Meet Josh Williams and Eric Plum: Founders of W&P interview

Tell us about you and your background. How did W&P begin?

My best friend Josh Williams and I started W&P with the idea of creating innovative products in the food and beverage space. We launched our first product, the Mason Jar Cocktail Shaker, on Kickstarter in 2012. From there, W&P began and grew the business while working out of our apartments.

How has the brand evolved over time?

Over time, W&P’s purpose has evolved into developing products that have an impact on your everyday life, while maintaining an aesthetic perspective. Today, we make products that solve everyday problems while elevating the way people eat and drink.

What inspires you and motivates you?

We are largely inspired by other innovative brands in the kitchen space, some of which came before us, such as Oxo, as well as our contemporaries, like Food 52. We are continuously motivated to learn from our peers, and still feel like we are just starting out!

What have you worked on or achieved with W&P that you are most proud of?

We couldn’t be more proud of the team that helped us get W&P to where it is today, including both past and present team members. We are especially excited about the work we’ve done with Porter, as we do truly think we can make daily behaviours more sustainable.

What piece of advice would you give to someone who is looking to set up their own company or start their own personal project?

It may seem cliche, but it’s a journey. Enjoy the process, and don’t be afraid of hard work. Also, be open to learning. We have learned so much from everyone involved in the building of W&P over the years, and continue to learn more each day.

At W&P you believe the products we use should have a positive impact on the world around us. What would be your top tip to help encourage others to live more sustainably and mindfully?

Living sustainably and mindfully is not as easy as it seems. At W&P, we create products that make a sustainable lifestyle more achievable. A perfect example is our Porter Collection, which combines functionality and design, while helping people to eliminate single use plastics in their everyday life.

What are you most excited to work on over the next few months (or in 2021)?

Right now we are focusing on material innovation that might replace some very wasteful items in the kitchen storage space. If we are able to successfully innovate there, that would be really exciting.

What do you look for when finding the perfect gift?

I am admittedly not the best gift giver, my wife on the other hand, is an all star. As a rule, I generally like to give gifts that can be put to use regularly.

What is your LITTLE FIND?

My two-year-old daughter is absolutely obsessed with the Follow + Spot puzzle by Petit Collage.

It’s always fun to end with a quickfire round...

• Favourite TV series right now? Midnight Diner on Netflix, it’s so good if you’re into food and/or enjoyed Cheers.
• Last thing you cooked? Lamb Curry, made for my daughter.
• Favourite Instagram account to follow? @accidentallywesanderson - it’s an amazing account and just turned into a book.
• Best book recommendation? See above, I just got Accidentally Wes Anderson, which is inspiring some vacation ideas for the future.
• Perfect way to spend your weekend? Adventuring around Storm King with the family.
• Best restaurant you’ve eaten at? Banh Mi Saigon in Chinatown, NYC.
• Country you’d love to visit? Japan.