AN East Renfrewshire entrepreneur has seen her new business grow as people change their eating habits during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Laura Molloy, 47, launched Goody Foody Gardens last month, offering customers the chance to grow their own vegetables at home.

And the businesswoman, who is married to Paul and mum to kids Rosie, 15, James, 11, and seven-year-old Charlie, has been thrilled to see orders pour in.

Goody Foody Gardens supplies the UK’s first build anywhere vegetable patch for those who want to ‘grow their own’ at home but don’t know where to start.

As well as installing raised bed vegetable patches into gardens, the firm provides instructions on how to grow and harvest each plant.

The original business plan also involved one-to-one support from ‘growing experts’ but, due to social distancing guidelines, Laura is instead offering contact-free delivery and installation, along with ‘how to’ videos and lots of online help.

Within the first 72 hours of being launched, Goody Foody Gardens received orders for more than five tonnes of compost, materials and vegetable seeds from customers across East Renfrewshire and beyond.

Laura, of Giffnock, developed the idea for the new business from a desire for her children to eat healthily and understand where their food comes from.

She told the Barrhead News: “I tried to grow my own veg in the garden during my last maternity leave. I had no knowledge, no time to learn, no support and I gave up when I returned to work.

“Since then, I’ve watched the interest in ‘growing your own’ increase. My desire to learn and get started had not diminished, I just needed something that would fit it into my busy life. Goody Foody Gardens was the result.”

Laura, who is also director of RPL Marketing and president of East Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce, raised start-up funding of £10,000 through a Crowdfunder campaign and, boosted by a grant from Royal Bank of Scotland’s #Backherbusiness campaign, launched the venture online.

Customers receive a 6ft by 3ft raised bed with everything needed to get growing, including compost, plants, seeds, markers and protection from peckish wildlife who are often unwanted garden guests.

The beds can be installed into any property which has a flat, sunny spot with easy access from the roadside for delivery. They can be placed on any surface, such as slabs, grass, stones and paving, but decking is not recommended as it will eventually rot.

To find out more, visit here.

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