Mochi ice cream brand Little Moons has announced plans to open a new 50,000 sq. ft. production facility in Kettering in the first half of 2024. The move comes after accounts show the company’s turnover more than doubled to £68.5m during the 18 months to 30 December 2022.
Broadening distribution across its top six grocery customers, multiple new flavour listings and heavyweight marketing support that included TV, VoD and a partnership with Luna Cinema, drove Little Moons to become the 8th largest ice cream brand in the UK and the second fastest-growing by units (IRI, MAT to end Dec 2022).
Outside of Little Moons’ home market, a booming international business has complemented its continued growth in the UK. The brand’s cult status has seen distribution in France double in the last twelve months, whilst new listings have been secured with Coop Denmark, Conad and Coop Italy, Meny Norway, El Corte Inglés Spain and Konzum Croatia.
Further afield, the brand’s launch into Woolworths in Australia in Autumn 2022 has generated AU$10m in retail sales, and Little Moons will be rolling out to New Zealand this Autumn.
The investment in the new facility comes on the back of private equity group, L Catterton, taking a minority stake in the business in the first quarter of 2022. Designed and built to support its growth plan, the facility will serve Little Moons growing geographic footprint.
In addition to production capacity, Little Moons has invested in teams on the ground in France and Germany to accelerate growth, as well as a new permanent office space for its head office teams in Farringdon, Central London.
