Health food start up on track for £1m sales

Start up health food brand Pip & Nut celebrates first anniversary with Holland & Barratt listing

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A natural nut butter brand, started by marathon runner Pippa Murray just 12 months ago, is on track to break the £1m sales barrier after securing a listing with health food retail chain Holland & Barratt.

Pip & Nut, founded Ms Murray with the help of a £10,000 Government-backed Start Up Loan, is made entirely from natural ingredients and is free from refined sugars, additives and palm oil. The business generated sales of £600,000 in its first year of trading thanks to the rising popularity of natural products amongst health conscious consumers.

Already available in retailers such as Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer’s, the brand will now be stocked in numerous Holland & Barratt stores nationwide, creating a major opportunity for expansion.

Ms Murray, who quit her job in a science museum to start the business, expects turnover to grow towards £1.8m over the coming year, thanks to a string of new retailer listings, newly launched flavours and new ‘grab and go’ sachets.

Ms Murray originally started the business with help from Start Up Loans, the Government-backed scheme which provides low-interest personal loans, free mentoring and support for new and early-stage businesses. This support was vital to her success, says Ms Murray. Funding from the scheme enabled her to progress product testing and development, while her mentor provided expert guidance on brand development.

Today, the brand – which is also available in Wholefoods, Ocado, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason’s and Virgin gyms – is going from strength to strength, with plans to launch two new flavour variants and target several export markets, specifically the Netherlands, Sweden and UAE.