Nosh is about making mealtimes better, wherever you are.

Nosh is a Black-owned business that serves multiple hospitals, student accommodations & and workplaces - some examples include Hived, Broomfield Hospital, Quintain Living, Fresh Student Living and Sanctuary Students. Thanks to their food vending and delivery services, the staff members and residents in these locations are now able to have fresh healthy meals on demand.

But what makes this venture really special is its provision of African and Caribbean food choices among others, giving its customers a taste of Black tradition and culture.

We were curious to find out more about Nosh, so we caught up with Josh Baah, the face behind the brand. We hope you enjoy the read!

1. Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind starting your business and the journey that led you to where you are today?

 Nosh was born from a concern for our employee's well-being. We initially planned to offer quality lunches from a co-founder's restaurant but found it costly. In search of a cost-effective solution, our tech team in China (from our previous company) introduced us to food vending machines capable of storing meals for up to three days. What started as a solution for our office evolved into a mission to provide affordable, convenient, and nutritious meals to everyone. Nosh is about making mealtimes better, wherever you are. 

1. What challenges have you faced as a black-owned business, and how have you overcome them?

I think the biggest challenge is always getting into rooms which can open doors to prospective clients. Often you need a friend to provide a warm introduction or recommendation, otherwise, the sales cycles can become long and expensive. We’ve managed to come around through utilising the network we have but also through being agile within our business focus i.e., if you have a contact in one sub-sector, try and make your solution work for them.

1. How does your business contribute to the celebration and preservation of Black history and culture?

Nosh has a huge opportunity to promote the diversity of African and Caribbean food, and flavours to a variety of industries from the NHS to University accommodations. We’ve built the company around partnering with chefs and local restauranteurs and one of our leading suppliers is another Black-owned business operating in the Southeast. We’re proud to bring flavours from the Global South to new audiences.

1. Are there any significant milestones or accomplishments your business has achieved that you're particularly proud of?

 The recent R&D around our new Nosh steaming solution is a revolutionary leap in on-the-go dining. By bringing to market our non-attended smart fridge solutions, we recognised a gap in the market to revolutionise how people eat on the move. So, we’ve developed a sustainable way to heat up meals on the go without microwaves or conventional heating. 

1. Who inspires you the most and why?

 I often struggle with this question, however, one that comes to mind is Tope Awotona the CEO of Calendly, purely due to his principle of persistence in business. He tried multiple businesses, bootstrapped his company for years despite all odds & and achieved a $3bn valuation.  

1. What advice would you give young aspiring Black entrepreneurs about how to be successful in business in the UK?

 Make a plan, make a timeline, start and don’t ever doubt yourself. You’ll have to adjust to every room, audience, and difference you recognise when doing business, but prove you’re clearly solving a problem for your customers and creating value for them, then you can build on from there. 

So here is where you can find out even more about Nosh https://thenosh.co/ and grab yourself one of their meals. Trust us, you’ll love it!