Indie Bay Snacks, the brand pioneering a newer, better and smarter way to snack, will roll into 200 Sainsbury’s stores this week as part of Sainsbury’s ‘Future Brands’ Programme – marking the first major multiple listing for the business since launch.
Indie Bay, which was founded one year ago with backing from grocery heavyweights including Jeff van der Eems, ex United Biscuit CEO, and Hazem Ben-Gacem of InvestCorp, who sat on the board for Tyrells, has achieved six-figure sales in its first year of trading, with its Pretzel Bites range now stocked in 700 stores across the UK, with 300 to follow by the end of the year.
Dafna Bonas, Founder of Indie Bay Snacks, who has made a career of disrupting consumer categories since starting out in FMCG at Proctor & Gamble says: “Our first year of sales has been a blur of activity. We’ve achieved six-figure sales in year one, which is exceptional growth for a snacking start up. We’ve grown our team, launched five flavours, distributed over 100,000 samples, appeared at four shows, expanded into three European markets, and will be stocked in 1,000 UK stores by the end of the year. Based on current projections, we are expecting 700% growth in our second year.”
The exclusive Sainsbury’s listing is part of its ‘Future Brands’ programme, which will see the retail giant supporting some of the most innovative, unique challenger brands with strong long-term growth potential.
Tom Elliott, Origination & Development Manager at Sainsbury’s, says: “Our Future Brands Programme is all about championing distinctive brands. The new generation of customers want products that are new, unique, and challenge the status quo. Indie Bay, as a brand pioneering a smarter way of snacking, ticks all of these boxes. This partnership is about much more than listings – it’s about working closely with the brand as it grows, providing advice, building influence, and helping to drive the right solutions. Indie Bay’s growth to date is impressive and we are excited to support the brand on its mission to reinvent the snacking category.”
Dafna Bonas continues: “It’s not just the health obsessed consumers looking at the back of pack, millennials and mums alike are looking for delicious, nutritionally balanced snacks and more accessible, healthy impulse choices. Our mission with Indie Bay has always been to pioneer a newer, better and smarter way to snack, using new ingredients and techniques to truly redefine snacking – bagging all the benefits without the guilt.
“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved in just a year, and want to keep this momentum up with large scale samplings through events, partnerships and shows as well as an out of home campaign in support of our new listing with Sainsbury’s. We had a small fleet of Indie Taxis on the streets of London earlier this year, and we’re always on the lookout for fun opportunities to give our audience an Indie twist on a classic.”
Bonas has throughout her career used business as a vehicle to drive positive change, as the co-founder of Founders For Good / Founders Pledge, a global initiative that encourages and helps tech entrepreneurs give back to the causes they care about, a Board Advisor of Intelligence Squared, which supports and mentors social impact leaders, and (until recently) a trustee of The Jamie Oliver Food Foundation. Indie Bay is no exception – with donations from every bag sold being made to children’s food charities.
Indie Bay Pretzel Bites are an updated take on the pretzel – all-natural, vegan, and under 100 calories. The range will launch in 200 Sainsbury’s Locals this week, starting with varieties of ‘Rock Salt with Spelt’ and ‘Easy Cheesy’, £1 for 26g.