Meet the Founder: Liam from Dr. Will's
At ByRuby, we love celebrating the people behind the brands we admire and this month, we caught up with Liam, co-founder of Dr. Will's.
Just like us, Liam’s on a mission to make mealtimes better, with honest ingredients and zero shortcuts. Since beginning in 2017, Dr. Will's have shaken up the condiment aisle with their delicious sauces which are full of flavour whilst leaving behind the refined sugars. We loved chatting to Liam about his love for food that he shares with his mum, the inspiration behind Dr. Will's and the product he can’t live without (which coincidentally pairs perfectly with our chicken pie!).
Fancy giving Dr. Will's a try? We are partnering up with them this month to giveaway a ByRuby Award Winners Bundle and a Dr. Will's Full House Bundle to one lucky winner. Enter here for a chance to win*
Tell us a bit about Dr. Will's. What inspired you to start your business?
I started my career in investment banking at JP Morgan. I loved the people and the high level of what I was doing, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to be burning the midnight oil in Canary Wharf for the next ten years.
I met (Dr) Will and Josh — who went on to become my business partners — and they had the idea for a great-tasting condiments brand without all the sugar and artificial ingredients. Food was getting healthier, but condiments weren’t. And over in the US, condiments were a lot more interesting — avocado oil mayo was a thing, there was a craft hot sauce scene, and people were obsessed with regional BBQ sauces. There was none of that in the UK.
My mum’s a food writer, and I’d always wanted to build a business, so condiments felt like a good fit. We got to work on this back in 2017 — and it’s been quite a journey since – from making the sauces in Josh’s restaurant kitchen at the very start through to selling in the biggest retailers in the UK and further afield.
What would be your desert island Dr. Will's product?
Sriracha Hot Sauce. I get through a bottle a week and have it on everything. I love hot sauce, and sriracha is just as good with brunch as it is with dinner.
Dr. Will's has seen some great successes in the last 6 years including listings in Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado and recently the launch of your new dressings. What advice would you give to someone looking to start a business in the food industry?
-Think carefully - it will almost certainly be a longer journey than you think.
- Be product obsessed: Your product must taste great and communicate clearly what your product is and why it matters. Everything is easier and your marketing is more effective, if your product is great.
- Find a network of other founders who can support each other – entrepreneurship can be isolating and lonely
- Resilience is key: There will be high highs and low lows
Eat in or out?
Out (although I do love to cook at home)
Favourite cookery book?
Made in Italy – Giorgio Locatelli with Sheila Keating (my mum!)
Favourite recipe?
Giorgio’s seabass in herb sea salt crust
Favourite restaurant?
Restaurant Story in London Bridge (Tom Sellers)
Favourite kitchen utensil?
My Japanese knives
Coffee or tea?
Jasmine Tea
Favourite ByRuby?
What 3 items do you always have in your freezer?
ByRuby, Gyozas and Borough Broth (Bone Broth)
Favourite meal – starter, main and pud
Scallops, Steak, Sticky Toffee Pudding
Dream dinner party guest (celebrity or otherwise!)
Stephen Curry (to talk sport 🏀) and Morgan Wallen (to talk music 🤠)
Thank you so much to Liam for chatting with us. Don’t forget to enter the competition for a chance to win a delicious ByRuby and Dr. Will's bundle!
*Competition ends 22nd June at 11.59pm. Terms and conditions apply.