The future looks perky for UK better-for-you snack bar brand following outstanding crowdfunding campaign
Perkier coins its bars as ‘leading-edge snacks’ enhanced with genuine health benefits, operating in the UK’s fastest growing market segments, according to Nielsen UK retail sales data for the 52 weeks ending 28 August 2021.
The brand says its HFSS-compliant bars contain up to 60% less sugar, 100% more fibre and 34% more protein than its competitors.
It also claims its Vitamin Packed Immune Booster Bars are the only product in Britain to provide 100% of the daily vitamin D, C and B12 recommendation, while Perkier’s Active Cultures range is the UK’s first line of probiotic snack bars.
Plus, the bars are gluten-free, vegan and palm oil-free, aligned with the brand’s mission to save and rehabilitate orangutans in Borneo through its partnership with International Animal Rescue.
Smashing through target
A highly successful crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs saw Perkier exceed its original target to generate £1m of funding. The brand’s 30% year-on-year growth and its agility to pivot during lockdown made it an attractive prospect to the 300+ investors who invested between £11.40 and six-figure sums.
The cash injection will be used to accelerate growth with digital marketing, instore activation, innovation and recruitment. The boost will also enable the business to reach more shoppers than ever before, challenging the market’s dominant players – such as Nakd, Trek, Kind, Eat Natural and Graze bars – and growing its share of the £365.4m snack bar category.
“We are blown away by the response from investors and so excited to be implementing our plans,” said Ann Perkins, MD of Perkier.
“We’re on a mission to make the healthiest snacks on the planet. But we don’t just care about your health, ‘cos every snack we make tastes good, does you good and doesn’t mess up the planet.”
She noted consumers are tired of snacks that pretend to be healthy, taste like cardboard or green wash their offer.
“We’re here to shake up and grow the category.”
Scott Simpkin, Seedrs Investment Campaign lead added, “The Perkier campaign was one of the most impressive performances we've seen all year on Seedrs. The brand's eye-opening growth certainly attracted the attention of some of our larger investors, resulting in Perkier raising 250% vs target.”
Perkier bars are sold in Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, ASDA and Amazon and food-to-go outlets across the UK. The brand is also set to expand its online presence, following an invitation earlier this year onto Amazon’s exclusive Launchpad programme for high potential SMEs.
Ann Perkins and Steve Turner founded Perkier in 2015, inspired by Perkin’s health-driven gluten and dairy free diet. The name is a mash-up of their surnames – Perkins and Turner. The pair began the business producing the free from bars in the home kitchen. They still honour this process and today all recipes are developed inhouse and the products handmade in small batches.
