Metcalfe’s popcorn tops Tyrrells in trial

Crisps producer Tyrrells may be winning business across the globe, but has lost out to smaller rival Metcalfe’s for a slice of Sainsbury’s popcorn trade.

Premium popcorn brand Metcalfe’s Skinny Topcorn said it had secured listings for its 25g bags of popcorn (rsp: 79p) in Sainsbury’s after its Sweet n’ Salt outsold Tyrrells’ equivalent popcorn line in a three-month trial at 50 stores. Tyrrells, which said it was not yet aware of the results of the trial, will continue to supply larger bags of popcorn to 400 Sainsbury’s stores.

All four 25g SKUs in the low-fat Topcorn range, including Sea Salt, Wasabi and Chocolate Trickle, will now go into 58 Sainsbury’s stores in November. About 50 other Sainsbury’s stores will stock just the brand’s bestselling Sweet n’ Salt.

“We’re really proud, as we were the smaller company,” said a spokesman for Metcalfe’s, which was founded by Pret A Manger founder Julian Metcalfe.