We’re Louise Webb and Andy Valentine, co-founders Popcorn Kitchen - an artisan British popcorn provider with big ambitions to spread top-drawer popcorn joy throughout the UK and beyond with our unique portfolio of snacks, treats and gifting.

We believe in bold, full-throttle flavours but will never resort to any synthetic shortcuts to achieve that goal.

What gives you confidence that you’ve struck upon a great idea?

Real food and permissible treats are in the ascendancy and contrary to what many people might suspect, fine popcorn appreciation is a long way from reaching saturation point.  Our reputation is underpinned by bold, unfinicky flavours and an unflinching commitment to satisfyingly crunchy mushroom popcorn (Vs crumbly butterfly corn), which not only provides a larger surface area for embracing our flavours but keeps bottom-of-the-bag popcorn shrapnel to an absolute minimum.    

Did you always want to be a foodpreneur?

Yes, as co-owners who first cut our teeth working in big retailers and blue-chip manufacturers, we often found ourselves in pitches with our ‘inner voices’ working overtime thinking mischievous thoughts like, ‘Why didn’t they do that?’ ‘Why didn’t they move quicker?’ and ‘I think they’ve missed a trick!’ Thinking such thoughts is all very well sitting in a snug corporate meeting room, HOWEVER sitting the other side of the desk whilst putting our ‘business confidence’ on the line and operating off a shoestring budget has been a real education!

Give us an interesting popcorn fact.

             I’ll give you 3:

• Regardless of size or shape, almost all popcorn kernels pop at 356°F (180°C)

• Kernels can reach heights of 1.24m when popped

• To date the oldest kernels found (cave in New Mexico) are deemed to be 5600 years old making popcorn.  It’s also claimed that Aztec Indians were the first to see the versatility of popped corn using it both as a handy snack and clothing trimming underlining its status as the original, on-the-go treat.

Worst moment of anxiety?

Lockdown certainly caught up napping in the sense we were straddled with a sub-standard website/online shop (now addressed) and an undercooked appreciation about the manifold benefits of a robust online offer.  In the blink of an eye established retail partners went into hibernation and eagerly anticipated rollouts put on hold, which was the same moment we battened down the hatches and revisited our brand values and business plans.

We realised that incumbent procurement providers hadn’t been pulling their weight and that some of our gifting packs could work so much harder.  This was also the moment that we revisited our range and identified the opportunity for a new sub-range of deliciously decadent flavours (White Chocolate Raspberry, Lemon Drizzle……) with a nostalgic, quintessentially English twist. 

Best business high so far?

Taking over the reins from the original founder who we bought out in 2017 was certainly an ‘adrenalin high’ as was the recent launch of our new indulgent flavour sub-range, HOWEVER the biggest buzz of all was probably recognizing that we didn’t need to forage in all-to-often predictable and intransigent supermarkets because there are thousands of deserving delis, food halls garden centres, coffee centres and gifting operations (Plus online) crying out for discerning disruptor brands that enable them to create deliciously distinct snacking fixtures.

Lockdown loser or winner?

Building on our ‘Worst moment of anxiety’ answer I’d say a little bit of both, but primarily a winner!  We’d suspected from the moment we bought the business back in 2017 that this amazing business came with a small number of historical flaws, shortcomings and blemishes.  Unfortunately as is the case with so many scurrying around business owners its all too easy to brush brand weaknesses under the carpet and worry about them another day.  Lockdown, although we didn’t appreciate it at the time forced our hand, reminded us what Popcorn Kitchen is famous for and where we’d historically fallen short. The fact that that our bottom line has mushroomed exponentially over the intervening year and is forecast to double again over the next 12 months would suggest that Lockdown was central to giving us that all-important breathing space we kept putting off.   

What are your thoughts on failure?

Life’s to hectic to be gloomy.   Never be complacent or over-confident but never waste energy assuming the worst.  Problems will undoubtedly arise however a calm mind and an optimistic outlook will get them sorted quicker! 

Favourite Popcorn Kitchen flavour and why?

Louise:  It’s a close call between Chocolate Orange & Chocolate Mint that are glowing tributes to everyone’s favourite after dinner mint and everyone’s favourite spherical chocolate stocking filler.

Andy:  If you’d have asked me a few months ago I’d have invariably said Salted Caramel, which is probably our best-known hero, however today I find myself in quiet moments thinking I wonder whether there’s a pack of Cheddar Cheese popcorn tucked away in the back of a cupboard.  This is our fastest growing line that appeals to a slightly older yet discerning nibbler!   

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt to date?

Resilience, passion and renewed focus will certainly get you a long way, but it doesn’t do any harm to retrace your steps from time-to-time and reassess your workings because nothing stand still!      

Next big steps for Popcorn Kitchen?

In a world where savoury crackers and traditional cheeseboard accessories look a little long in the tooth, we recognise that sublime savoury popcorn has so much further to travel. 

Export is another growth arena that needs further investigation.  Who for example could imagine that Popcorn Kitchen would be a hit within the Estonian bookshop fraternity, with the award-winning Rahva Raamat book chain becoming a vocal champion of our sweet & savoury fayre.  

What’s your best piece of advice for fellow founders?

Entrepreneurship isn’t for the faint-hearted but a willingness to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in and maximise each and every opportunity that comes your way will certainly do no harm.  Also never assume you can’t get a better deal from suppliers just because you’re an up & coming challenger brand.