Co-op reveals eight exciting new businesses to join its Incubator programme, the Apiary

Following a search for a fresh wave of businesses to work with the convenience retailer towards a listing on its shelves, Co-op has revealed the eight businesses whose products will be seen in more than 100 Co-op stores later this year.

Co-op’s Apiary programme looks for suppliers with a unique point of difference, who are purpose driven and create social value

In addition to resonating with Co-op members and customers, the suppliers promote further diversity and inclusion within the convenience retailer’s range. The programme is designed to enable smaller or early stage businesses to become retail ready or, move to the next step of their development, with successful suppliers receiving tailored mentoring, insight, advice and support on all aspects of the product journey, and also participating in a supplier community network which further facilities learning and growth.

The latest wave of suppliers are expected to hit Co-op shelves from October onwards this year. It will take the total number of suppliers listed by Co-op through its Incubator or Accelerator schemes to more than 30, supplying over 100 products between them.

Kelly Orme, Community and Apiary Buying Lead, said: “It is exciting to reveal a fresh wave of suppliers to join our Incubator programme. We are looking forward to working with all of the new brands towards a listing in store. We believe that making it easier for smaller or early stage businesses to become retail ready or, to grow and thrive, is not only the right thing to do, but enables agile and exciting new producers with the potential to disrupt and challenge the market to develop to their next level. We know shoppers in a convenience setting look for great quality and innovation – products that make life easier, create social value, can be consumed on-the-go, or offer an element of indulgence – and we are looking forward to launching these great new products which you will start to see hit our shelves from this autumn. Products which we are confident will enthuse, excite and connect with consumers, conveniently.”

The eight new suppliers making up the fourth wave of businesses to be involved in Co-op’s Apiary programme, are:

• Love Sum Dumplings – founded by 2020 Masterchef semi-finalist Sandy Tang, and featuring on BBC TV’s Dragon’s Den – Love Sum explain that its “carefully crafted range of fresh world inspired dumplings are quick and convenient to use and are made using quality local ingredients”. It is Love Sum’s mission to make dumplings as popular as fresh pasta in the UK.

• Only With Love brewery – based near Lewes in East Sussex and founded in 2020 during the pandemic. It is described as “the independent brewery for mindful drinkers, with award winning NoLo beers that are all bangers – crushable and quenchy”

• Still Sisters – founded by sisters Hannah and Tori, Still Sisters creates handcraft small-batch gins and rums in Somerset and Wiltshire. Its London Dry Gins are made with botanicals from local independent growers, and its special botanical, watercress, is grown less than five miles from their distillery. It also has a focus on making nights out in communities safer.

• Chu Lo Drinks – Inspired by the popular Japanese drink Chuhai, Manchester-based Stephanie Buttery set to work creating an authentic-tasing, alcohol-free, sour fruit soft drink. Stephanie explained: “We are delighted with this latest development for our business, it marks our retail debut which is very exciting and follows success in food service with partners like Yo! Sushi, Wasabi, and The Ivy”.

• Wild Thingz Organic Sweets – described as a “a new generation of gummy sweets: organic, plant-based, and full of joy – not additives”

• All dressed Up – building the business from the kitchen table, Tess Read – who has a background as a private chef – is on a mission to shake-up the salad dressing category, elevating foods with innovative flavour and quality ingredients.

• Up Up Chocolate – which shines a light on every part of its supply chain to ensure it knows how workers are treated and paid to ensure it is fair and honest.

• In addition, In a first for Co-op’s Apiary Programme, it is partnering with Spruce – a female-founded, B Corp-certified brand offering plastic-free, refillable cleaning and laundry products made with non-toxic ingredients, safe for both people and planet. Born out of the founder’s personal health issues, Spruce products are free from harsh chemicals, pesticides, synthetic fragrances, and optical brighteners, Spruce products are scented only with natural, organic essential oils.