Waitrose has become the first major supermarket in the UK to stock ‘Nim’s Kids’ multi-packs after signing a new deal with the Kent-based fruit and vegetable crisp manufacturer.

Nearly 70% of its stores across the country will be selling the growing brand’s apple and pineapple crisps in multi-pack format.

It marks a major milestone for Nim’s founder Nimisha Raja, who initially started the business with the desire to give children healthy crisps they want to eat and parents were happy for them to have.

She has already seen her ‘adult’ versions of the fruit and vegetable crisps stocked in over 3500 outlets including Tesco, Co-op and independent retailers.

“This is a defining moment for the company and means we have finally achieved the vision the business was initially built on,” explained Nimisha.

“We have been working with a lot of retailers on getting Nim’s Kids stocked in mainstream stores and we are delighted that Waitrose has given us our first listing. The 2 multi-pack variants (apple & pineapple) will be available in 239 stores, which is a major commitment by the retailer.”

She went on to add: “This is an important educational moment for the snack sector and we have worked hard to develop new packs and inform children about how we make crisps, how natural they are and about how to lead a healthy lifestyle.”

The Waitrose deal comes just a few weeks after Nim’s Fruit Crisps secured approval to supply the NHS across England, a major step forward in the firm’s desire to grow its presence in the foodservice arena.

It successfully completed the stringent evaluation required by NHS Supply Chain and will feature on their cold beverages, Confectionery and Snacks framework.

The ten different varieties, including pineapple and kiwi, apple and beetroot and parsnip, are all manufactured at its bespoke ‘A Grade BRC-accredited’ facility in Sittingbourne where, after recent investment in new lines, it is capable of producing over 15 million packs of crisps a year.