Shades by Niko, the confectionery brand from YouTuber Niko Omilana, has topped a list of challenger brands to hit £1m in retail sales value for the first time in the past 12 months.
Sales of its vegan and halal-certified sweets have hit £15.8m, less than a year after the brand was launched in the UK, NIQ data shows [52 w/e 21 February 2026].
It means Shades – which is backed by Candy Kittens co-founders’ investment fund Tuckshop London – is among the fastest-growing new brands in the UK. NIQ’s Million Club recognises suppliers to have surpassed the £1m RSV milestone for the first time in the past year.
Other brands to make the cut include low & no alcohol duo Mother Root and Botivo, Indian sauces brand Gymkhana, healthy jam producer Fearne & Rosie, snacking pioneer Serious Pig, vegan pizza maker One Planet Pizza and functional soft drinks brand Living Things.
In total, 25 new brands have been recognised by the market research firm, with many of those included having displayed rapid sales growth in the past year.
Freja, for example, has grown value by 335% amid rising shopper interest in broth and functional nutrition [NIQ 52 w/e 21 February 2026]. Its distribution has risen from 0.3% last year, to 2.2% in the past 12 weeks.
Others like petcare challenger Untamed have hit the £1m RSV milestone from a near-standing start. The catfood brand started life as a pureplay DTC supplier but is now stocked in Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons and Co-op. Its sales have surged to £5.2m, while distribution has hit 5.8% over the past 12 weeks.
“The Million Club celebrates those rare and remarkable businesses that have reached their first £1m in value sales in the last year – a milestone achieved by only 1% of companies trading across 70,000-plus grocery and convenience stores,” said Rachel Havers, NIQ small and medium UK business manager.
The 2026 list was “not just a celebration, but a data‑led signal to our global clients, investors and retail partners of the brands shaping the future”, Havers added.
“Botivo is only three-and-a-half years old, so looking around at all the amazing brands in this club that not only admire, but now sit alongside, is hugely exciting for us,” said Botivo co-founder Imme Ermgassen.
One Planet Pizza co-founder Joe Hill said: “Opening up an email that said we’d made it into the club this year genuinely will stay with me for my whole life.
“It took me, my dad and our team nearly 10 years to make it, but through hard graft, never quitting, and always believing in our dream – we made it and we can’t thank NIQ enough for helping us celebrate.”
The 2026 cohort is the sixth to enter the NIQ Million Club, with previous entrants including Trip, Jubel, Bold Bean Co, The Turmeric Co, Hawkstone, Bio&Me, Ramona’s and Ocean Saver.
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