Nut butter brand Pip & Nut has been awarded a Virgin StartUp Foodpreneur award for the retail category, which the brand said was recognition of the company’s ambitious plans and its rapid growth in the first nine months of trading.
The brand was chosen as one of five winners in the retail category at the Virgin StartUp 2015 Foodpreneur Festival, judged by a panel that included Ella’s Kitchen founder Paul Lindley and presented by Sir Richard Branson. The scheme provides unique access and opportunities to help British businesses scale up, and the prize is a trip to the US to pitch to buyers at retail giant Target, which is seeking up to four new products to trial in their American stores.
Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson said: “The UK is living through a golden age of entrepreneurship and British foodie start-ups are at the heart of it. This year’s Foodpreneur finalists showed a great innovation and meeting the great minds and talented chefs behind each idea has been inspiring. The standard was very high but the winners really stood out for their passion and pioneering businesses.”
Pip & Nut has recently won a listing with Sainsbury’s – its first multiple – and will be going into 473 stores nationwide in early November, which Pip & Nut described as “an exciting step for closer to its aim of becoming a household favourite”.
Sainsbury’s preserves buyer Hannah Murphy said: “We’re pleased customers will be able to buy the Pip & Nut range in our stores from November. We know our customers are looking for healthy yet delicious tasting spreads and with four delicious nut butter flavours to choose from, we’re confident they’ll be well received in our stores.”
Pip & Nut’s coconut and almond butter also took the accolade in the coconut-based foods category at The Grocer New Product Awards this week.
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