The deal, which will see Nim’s products stocked in 1,500 stores across the country, follows agreements with Co-op Food and online retailer Ocado last year, with the latter contract helping the manufacturer to double its turnover in 2017.
The snack-maker’s apple, pear and beetroot & parsnip variants will be sold in both smaller Express stores and Tesco’s main stores. Nim’s said the deal would boost its sales by at least 80%.
Major breakthroughs
Nimisha Raja, founder of Nim’s Fruit Crisps, said the deal was a fantastic way to finish a significant 12 months that had been filled with major breakthroughs.
She said: “We have been in discussions with Tesco for some time about selling our great-tasting, healthy snacks on their shelves. The hard work has been worth it and I’m delighted to announce we’ll be in stores shortly.
“The deal has the potential to transform our business. This will require a significant ramping-up of activity at our factory in Kent and the recruitment of three more people.”
‘Transform our business’
Until now the factory had been working below capacity, with the view of supplying bigger supermarkets in the future.
Raja added: “The Tesco listing and our other current customers will mean we will be operating at 40% capacity, so eagerly looking for more business in the coming weeks and months.”
The fruit and vegetable crisps will be stocked in Tesco’s fresh produce section.
Joanna Batty, produce buyer at Tesco, added: “We’re delighted to be adding Nim’s fruit and vegetable crisps to the great range of snacks we offer customers in store. They look good, taste good and are a great ‘healthier’ snack choice.”
Nim’s fruit and vegetable crisps are fat-, gluten- and dairy-free, as well as being vegan, kosher and halal-certified. They are manufactured at its facility in Sittingbourne, where it is capable of producing over 12M packs of crisps a year.
Meanwhile, in this exclusive video interview, Nim’s Fruit Crisps boss Nimisha Raja explains how winning a Food Manufacture Excellence Award has boosted the healthy snack’s firm’s reputation and recognition.