Good Recipes at the Heart of MyDish Ltd

MyDish.co.uk, a UK based social network for recipe lovers, was founded in 2007 after Carol Savage saw the unfulfilled need for a website allowing users to search, store and share their favourite recipes.

Carol Savage says; “I decided to build MyDish after my husband’s mother died and he returned with a caseful of her belongings, including two scraps of paper with her favourite recipes on. I wished I too could have kept precious recipes from loved ones and it was then I started to realise a platform where people can share and store such precious recipes was not only needed but important too.”

Often described by members as the ‘Facebook for foodies’ the MyDish platform has grown from strength to strength since its inception and has developed considerably in status, popularity and size under Carol’s management.

Winning investment from Deborah Meaden on the BBC show Dragon’s Den in 2009, Carol has also helped secure MyDish not only massive publicity but also a healthy amount of investment that will help secure the future of this unique and innovative platform as it continues to build on its USP.

Carol comments; “What singles MyDish out as being completely different to other recipe websites is that our site contains many unique recipes that have been uploaded by all levels of chef and food enthusiast. For example, university trainee chefs – the Jamie Olivers, Gordon Ramsays and Heston Blumenthals of tomorrow – are all adding their recipes for free for you to try your hand at and comment on.”

Now in its 5th year MyDish is home to over 12,000 recipes, ­­45,000 members and gets thousands of visits per day from all over the world and although the growth has been good the journey has been far from straight forward with many a lesson being learnt along the way. Some of the important lessons and steps Carol has learnt are as follows:

Build a taxonomy / SEO should be a priority from day one
Throw away proof of concept and start again
Creative marketing - Build partnership relationships
Try (& measure) things – be prepared to admit defeat
personalised books didn’t work
Develop a clear focus with incremental goals (What key metrics and what levers best impact)
Quality control of content is absolutely paramount
keep costs tight & plan for contingencies – goals can take longer to reach than planned

Carol will be elaborating on these steps and much, much more on the 26th of January to help business owners and managers get it right for their online business.

Those interested in hearing more about good recipes, MyDish.co.uk, the challenges of working with a business online, and of course the truth behind the Dragons Den pitch, can see Carol at 7:45pm on the 26th of January 2012. The venue is yet to be decided but further event information can be found at www.larconsultancy.co.uk/ tickets will cost £5.00.

About MyDish:
The MyDish site is a popular recipe and cooking social network. Home to thousands of recipes and an active community it is often described as "Facebook for foodies"

Contact:
Richard
MyDish
St Martin's Courtyard, 17 Slingsby Place
London WC2E 9AB
0207-845-9958