For Milly Fyfe MBE, founder of her No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents community interest company (CIC), what began as a simple blog during the pandemic documenting family life on her farm and sharing her home-made recipes, quickly grew into something far bigger and meaningful.
With the addition of The Countryside Kitchen – an on-farm educational space for people of all ages and abilities – and a community shop, No Fuss Meals is now a thriving social enterprise, connecting people with food, farming and wellbeing.
We spoke to Milly about protecting the intellectual property (IP) in her business – safeguarding the brand identity and community infrastructure she’s worked so hard to build, as well as setting the foundations for the business’ future growth.
It’s all in the name
Milly explained how her understanding of intellectual property, and the importance of identifying and protecting these important assets, grew as her business expanded:
“As we’ve gone forward, I’ve realised more and more how important it is to protect your intellectual property. I also find it's a mark of credibility. It means that you're taking everything seriously and professionally and shows you stand by that too.”
Milly has taken proactive steps to secure her brand through registered trade marks, including her personal name and company logo:
Click here to view the 'No Fuss Meals For Busy Parents' trade mark
However, Milly admits she wasn't always so IP savvy. She worked with a trade mark attorney to register her personal name, then sought support from her local Business and IP Centre (BIPC) and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), giving her the confidence to trade mark her business name herself.
You can learn more about the different types of trade marks and registration criteria here:
Register a trade mark : What you can register as a trade mark - GOV.UK
Overcoming challenges
As with most businesses, the journey to success doesn't come without its hurdles. Milly recalls a time during the trade mark application process when a potential conflict was flagged with a similarly named company:
“One of your (IPO) colleagues rang me up and told me about a company with similar wording and asked if I still wanted to proceed. I thought ‘oh no’.”
Thankfully for Milly, further investigation revealed the other business was inactive, and no formal objection followed.
Milly praised the support she received from the IPO, in particular the checks and due diligence put in place to help applicants successfully navigate the process:
“When you're doing something new it does feel like you're going out in the dark, but there are lots of people there to help you along the way. It's not like you're spending money and just hoping for the best. You (IPO) are very supportive and helpful.”
The benefits of IP
Milly explained that whilst her trade marks haven't directly influenced any funding decisions, they have contributed to a broader picture of professionalism. For a growing social enterprise engaging with a variety of partners, she feels that credibility is invaluable:
“I think for us, it's very much about integrity. It's almost drawing a line in the sand and saying, ‘this is ours, it belongs to us’.”
As Milly’s personal profile grows through her media and presenting work, protecting her name and brand has become even more significant:
“In today’s society, especially with social media, it's very easy for others to jump on the back of something. Protecting your brand helps prevent that.”
Advice for other businesses
Reflecting on her business journey, we asked Milly what advice she would give to other businesses just starting out. Her message was clear, don't overlook intellectual property:
“It's something you should consider as you're setting up and then as you continue to grow, looking ahead to the future. If you don't, things can quickly be taken from you, so it’s important to protect what you're building”.
What's next?
Following the success of The Countryside Kitchen, (and well earned recognition in The Kings Birthday Honours with an MBE award for services to Farmers and Family Nutrition) Milly Fyfe has her sights set on an even bigger project: to influence future policy on healthy eating and improving access to farm education.
And of course, intellectual property will continue to play a key role at each stage of Milly's journey, protecting her business name and logo while she contributes to a movement rooted in food, community, and wellbeing.
Are you a small business looking for IP guidance? Take a look at our step by step guide to find out what IP might be right for you:
Get intellectual property rights: step-by-step - GOV.UK
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