Pukpip first launched in 2023 with its sights set on disrupting the ice cream category and snacking market by tapping into the rise of permissible indulgence and frozen snacking by building a category in indulgent frozen fruit, which is worth +$300M in the USA and quickly gaining momentum here in the UK too - with recent reports valuing it at £2M and growing.
We know that consumers are increasingly health conscious and actively looking for ways to get more fruit into their diet and snack better, but with the demands of modern life, it’s not easy to always eat well and enjoy great taste in fun and convenient ways. Pukpip’s frozen fruit snacks allow consumers to permissibly indulge, any time, any place.
Our product portfolio includes real frozen banana sticks dipped in dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate as well as real frozen banana bites dipped in dark chocolate, milk chocolate or peanut butter. All our products are made by upcycling bananas that would otherwise be thrown away by producers for having the smallest imperfections. For example, a small mark on their skin or wonky shape.
Our products contain nothing artificial, are HFSS compliant, a high source of fibre and potassium and lower UFP than our competitors. What’s more, our dark chocolate and peanut butter products are Vegan Certified and our milk chocolate-dipped frozen banana stick has already won a Great Taste Award in the short time it’s been on the market.
Our real frozen banana sticks hit online supermarket shelves at Ocado Retail earlier this year - which marked our first major retail listing. They’re also available at Whole Foods and through wholesale distributor CLF, and online at Amazon, Vegan Kind, Wholefoods Box and - most recently - Zapp too.
How has the business evolved since its launch?
I’m really proud of the progress we’ve made since we launched in 2023. Already, we’ve secured a major retail listing with Ocado Retail and expanded our product portfolio to include a range of sharing bag options - Real Banana Bites - as well as our original chocolate-dipped frozen banana sticks.
It’s been fantastic to see more and more consumers embrace Pukpip as a snack for any time, any place too, whether that’s as an afternoon pick-me-up, snack for the kids, dessert for the family or sharing with friends on the sofa. Due to changes in behaviours formed during COVID-19 and more access to the freezer at home, plus taking into consideration things like the cost of living crisis, food waste and people generally looking for healthier alternatives to their favourite ice cream and sweet snacks, frozen treats are no longer solely confined to the late evening or after dinner occasion.
Tell us about the working culture at Pukpip?
At Pukpip we believe in balance, and that work should be fun as well as hard work. As a small business and team, we very much support and help each other out within our roles. We offer flexible hours, working from home and abroad options as well as a great central co-working space with access to a free gym and classes. We are always transparent and open, ensuring that how we work works for the team. And, no matter what, we try to stay positive - even when everything does not go to plan.
How are you funded?
We are very lucky to have our manufacturing partner as our main investor in the company.
What has been your biggest challenge so far and how have you overcome this?
It was actually understanding how to ship our products from Ecuador to the UK. Chocolate-dipped frozen bananas had never been shipped before and as a result did not have a commodity code / HS code. No one knew where to place us or how to code us. Working alongside customs and our shipping partner we finally got there, but it took months - who knew chocolate-dipped frozen bananas could be so complicated?!
How does Pukpip answer an unmet need?
Pukpip truly offers consumers the best of both worlds: real fruit, that’s real indulgent. We make it easier for go-go-go consumers to enjoy something that’s both delicious and healthy. Meeting the growing multiple-demand for healthier, more convenient choices and great tasting food brings challenges, but Pukpip makes it a priority to meet consumer needs.
It would be a missed opportunity not to talk about the increasingly important need for food and drink businesses to do their bit to reduce food waste in the industry here too. Billions of bananas alone are thrown away by producers every year for no real reason at all. At Pukpip, we like to say we love taste, not waste, and we’re proud to be doing our bit to meet this need by upcycling imperfectly perfect bananas to make our products.
What’s in store for the future?
Pukpip has just launched our first range of snackable bites, which are a huge success already. For myself and the team it is now about focusing on distribution and ensuring we land some grocery listings. We of course have some exciting NPD in the pipeline, but for now we need to focus on the SKU’s we have.
What one piece of advice would you give other founders or future founders?
Persistence is key. You get a lot of no’s and not possibles in the startup world and indeed in any business. There is always a solution, you just have to be willing to find an alternative solution instead and not give up.
And finally, a more personal question! What’s your daily routine and the rules you’re living by at the moment?
I try to get up and exercise at 6.30am most mornings. For me, this is non compromisable as it sets me up for the day and makes me feel both physically and mentally better.
I head into our central London co-working space, which is just a 35 minute commute from my house. I like to listen to podcasts about startups and the food industry to learn from others and be inspired by new ideas. As a team we work together from Tuesday to Thursday. It is great to have the balance between home and office.
I like to get out for some fresh air at lunch or grab some food with the team to clear my head - although it's safe to say this is not always the case!
For me evenings are about relaxing at home or catching up with friends and family. When I need to work late I try to ensure I get off my laptop or phone by 9pm so I have time to switch off before bed.
Zara Godfrey is the founder and managing director of frozen snack brand Pukpip.
