How ByRuby Won Over Charlie Bigham

Nov 21, 2025

Milly Bagot, Co-founder of ByRuby, shares her journey from a side project at Finn's deli to creating premium frozen meals that rival homemade cooking. She discusses the rapid growth during lockdown and the strategic partnership with Charlie Bigham, focusing on quality and profitability. Milly reveals how branded freezers can boost sales by 5x and the challenges of integrating into a larger organization while maintaining ByRuby's essence. She also emphasizes the importance of creative thinking time and the balance between work and personal life.

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ANECDOTE

Partnership With Charlie Bigham

Charlie Bigham approached ByRuby after their crowdfunding, leading to a partnership where production moved into Bigham facilities.
The deal allowed operational scale and a renewed focus on profitable growth within a larger company.

INSIGHT

Profitability Trumps Reckless Growth

Rising ingredient costs and global events forced ByRuby to prioritise profitability over aggressive expansion.
Consolidating production into Charlie Bigham’s site helped stabilise margins and operations.

ADVICE

Protect Quality At All Costs

Do not compromise on product quality even when costs rise because customers will notice and leave.
Protect your brand by trimming elsewhere, not by reducing core product standards.

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Milly Bagot co-founded ByRuby with a mission to create premium frozen meals that taste like "one of your really good friends - who happens to be a great cook - has filled your freezer for you." What started as a side project at Finn's deli in Chelsea transformed into a standalone business that grew fast and caught the attention of Charlie Bigham.

In this conversation, Milly shares the story of that accelerated their growth, the challenges of balancing profitability and growth, what it's like being part of a much larger organisation now and how By Ruby has helped change the perception of frozen food. She's refreshingly honest about the challenges in retail, the drivers of that early growth, and why she refuses to compromise on quality even when costs are rising.

Listen to discover:

The journey that took Ruby from Finn's deli to the Charlie Bigham family
All about the ideas and experiences that sparked the ByRuby concept
How to 5x your rate of sale in the supermarket
What her non-negotiables are even in a challenging market
How she runs her week and plans for success while 'staying sane'
Where she has her best ideas and makes time for growth

Where to Find ByRuby:

Buy online at https://byruby.co.uk/
Also available on Ocado and in independent shops across the UK
Follow on Instagram for freezer hacks and foodie inspiration at https://www.instagram.com/byrubyfoods/

Connect with Milly on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/milly-bagot-83a22517a/

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