Crunch Corn is the latest fine snacking chapter from the ‘corn obsessives’ at Popcorn Kitchen. This 3-strong range in fine grain appreciation resulted from Louise’s impromptu visit to the Seville Food Fair in 2013 where she happily immersed herself in the foodie capital’s tapas bar scene, quickly quickly discovering that Giant Peruvian Choclo Corn was a much-loved and insanely crunchy staple within Spain’s fine snacking circles.
With nut prices spiralling and growing numbers distancing themselves from the high fat joy of crisps (15-20g of fat per 50g bag), Louise felt the opening for a superior-sized corn (4x the size of everyday sweetcorn) had never been greater; especially a generously seasoned corn that’s been meticulously roasted for added crunch.
Of course there will be some in fine grain circles who would go so far as to suggest that there are already quite enough pouches of grain-based nibbles in circulation; you know the ones we means, pretty ‘handbag savvy’ pouches that arrive jam-packed with all manner of fiddly seeds, a light smattering of roasted corn and the odd nut for added intrigue.
Following Popcorn Kitchen’s hard-earned success within the deli, food hall, coffee shop and garden centre scene, Louise was adamant that she wanted a savoury-themed corn-based format whose appeal would straddle both Popcorn Kitchen’s traditional heartland and a hitherto inaccessible on-trade. The really clever twist with Crunch Corn is that this is clearly a Mediterranean inspired treat that openly champions iconic ‘crispy’ flavours from these shores (Salt & Vinegar, Sea Salt and a slightly left-field Spicy Chilli).
The second necessity regarding Crunch Corn was to build a guilt-free savoury snack reputation geared specifically at today’s increasingly demanding snackers; a range of moreish, punchy-flavoured bites that were vegan-friendly, HFSS compliant, allergen-free and a welcome source of beneficial fibre. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Crunch Corn also contains less than half the fat of a typical, hand-cooked crisp.
A satisfying crunch, uncompromising flavours, fibre-friendly formats and a polite nod to World Cuisine are without question four of the key pillars for today’s well-rounded snack and it would appear that Crunch Corn passes each test with flying colours.
Louise in an earlier life had been both food developer and then a fine-snacking sales director so was well-tuned to modern snacking needs. In 2017 when she took over the reins at Popcorn kitchen she turned what was essentially a County show and food festival brand into something altogether more substantial.
From the very outset Louise showed no interest whatsoever in squabbling for a small stake in the supermarket’s fine snacking fixture, a precarious retail landscape ruled by big brands and their deep pockets. Instead, the decision was taken to prioritise being a big cog within the various foodie-centric indie channels as opposed to a small pimple within the all-consuming supermarket scene.
Success would be dependent on carving out a clear defendable niche consisting of:
- Bold, decadent and occasionally improbable flavour marriages
- Never skimping on the core ingredient corn, which is why Popcorn Kitchen only uses podgy, well-rounded mushroom corn versus flyaway butterfly corn (the flaky format favoured by cinemas, theatres……)
- Never dabbling with 2nd best ingredients (palm oil….)
- A regular stream of corn-themed innovation covering everything from popcorn peppered chocolate bars through to home popping kits geared at great ‘family nights’ in.
- Last but not least; Popcorn Kitchen was determined to be the 1st B-Corp within top tier popcorn, a heartfelt pledge that went from drawing board to reality within 12 months.
- Simply put this is an award-winning business with an enviable nationwide footprint that today extends across the pond to North American delis in one direction and to Estonian libraries in the other.
With Popcorn Kitchen & Crunch Corn straddling both sides of the sweet/savoury divide, Louise is adamant that ‘fine corn appreciation’ has never been in better health.
