GOATS identified the appetite for high-protein overnight oats
A COMPANY producing healthy high-protein flavourful oats is hoping to become an overnight success.
GOATS Dublin was set up by Gary Clarkin after he discovered a gap in the market for a healthy, convenient on-the-go snack. GOATS produces high-protein and nutritious overnight oats in a range of different flavours such as banana biscoff, blueberry and granola, mixed berry and chocolate protein.
Speaking with The Echo, Gary says that he identified the appetite for the overnight oats when he began making them and bringing them to work and they gained a lot of interest from his colleagues.
“I found that around 10 or 11 o’clock in the morning I would start to get hungry and about two years ago I started making overnight oats for something to eat at that time,” says Gary.
“I started bringing them into work and people began asking what they were and what the different flavours were and trying them. I wanted to make something healthy that you could grab and would fill you for a few hours and at that 10 or 11 o’clock period when everyone is in work having a coffee or a pastry it would fill that gap until lunchtime.
“There was no branded company in Dublin or Ireland that I could see that was doing overnight oats.”
All the overnight oats from GOATS are made with dairy alternatives such as oat milk and the range includes a vegan option or any of the flavours can be made vegan upon request. They are all high in protein and provide slow-release energy to keep you full for longer.
With lockdown giving Gary more time to focus on the business, he developed the packaging, name and marketing and a steady stream of orders began coming through social media from cafés and shops.
It was then that Gary says he decided to reach out to the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) for guidance and support in what steps to take next to help him grow the business even further.
“I wasn’t that aware of the Local Enterprise Office when I was setting up the business and people that I worked with and knew within the industry suggested that I reach out to LEO for support and guidance,” he said.
“When I reached out, I was already actively selling to coffee shops and was kind of a functioning business, I suppose, which they said was a big help.
“The mentors that I had were very good with the accounts side of things and projections for the business, because when you own a business, it can be very hard to do the three-year projections by yourself.”
GOATS Dublin Instagram page is the main platform for promotion and orders as well as the product being stocked in 15 locations in Dublin such as cafés and coffee containers.
“A lot of coffee containers began reaching out to us looking for healthy alternatives to cookies, cakes and pastries that people could grab and go to eat with their coffee.
“We were doing mainly individual customer orders at the beginning but now with how busy it has gotten it is mainly orders for gyms, cafés and shops and sports clubs,” Gary explained.
Gary currently makes all of the products by himself from a kitchen that he converted in Greenogue Business Park in Rathcoole and hopes to expand the business as orders increase and is looking to hire someone to help with production in the near future.
“I make them in the late afternoon or evening because they have to be left in the fridge overnight and then they are ready to be delivered around 7am the next morning and then I focus on getting the orders in and the stock for the rest of the day.
“With the help from LEO hopefully I will be able to invest more into equipment and production and fulfil more orders as the business grows.”
To find out more about GOATS Dublin or to place an order you can find them on Instagram at Instagram.com/goatsdublin or email goatsdublin@gmail.com
