Fraser Doherty MBE

Fraser Doherty has the distinction of being invited to dinner at Downing Street, where Gordon Brown, the former UK Prime Minister, commended him after hearing his amazing story. He has also been commended by HRH Prince Charles and in June 2014 was awarded an MBE ‘for services to business’ by the Queen.

As a bored 14-year-old on a rainy day in Scotland, Fraser Doherty had no inkling that his life was about to change in a very, very big way – all because of his gran and her jam.

Initially a loss as to how to keep him amused, Gran decided to spend the afternoon showing him how to make her secret recipe jam. The first few jars were sold to neighbours. The next batch was sold to the rest of the street, the next at the local church fete, then followed farmers markets and delicatessens.

After regularly producing a thousand jams of jar a week in his mum and dad’s kitchen, Fraser negotiated a deal with a factory in the north of England who agreed to make and distribute his product, now called SuperJam.

Fraser became the youngest ever supplier to a major supermarket chain when Waitrose launched the range in March 2007. SuperJam supplies over 2,000 supermarkets in the UK (incl. Waitrose, Tesco, Asda Wal-Mart, Morrisons and 2,000 other stores). It sells over one million jars a year and is one of the biggest jam brands in the UK.

Fraser’s winning formula is the healthiness of his preserves. SuperJam is made entirely from fruit and fruit juice, making it healthier and better tasting than regular jams. As a result, SuperJam has won over 20 awards and is growing around the world. Fraser now also produces SuperHoney, SuperTea and SuperNuts peanut butter and is constantly developing innovative new food products.

His products are on sale in more than a dozen countries, with particular success in Korea and more than 200 outlets in Australia. A US launch takes place in 2014.

Fraser Doherty’s company is completely virtual: with no employees, no premises and no equipment. His whole life is also virtual; he doesn’t have a home or any possessions, choosing to instead rent everything he needs as he travels around the world, running his company from his computer wherever he is. He’s visited over fifty countries and speaks about how to focus on what you’re good at and outsource everything else.

Now, thousands clamour to hear Fraser’s story as well as buy his products. An accomplished, intelligent and engaging speaker, he has spoken at over 500 conferences in 27 countries around the world for clients including RBS, Barclays, the NHS, BAE Systems, Columbia University and Eton College. Fraser appeals to all age groups but is particularly inspiring to young people.

Fraser also regularly lectures in Entrepreneurship at universities around the world, including London Metropolitan University where he is their youngest-ever Visiting Professor.

More about Fraser Doherty and SuperJam:

In 2007, when Fraser was an accountancy student at The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, he was named ‘Global Student Entrepreneur of The Year’, the first-ever winner from outside North America.

In 2008, when Fraser was 19, he was named Scotland’s Best Young Innovator for SuperJam at the John Logie Baird Awards.

His other awards include:

• Enterprising Young Brit Award (2004)
• The Independent’s ‘Top 40 Children’ (2005)
• Outstanding Young Person of The World Award (2007)
• Biggart Baillie Innovation Award (2007)
• Young Entrepreneur of The Year (2007)
• Supernova’s Brightest Young Business (2007)
• Global Student Entrepreneur of The Year (2007)
• ‘Top 10’ in The Observer’s ‘Future 500’ (2007)
• Shortlisted for ITV’s ‘Britain’s Best’ Awards (2008)
• John Logie Baird Innovation Award (2008)
• Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award (2008)
• Top 10 in Courvoisier Future 500 Network (2008)
• BT Essence of The Entrepreneur Award (2009)
• Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year finalist (2009)
• Nectar Business Entrepreneur of The Year (2009)
• Bighearted Scotland Business Person of The Year (2009)
• HSBC Start-up Stars Finalist (2009)
• Smarta 100 Award (2010)
• Inc Magazine 30 under 30 Award (2010)
• Top 10 in ‘Times Young Power List’ (2011)

SuperJam is exhibited in the National Museum of Scotland as an ‘Iconic Scottish Brand’, alongside Irn Bru, Tunnock’s and Baxters.

Fraser believes in giving back to society so SuperJam runs ‘SuperJam Tea Parties’ for elderly people who live alone, in care homes or in sheltered housing. SuperJam has hosted scores of events across the UK, with live music, dancing and, of course, scones and SuperJam. Up to 600 guests attend each of these events and they are growing in popularity every month.

Fraser has already published two best-selling books: The SuperJam Cookbook and SuperBusiness, which reached No. 3 on Amazon, was named the ‘Book of The Month’ in WHSmith and is published in the UK, US, Australia, Korea and Japan.

Fraser Doherty talks about:

• His inspirational story
• Branding & design
• Sales & marketing
• Generation Y
• Food & drink business
• Export
• Entrepreneurship
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Innovation
• Motivation