Aureum Vita: The Premium Pet Care Start-Up That Uses Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
-
Laurene Rey-Millet
- 7th July 2021
- 4 minute read
Chris Dimatsas (Aureum Vita‘s Founder) launched the company, because his five-year career as a top pastry chef (at one of Scotland’s most prestigious gastro pubs) suddenly came to an abrupt end, due to the COVID19 pandemic.
And after carefully examining his options, on the 20th of March 2020, he decided to fly back home to Greece, with the prospect of returning to the UK as soon as he sensed that the world was approaching a ‘pre-COVID19’ era.
The spark that led to the creation of Aureum Vitae came when Chris unpleasantly found himself face to face with the liquid dog shampoo that lurked underneath the kitchen sink. It’s bright shade of blue screamed unnecessary colourings, and it’s scent closely resembled the chemical fragrances that were commonly found in fabric softeners and dish soaps.
In that moment, Chris envisioned a brand new range of pet products that would blur the line between human and pet haircare. And drawing inspiration from his Greek roots, – he instantly knew that the brand would have to revolve around the inclusion of extra-virgin olive oil.
Hence, using his complete lack of formal shampoo-making experience to his advantage, he formulated a simple, yet straightforward recipe that would not need deciphering by someone with a chemical engineering diploma, and which didn’t include any nasties, such as synthetic colours and fragrances, parabens and sulphates. And so, Aureum Vitae was born.
And on the 7th of February 2021 (amidst heavy travel restrictions), he felt that it was time to book a flight back to Edinburgh.
“I had to start my business from my bedroom, which was in a shared house located on Calder Road. Needless to say, that little space looked more like a storage facility than an actual, habitable bedroom. Not to mention having to apply for Universal Credit in an effort to keep up with my rent and living costs,’’ expressed Chris.
But fast forward 4 months, his brand now has more than 55 five-star reviews. And Chris believes that taking that giant leap (against all odds) was the best thing he ever did: ‘’Seeing my customers react in such a positive way fills me with joy. It’s incredibly satisfying. It really makes me feel like all of the risks I took were worth it,” he added.
Now, his next step is to evolve the brand into an all-around premium dog brand that includes leather collars and leashes, ceramic food and water bowls, dog beds made out of memory foam, and all-natural kibbles and treats, – all using extra-virgin olive oil of course.
Find out more here: https://www.aureumvitae.net