The Co-op has selected the fourth wave of small food businesses to join its accelerated support scheme, The Apiary.
The programme is designed to enable smaller or early stage businesses, which are “unique, purpose-driven and create social value”, to become “retail ready”, the convenience retailer said.
Successful applicants receive tailored mentoring, insight, advice and support on all aspects of the product journey.
The latest wave of businesses to join the incubator scheme will hit shelves in over 100 Co-op stores from October.
These include Love Sum Dumplings, founded by 2020 MasterChef semi-finalist Sandy Tang and featured on BBC TV’s Dragons’ Den; Only With Love, an independent brewery for “mindful drinkers” based in Lewes, East Sussex; and Still Sisters, which creates handcraft small-batch gins and rums in Somerset and Wiltshire.
Chu Lo Drinks also made the cut, with its range of sour fruit soft drinks inspired by the popular Japanese drink chuhai. All Dressed Up, which provides gourmet salad dressings, as well as Wild Thingz Organic Sweets and Up Up Chocolate were also included.
In a first for Co-op’s Apiary programme, it is partnering with Spruce – a female-founded, B Corp-certified brand offering plastic-free, refillable cleaning and laundry products made with non-toxic ingredients.
Born out of the founder’s personal health issues, Spruce products are free from harsh chemicals, pesticides, synthetic fragrances and optical brighteners. Spruce products are scented only with natural, organic essential oils.
“It is exciting to reveal a fresh wave of suppliers to join our incubator programme. We are looking forward to working with all of the new brands towards a listing in store,” said Co-op community and Apiary buying lead Kelly Orme.
“We believe that making it easier for smaller or early stage businesses to become retail ready or, to grow and thrive, is not only the right thing to do, but enables agile and exciting new producers with the potential to disrupt and challenge the market to develop to their next level.
“We know shoppers in a convenience setting look for great quality and innovation – products that make life easier, create social value, can be consumed on-the-go, or offer an element of indulgence – and we are looking forward to launching these great new products which you will start to see hit our shelves from this autumn.
“Products which we are confident will enthuse, excite and connect with consumers, conveniently.”
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