Non-HFSS cookie brand JNCK Bakery and microwavable snack firm Jake & Nayns’ are among the businesses to join the latest cohort of Tesco’s Accelerator Programme.
The scheme was launched to boost growth for innovative new brands that focus on health and sustainability. Being selected for the scheme provides firms with a comprehensive year-long mentoring, learning, and development experience focused on growth that has been designed to deliver innovation for customers while supporting diversity within its supply base.
The brands span the FMCG market with the likes of pet food specialist Pooch & Mutt, Better Nature Tempeh, and alcoholic beverage brand Jiddler’s Tipple among the others in the cohort.
JNCK Bakery hit the market in early 2023 with the ambition to ‘redefine junk food’. Its four-strong range of cookies boast 90% less sugar, 50% less saturated fat, three times the protein, and five times the fibre compared to existing products (per 100g when compared with 100g of other cookies available via supermarkets and foodservice outlets in the UK).
JNCK cookies will now be stocked in over 500 Tesco stores nationwide as well as online from October with a rsp of £3.95 for a three-cookie multipack.
Founder Alex Brassill said the achievement was “testament to the quality of our products”. “We’ve been blown away by the success of our cookies since launch, we are already stocked in a number of independent and foodservice outlets and outsold some leading brands on GoPuff when we first launched – but this is now a huge leap forward in the growth of our business,” he added.
Jake & Nayns’, meanwhile, specialises in microwavable savoury snacks, including burritos, toasties, samosas, and its flagship Naanster – a range of filled naans with variants including Balti chicken, chickpea curry, and beef madras.
Among the selection criteria for the programme is a commitment to support brands led by individuals from under-represented backgrounds. Ten of the brands in the new 16-strong intake are diverse-owned, including Aagrah, Jake & Nayn’s, Superfoodio, and Wha Gwan, or women-owned such as Bold Bean Co, Fearne & Rosie, Piccolo, Seep, and The Gut Stuff.
Brands that are committed to reducing their environmental impact across the supply chain and supporting a healthier way of living also feature heavily in the new cohort.
“We’re really excited to announce a further 16 brands as part of our Accelerator Programme,” said Rachel Hann, head of innovation and express product strategy at Tesco.
“We’re passionate about supporting diversity within our supply base which reflects the communities we serve across the UK, and these new brands add to the fresh and inspirational selection from our first cohort earlier this year. We can’t wait to see how customers respond to them.”
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