Sustainable nut butter start-up Yumello has beaten a £300k crowdfunding target as it seeks to expand its retail distribution and launch new products.
The business – founded by Esther Lopez and Omar El Hajji in 2018 – is overfunding on the Seedrs platform, with £342k raised from more than 130 backers so far.
Yumello plans to pour the money into growing its team, expanding the ecommerce channel, upping marketing, moving its nut butters into glass jars and launching NPD.
Already listed with Ocado, Booths, Holland & Barrett and Amazon, the brand is also in talks with two of the major mults for further listings.
“Consumers are better educated on health and the sustainability credentials of the products they buy,” Lopez said.
“We believe the category isn’t responding fast enough as established companies focus on traditional products. Finding a gap in the market has delivered strong growth and we are on a mission to become the number-one premium nut butter brand in the UK.”
Yumello’s range of nut butters are inspired by the recipes and ingredients of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, including salted date peanut butter and smoky harissa peanut butter.
The brand makes its palm-oil free products in CO2 neutral facilities the UK and sources argan oil, used in its smooth almond butter and crunchy peanut butter, from female-led partner co-operative Targanine in the Atlas Mountains, which helps empower Berber women in rural Morocco.
Its annual sales growth has averaged 180% since launching thanks to a strong online following and DTC operation.
Back in 2020, the business raised £100,000 directly from its online customers, and also counts Giles Clarke, founder of Majestic Wine and pet supplies retailer Pet City, and Andrew Quinlan, founder and former MD at craft cider maker Orchard Pig, as investors.
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