Cassandra - What is your food product?
We’re a London-based popcorn brand and pride ourselves on doing things properly. Our team spends a lot of time and energy making sure our popcorn is as tasty as it can possibly be, using the best ingredients we can get our hands on. It’s completely gluten and GMO free, low calorie and we only ever want to use ingredients that you’d find in your cupboard at home. Taste always comes first and is something we’ll never compromise on.
How is it made?
It’s a very collaborative process and starts with the team; we’re always experimenting with new flavour combinations. Our popcorn is all popped in a small amount of rapeseed oil and then carefully seasoned. We now have six flavours in the collection; Sweet Coconut & Vanilla and Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sun Dried Tomato are some of our more unusual ones.
When and how did you first come up with the idea for the product?
I came up with the idea when I was 25 and working in Soho and we launched 2 years later in 2011. There seemed to be a real gap in the market for a snack which not only delivered on health and satisfaction but which people would also be proud to be seen with. I’d always wanted to run my own business and Propercorn was the first idea that I had complete faith in.
Other than your own, what’s your favourite product?
I’m obsessed with coconut oil at the moment- cooking, skin, hair, everything!
Many food producers are very passionate about their products – have you a message you would like to share with your customers?
Our Done Properly ethos has given us real drive and passion for all things popcorn, over the last four years. It begins with our recipes but extends to everything we do. Whether we’re creating standout, hand illustrated packaging, cases or our own small clothing range, we believe everything should be as good as it can possibly be. We have an incredibly talented and passionate team who put creativity at the heart of everything we do, something I believe, really sets us apart.
Is there salt and/or sugar in your products? If so, how much and why?
We’ve worked hard to make Propercorn a genuinely delicious alternative to crisps, carefully balancing taste and health. It’s a challenge but something we feel passionately about and our Lightly Sea Salted flavour, which has the lowest salt content of our main competitors, shows that it’s possible. To achieve the best flavour, colour and texture, we use some brown cane sugar but we always look to be as transparent about this as possible. We’ll only work on a flavour if we really believe we can make it offer both great taste and health.
What is the shelf-life of your product and how come?
Six months. We don’t use any preservatives or additives, so beyond this point the texture and flavour naturally deteriorate.
What would your death row meal be (aside from your own products!)?
My family is originally from Cyprus, so any of my Granny’s amazing food.
Where can people buy your food and find out more about it?
Tesco, Dunnes, Spar, Centra and Fresh but we’re very excited to be in shops in seven other countries across Europe. Our website is a good place to start, but for a proper look at our brand, our Instagram is probably the best place to go. It’s a real reflection of our team’s passion for creativity and style and is the perfect platform for us to visually engage with our followers. It’s a very vibrant celebration of all the things that make us tick!
