65. Olly’s

Founder: Olly Hiscocks
Year founded: 2021
Website: ollys-ollys.com

Let’s cut to the chase: the world isn’t lacking in snacks. But when it comes to snacks that are good in taste and on the waist – there aren’t many. 

A trip to the local supermarket two years back left founder and olive lover Olly Hiscocks disappointed. Uninspired by the uniformity and lack of imagination he found on the shelves, he decided to do something about it, creating a saliva-inducing selection of olive offerings  flavoured with chilli & rosemary, garlic & basil, and lemon & thyme.

This dedication to crafting delectable snacks with a health-conscious twist and the rapid growth of his olive-based empire has earned Hiscocks a coveted spot on the Startups 100 index for the second time.

In the last 18 months, Ollys has expanded its product range from  from three to 14, adding  Pretzel Thins and Chocolate Pretzel Thins to the portfolio for the peckish. You can nibble on Olly’s in pubs, theatres, cinemas and workplaces, but it also adorns the snacking aisles in all the major supermarkets: Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Boots, and Ocado.

Most recently, the humble olive went global. It is an in-flight munch on Easyjet, Ryanair, and British Airways, as well as being sold in 15 countries overseas. 

And the healthy treats enterprise isn’t short on those wanting a bite of the action. Olly initiated a funding campaign on the Seedrs platform with the goal of raising £850k, thereby valuing the business at £10m. The campaign has actually successfully garnered over £1m from a community of more than 200 investors.

Clearly, Olly’s has managed to carve a niche in an oversaturated market of naughty nibbles by shifting its focus to healthy snacks that are delicious and nutritious.