A North East health food firm that won backing on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den has won its first order with a High Street retailer.
Whitley Bay firm Oatein has struck a deal with Holland & Barrett to stock its oats and protein flapjack.
The deal comes just a few weeks after the firm, run by John Paul Gardner and Andy Dixon, won £50,000 investment from entrepreneur Peter Jones on Dragons’ Den.
The firm has also launched a crowdfunding campaign as it aims to launch its first vegan product.
Oatein’s flapjack range, which comes in a range of flavours, spiked in popularity on Holland & Barrett’s website following the company’s appearance on the BBC business programme.
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It will now be stocked in more than 400 of the health chain’s stores around the UK.
Oatein co-founder John Paul Gardner said: “We’re thrilled to be launching into Holland & Barrett as this is a store we have had our sights set on for quite some time.
“Following our success on Dragons’ Den, the response we have received has been phenomenal and more than we ever expected, and to partner with a high street heavyweight such as Holland & Barrett is an incredible achievement for us. We look forward to what the future holds for Oatein.”
Cillian Cook, category manager at Holland & Barrett, said: “We’re really excited to work with Oatein and have a feeling they will perform tremendously with our customers.
“The health snack market is constantly evolving and it’s important that we evolve with it. Oatein has responded to this demand and has managed to create a product that ticks all the right boxes for us.”
Mr Gardner and Mr Dixon launched Oatein in 2015 and have since sold more than 2.5m bars, flapjacks and cookies in supermarkets, pharmacies, health stores and gyms in 55 countries worldwide.
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Exports account for 90% of the firm’s turnover, with Oatein enjoying particular success in near and Middle Eastern countries.
The company is aiming to build on their recent success and says it has been “inundated with meeting requests from some of the UK’s biggest high street names and grocery retailers”.
