9. Bear

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Founder: Hayley Gait-Golding
Founded: January 2009
Website: www.bearnibbles.co.uk

BEAR's fruit nibbles may be selling like hot cakes in leading supermarkets, but that's where the comparison to sugary snacks ends. The company creates treats made from freshly-picked, seasonal fruit, which is gently baked and packaged without sneaking in any extra sugar or preservatives. As a personal trainer, Gait-Golding was faced with clients who couldn't resist unhealthy snacks, so she decided to create a low calorie alternative. She named the brand BEAR, referencing the unsavoury habits of city bears who eat from waste bins, in contrast to their slimmer counterparts in the country.

The brand was an instant hit, drawing in £2.2m in the first year and securing deals with The Co-operative, Asda and Boots. Employing marketing initiatives such as online games, collectable cards and forest-based events, BEAR just keeps growing.

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