A firm with just 18 employees making healthy fruit 'crisps' has won a sought-after business award.

Nim’s Fruit Crisps, which is based in Sittingbourne, joins an elite firm of businesses to receive a Queen's Award for Innovation for its air-dried fruit and vegetable crisps and range of edible teas - the only ones in the UK.

Nimisha Raja, founder of Nim’s Fruit Crisps, said: “We are absolutely gobsmacked that a small firm has been recognised with the biggest business award in the UK, maybe even the world.

“This royal seal of approval is a massive boost to our growing brand and will give industry buyers and independent retailers even more confidence to select our products. We innovate, we create and importantly we have a track record of delivering.”

“We are so blessed with an incredible team at Nim’s, especially our production team as they work so hard and are so supportive when it comes to developing some of our more ‘crazier’ ideas’. They understand and appreciate the importance of leading the innovation trend in what is one of the world’s fastest moving sectors.”

She launched Nim's after becoming increasingly disenchanted by the lack of healthy snacks on offer for parents and toddlers.

She sold her coffee shop and house and ploughed her money into launching the fruit crisp brand, building a state-of-the-art factory that can produce 12 million packs a year with its own production line.

Nim's products are nut and gluten free, certified vegan, Kosher and are now sold across more than 20 different countries, and in this country, on the shelves of Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons and other shops across the UK.

She added: “We had targeted doubling our turnover this year after a number of major wins at the tail end of 2019, but, like many in our sector, we are having to adjust to the challenges presented by COVID-19."

The company, which has also won a World Food Innovation and Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards, is also set to launch its first infusion slices for drinks soon.

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