A London snack brand which launched in 2023 has revealed huge growth as it seeks to achieve £1m revenue in 2025.
Chester Robinson founded all natural nut and seed cluster brand, RAISE, in 2023; a business born from Chester’s own frustrations in searching for a natural, nutritious and tasty snack which satisfied him during his hectic days. Remembering the delicious nut and seed clusters his Nigerian mum used to make for him and his siblings, he decided to create his own and RAISE was born.
In the early days Raise was given a huge kickstart when it was chosen as one of Sainsbury’s Future Brands small business incubator brands, an opportunity that allowed the fledging company a listing with the multiple retailer as well as start-up support. “Securing a listing with Sainsbury’s was a dream come true but we were met with the challenge of being a totally new brand with very little consumer awareness of our products and having to compete with established brands on Sainsbury’s shelves, so we’ve had to adapt very quickly,” he continues.
Chester has always been an entrepreneur, with previous business ventures including selling clothing and pot noodles at school, as well as organising a club night at university. His previous jobs include working for Freddie’s Flowers, as well as jobs in tech and digital marketing – all of which have provided him with the essential skills he needed to start his own business and effectively market and sell a product.
“Support from family and friends has been crucial, especially in testing recipes and helping with logistics and sampling at the start. My mum’s house was the first (very small) warehouse, so I was under pressure to get the snacks moving and free up her sitting room!” explains Chester.
The brand is a reflection of Chester’s own culture and upbringing. He’s from a mixed background (Nigerian mum and English father), so his belief in the benefits of a more diverse and inclusive society is ingrained. The eldest of four, his father passed away when he was 22, which made him grow up quickly and become even more obsessed with being healthy, eating well and exercising. He was raised on his mum’s granola snacks (which fuelled his learning and busy adolescence into adulthood) and wants to revitalise the snack world with nutrition and health at the forefront.
“At RAISE we look to celebrate nuts and seeds. Through our original cluster format we make them more convenient, more exciting and even more tasty. We use nuts and seeds to elevate your snack game,” explains Chester. “However, RAISE is more than just a snack, it’s a brand which looks to build a community of people who care about bettering themselves, the planet and others. To do this, we place diversity and inclusion at the core of everything it does, with each packet of RAISE sold helping to feed a child at risk of hunger in the UK.
Over the last three years, RAISE has adapted to meet the growth and in the last 12 months it’s launched two new HFSS compliant products and picked up new listings with Ocado, Leon and Brakes. “Last year we took £135,000 in revenue and, this year, we’re aiming for a whopping £1m, which is incredible. Looking ahead, the ultimate goal is to make RAISE a household brand in multiple markets. To do that, we initially need to expand our retail presence and make RAISE famous in the UK,” concludes Chester.
