56. SURREAL – the cereal you loved as a kid, but this time low sugar and high protein

Marketing Award Nominee

To recognise the startups that demonstrate the most creative and effective method for building early-stage brand awareness.

Startups 100: Marketing Award

Founders: Jac Chetland and Kit Gammell
Year founded: 2022
Website: eatsurreal.co.uk

Are you cereal? Yes, we are. We’re excited to share that SURREAL has returned to the Startups 100 Index! We all remember our favourite breakfast boxes from childhood – from chocolate delights such as Coco Pops (and the many knock-offs it inspired).

But the founders of SURREAL found that they had grown apart from cereal when they got into adulthood. They were no longer excited about their morning bowl; adult offerings felt bland, boring and stripped of the fun that made breakfast a treat as a kid.

And so began their mission to make the nation fall in love with cereal again. This meant recreating the fun, flavourful and colourful cereals that people loved as kids, but with the right nutrition for healthy adults, such as protein and fibre.

Since it was first featured on our 2023 Index, SURREAL has been on a serious roll. It is now partnered with major supermarket chains including Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Co-op, Ocado and Holland & Barrett.

What’s more, SURREAL has landed a partnership with Gymshark (another Startups 100 alumnus) – to develop its limited edition “Cardi-Os” strawberry-milkshake-flavoured cereal to help gymgoers boost their protein levels.

The judges appreciated SURREAL’s fun and playful branding, and given its successful digital marketing tactics – such as its fake celebrity campaign – we were thrilled to nominate it for the Startups 100 Marketing Award.

As for the future, SURREAL’s plans are simple and sweet, as it aims to become a top five cereal brand in the UK. By blending nostalgic flavours with adult nutrition, SURREAL proves that healthy doesn’t mean dull. We’re bowled over to feature them in the 2025 Startups 100.