Meet The Founder: Livia’s – The Quickest-Rising Plant-Primarily based Snack Model within the UK

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Based in her mother and father’ kitchen, Olivia Wollenberg’s plant-based snack model, Livia’s, has taken off within the UK, with free-from treats flying off cabinets in 3,200 shops throughout the nation.

Fuelled by a candy tooth, a couple of dietary restrictions, and a ardour for plant-based goodness, Livia’s reached their funding goal inside just some days of opening as much as buyers. With a variety of candy snacks which have garnered a vibrant cult following on Instagram, Livia’s has much more recipes within the pipeline, and this funding spherical will assist convey them to life.

Right here’s how the UK’s quickest rising plant-based snack model received began.

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What’s Livia’s imaginative and prescient?

We’re making an attempt so as to add a bit of magic and innovation to the plant-based and free-from world. 

After being identified with intolerances to wheat and dairy I noticed a transparent hole out there for gluten-free and vegan treats that have been indulgent, happy my candy cravings and at all times delivered on style. I didn’t wish to dunk a protein bar or power ball right into a cup of tea, and let’s be trustworthy, who does?! 

The free-from market was useful and area of interest, and I knew it didn’t must be. There have been so many individuals identical to me who cherished to indulge however who needed to take action with treats constituted of higher substances. So, I got down to create an organization specialising in confectionery and desserts which have been plant-based, gluten free and at all times pure, and that by no means compromised on style. Style has, and at all times might be crucial half! 

How has the corporate grown since inception? 

It’s truly wonderful to assume again on these first two years of enterprise, once we have been experimenting with new recipes and supplying delicious treats from my father or mother’s kitchen to excessive finish retailers reminiscent of Selfridges, Planet Natural and Wholefoods. Their kitchen began to appear like a fully-fledged meals manufacturing unit, and ultimately there was no more room for the corporate to develop. So, I sourced a producer that would make the required volumes and help our quick progress.

Since then our distribution has grown nationwide by over 1,600% and we’re now listed in over 3200 shops with 17,200 stocking factors throughout the UK with three well-known product ranges. We’ve got listings within the UK’s largest grocery store and highstreet chains together with Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Boots and Holland and Barrett and final yr we hit revenues of £2.3. We’ve grow to be the quickest rising free-from snack model within the UK!

Who’s your goal market?

Anybody and everybody who likes candy treats! Our merchandise cater for these with allergy symptoms and intolerances like myself, however they’re aimed to be mainstream. When you like a bit of one thing candy then Livia’s is designed for you.

It’s been unimaginable to see the model develop. We now have a social media following of over 200,000, one of many largest and most engaged following of some other meals model within the UK – and we love our clients. We’re at all times considering of latest methods to assist them fulfill their candy cravings. 

What differentiates Livia’s from different snack manufacturers out there to customers? 

Livia’s has at all times, and can at all times concentrate on naturally delicious treats. Every part we make now, and going ahead, might be pure, vegan and gluten-free, and at all times candy. We’ve got grow to be generally known as the model that basically specialises on this space and will have merchandise that sit in any class so long as they fulfill candy cravings! 

We’re very totally different from the extra useful power bar and protein ball merchandise which are frequent in free-from – our merchandise are far more revolutionary and magical.

What recipes can be found now and what do you’ve within the pipeline?

Our present three ranges, which our clients love are Million Squares, Nugglets and Dunx. We’ve got centered thus far on on-the-go merchandise thus far –  small seize n’ go packs you could decide up wherever and everytime you want a bit of increase. Within the subsequent few months we might be bringing our new codecs, and in time fully new product ranges which we’re all so enthusiastic about!

How do you give you new recipes? 

Lots of the time I dream them up! I dream in chocolate and sometimes get up considering of probably the most scrumptious concepts. I then get to the kitchen and begin experimenting with all of the substances we use at Livia’s till I make one thing that I do know generally is a viable mainstream product. That’s  the candy genius behind all three of our ranges, and the brand new merchandise now we have upcoming.

What was one of the vital thrilling successes up to now? 

Gosh, so many. However I’ll by no means ever neglect the day I launched our merchandise in Selfridges. I simply saved on going to the checkout to scan a product via, in complete amazement that the barcode I had placed on the packaging myself labored! I nonetheless get a complete rush seeing our merchandise in retailer, and getting messages from our clients on Instagram saying how a lot they love them. That can by no means get previous. 

What would be the best problem going ahead? 

We’ve got an extremely thrilling new product pipeline and the problem might be having to keep away from launching them all of sudden! We might want to stagger launches based mostly on gaps and client wants, however it is extremely tough to maintain such scrumptious and thrilling merchandise underneath wraps for such a very long time. 

What do you concentrate on while you rent new individuals?

Not solely are basic capabilities for every position one thing we have a look at carefully, however we additionally assess whether or not somebody can dwell as much as the Livia’s values. Somebody may be extremely expert and educated, however they might not be the precise cultural match. The tradition half is as, if no more, necessary. Our values are Daring, Playful, Open and Hungry, and in interviews we at all times look to see if candidates possess qualities that feed into every worth. 

Why did you select crowdfunding?

We’re crowdfunding now to speed up our progress and attain our mission even sooner, making better-for-you indulgent treats accessible to everybody. We’ve got probably the most great and enormous communities and we needed to get them concerned now in a extra significant means. What might be higher than your clients additionally being your buyers?!

This funding spherical will assist us speed up the launch of mouth-watering new merchandise, increase advertising and marketing actions, increase our D2C platform, and develop our gross sales and operations groups. There may be a lot extra distribution to return after this and we actually couldn’t be extra enthusiastic about it.

What’s your favorite dessert? 

That is an unattainable query. I really like all of them! Something chocolatey. If I had to decide on, sizzling chocolate peanut butter pudding in all probability takes the cake. I like to get pleasure from it baked so it’s heat, alongside vanilla cashew ice-cream. That’s the perfect.

What retains you busy while you’re not working? 

Seeing family and friends, and I like to train to blow off steam.

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To search out out extra about Livia’s and be part of almost 1,000 buyers backing the way forward for plant-based treats, go to the pitch now.