Cassandra Stavrou is Propercorn's co-founder © Magic Elephant
Popcorn has been reinvented in recent years. More traditionally enjoyed as a snack at the cinema, today the ready-to-eat popcorn category is booming, and there’s no shortage of choice and creativity when it comes to intriguing flavours, which range from strawberries & cream to refreshing mojito – and there is plenty of experimentation going on.
In 2014, popcorn sales in the UK increased by 40% to £104m compared to 2013, according to market intelligence agency Mintel, and the average Briton now eats around 5kg of popcorn every year. Meanwhile, according to Kantar Worldpanel, the value of the UK crisp market fell by almost 2% in the past year and volume of sales decreased by 0.4%.
These shifts are indicative of a trend towards healthier snacks of premium quality, and the introduction of innovative sweet and savoury flavours are keeping consumers interested.
One brand that positions its product as a healthy, imaginative snacking alternative is Propercorn, which prides itself on adhering to its “done properly” ethos. For them, there’s no need to compromise between health credentials and flavour – you can have the best of both worlds.
To find out more about what’s going on in this category, we decided to speak to co-founder Cassandra Stavrou about competition, expansion, and weekly tastings at the office.
Tell us they story behind Propercorn. Why did you decide to start a popcorn company?
I have always wanted to run my own business and had many ideas before this, but Propercorn was the one that I felt most passionate about. The challenge was to create a snack that was both genuinely satisfying but also good for you. I quit my job when my mum reminded me that the last present my dad had bought me before he passed away was a vintage popcorn machine – it felt like a good sign and was the extra kick I needed.
Sales of popcorn are booming. What has driven this trend?
The rise of the health-conscious consumer is a clear driver, as is the marked increase in the free-from category. What I personally feel is so great about popcorn is that most people already have some kind of understanding and appreciation of it – usually because they’ve had it at the cinema – and then it is just about a shift in perception as to its health credentials.
Plenty of popcorn brands have hit the shelves in recent times, but what would you say sets Propercorn apart from competitors?
Our business is based on the “done properly” ethos, which means that we believe everything should be a good as it can possibly be. With regards to our popcorn, there is no compromise between the impact of flavour and the heath credentials – everything is natural, GM-free and absolutely no corners have been cut.
We make sure that this approach extends beyond our popcorn to everything we do. All of our creativity and ideas come from our team and this is something we are very proud of – we very rarely outsource anything.
In addition, I feel that the team at Propercorn is more passionate and ambitious than any other business I have come across.
We’re seeing lots of unusual flavours out there in the popcorn market. How important is experimentation in this area, and how do you decide which flavours to go for?
We should always be challenging things and looking for fresh ideas in order to keep the category moving and evolving. We have weekly tastings in the office and we have submitted some pretty ridiculous (and at times revolting) flavours, but it’s always worth trying.
I do, however, think it’s important not to just innovate for the sake of it and that the flavour needs to offer genuine satisfaction rather than just a novelty factor.
There are five Propercorn flavours – including sour cream and black pepper, and coconut and vanilla.
Which is your favourite?
My personal favourite changes all the time, but currently it’s sweet coconut and vanilla.
Do you think it has the potential to overtake crisps in the bagged snack category?
I think popcorn is still very early on in its journey and the fantastic growth we have enjoyed and are currently enjoying as a category certainly looks set to continue. We already outsell hand-cooked crisps in some high street retailers, which is very encouraging. In terms of overtaking, I honestly feel there is room for both – but why not?
Popcorn is significantly more popular in the US than it is in the UK. Do you have any plans to expand there or anywhere else?
We have kicked off our international business in six European countries, including France and the Netherlands, and while the US is an enticing prospect, I think it is important we remain focused on the challenge closer to home first.
What’s next for Propercorn?
Often it is more of a question of what can we manage in terms of workload, as we are never short of ideas and things we would like to be doing. We have an exciting pipeline of new flavours, formats and even a couple of things outside of popcorn, but you will have to watch this space as it’s a little too soon to reveal all.
Be sure to check back on FoodBev.com in September to find out about Propercorn’s newest flavour release.
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