88. Creative Nature

Founders: Julianne Ponan
Founded: 2016
Website: www.creativenaturesuperfoods.co.uk

Frustrated at the lack of nut-free products on offer that weren’t full of additives, anaphylaxis sufferer Julianne Ponan decided that she’d just have to make her own.

After a bit of trial and error and a few iterations of its signature bars, Creative Nature was launched in 2016, with a range of healthy, vegan, allergy-free bars and baking mixes.

With both vegan and allergy-free food consumption rising dramatically year on year, Ponan launched just at the right time. Today, Creative Nature’s products are sold in thousands of Asda, Tesco, and Coop stores across the country

Over the last few years the brand has picked up a host of awards, including UK Small Business of the Year 2018 at the FSB Awards, and a Great Taste Award in 2017 – the first high protein snack bar to do so.

Creative Nature also had a successful appearance on Dragons’ Den in 2017, landing an offer of £75,000 from Deborah Meaden for 25% of the business. But Ponan ended up turning the offer down and went on to secure funding through crowdfunding site Seedrs.

Creative Nature is proving what it set out to do – show that free from gluten, dairy, nuts, or sweeteners doesn’t need to mean free from flavour. This is a product reflective of a generation, and we see plenty of tasty success ahead for Creative Nature.