met on Lauras first day at Bournemouth College, now University where we both completed our BSC Hotel & Catering Degree in the 80's) so naturally our minds began wandering towards what the business could become.
The vision seemed simple enough.
A central production kitchen.
A growing fleet of Phat Vans.
A fantastic team.
Great food.
Outstanding service.
Repeat.
On paper it sounded remarkably straightforward.
Reality, of course, had other ideas.
Welcome Roy
As demand continued to grow, we needed another pair of hands.
Roy became the next member of the team and soon took over the driving duties on Phatty 1, allowing Paul to spend more time working on the business rather than simply in it.
It felt like another huge milestone.
The business was slowly becoming something much bigger than just Laura and me.
Home Was No Longer Big Enough
By now our family home was struggling to cope.
The kitchen had become a production unit.
Ingredients filled every spare corner.
Paperwork covered the kitchen table.
Two brightly coloured Phat Vans permanently occupied the driveway.
The neighbours had certainly started talking.
It was obvious we'd reached another crossroads.
We could carry on exactly as we were...
Or we could take the biggest gamble yet.
Find proper premises.
Build a real kitchen.
Order more vans.
Employ more people.
And go all in.
Looking back, that decision changed everything.
Next time in Part 3...
We'll tell the story of how Phat moved into its very first premises, why we ordered three more vans before we really knew whether we could fill them, and how a small family business suddenly found itself competing against one of Britain's biggest retailers.