Budget health and wellness chain Grape Tree has entered a “genuinely exciting new chapter” as employee-owned after founder Nick Shutts sold a majority stake in the business to an employee ownership trust (EOT), The Grocer can reveal.
Grape Tree has not disclosed the total stake that Shutts retains in the business. It is above 25%, but no more than 50%, according to documents filed at Companies House last week.
Shutts will remain as CEO, along with the existing leadership team, as Grape Tree continues with its rapid UK expansion plan.
“We wanted an ownership structure that would protect the culture that has driven our success while giving us the freedom to invest and grow for decades to come,” Shutts told The Grocer.
“The EOT model does exactly that. It keeps us independent, keeps decision-making close to the business, and gives every colleague a real, long-term stake in our future,” he added.
“The move strengthens stability, supports our growth plans, and ensures the business is built on foundations designed to last.”
Shutts is best known as the founder of high street health and wellness chain Julian Graves, which he eventually sold to Holland & Barrett in 2008. He founded Grape Tree along with a handful of ex-Julian Graves employees in 2013 following the chain’s collapse into administration.
Grape Tree, which is best known for its bulk-buy assortment of nuts, dried fruits and seeds, has since grown to 188 stores. It imports, prepares and packs the majority of its nuts and other lines at its manufacturing facility at Kingswinford, in the West Midlands.
Employee ownership would strengthen Grape Tree’s growth aspirations
The chain has benefited from a recent boon in demand for healthier snacking, and aims to reach a milestone 200 stores in rarely 2026, under an ambitious expansion plan led by Shutts’s son Oliver.
Sales grew by nearly a third to £69.3m in the year to December 2024, according to latest accounts published at Companies House.
“One of the biggest benefits is the impact on our people,” Shutts said of the EOT.
“Some of our colleagues have said they feel the difference already – there’s a renewed sense of ownership, pride and purpose. The EOT recognises their contribution and aligns the whole business behind shared success. That’s incredibly powerful.
“It brings added energy, long-term confidence and the reassurance that Grape Tree’s values, independence and ambition will be protected well into the future,” he added. “We’re extremely proud of this step and excited about what it means for our colleagues, customers and the next phase of our growth.”
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