Holy Moly is taking its avocado dips to Australia, the UK-based company’s first international market outside of Europe.
Two products are on sale more than 1,000 Woolworths stores - Holy Moly Smashed Avocado Minis and Holy Moly Smashed Guacamole Minis, both in three packs of 57-gram containers.
More of the natural avocado products are expected to follow, although no timeframe was provided.
Products for Australia will be exported, with Sydney-based Circle Exchange acting as the local distributor and sales agent.
Holy Moly currently supplies the UK, Ireland and France. The UK is its largest market, where the company has supplied customers for the last ten years, a spokesperson confirmed. Retailers include Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda.
More European destinations are expected to be added to the roster this year, the spokesperson added, declining to provide specifics nor any details on Holy Moly’s revenues and profits.
Founder Tom Walker said in a statement: “Australia felt like the natural next step for Holy Moly. There are so many similarities between our markets, particularly when it comes to our love of avocados, but Australia has taken smashed avo to another level."
Walker set up Holy Moly with Gaz Booth, who has since “stepped away from the day-to-day running of the business” but remains a shareholder, the spokesperson said.
Peter Oden is managing director and runs the company alongside Walker.
In terms of backers, the spokesperson added: “We have a number of investors who are both industry specialists (FMCG specialists) as well as early-stage angel investors,” declining to provide further details.
Samworth Brothers invested in the business in 2021 through its venture-capital fund Perfect Redd, according to the investor’s website.
However, a ‘notice of ceasing to be a person with significant control’ for Perfect Redd was filed by Holy Moly with Companies House in June. A separate filing noted Crucible Topco in London was now the entity with ‘significant control’.
The Holy Moly spokesperson confirmed Samworth/Prefect Redd has reduced its shareholding and remains invested but would not comment any further.
Just Food has asked UK-based Samworth for comment. A contact for Crucible Topco could not be found.
Holy Moly’s avocado dips are made “directly at source in Central and South America”, with the fruits supplied by local farmers, according to the statement.
They are produced using “cold press technology so we can make a natural product without the need for preservatives or additives”.
Samantha Jarvis and Ben Horwood of Circle Exchange, said in the statement: “Holy Moly had to be genuinely better than what was already on the shelf, and everyone who tries it think it is. Once Australians try Holy Moly, we’re pretty confident in letting the product do the talking.”
