The sweet smell of success with healthy vegan friendly Jealous Sweets

BY GEORGINA GAMBETTA
james@slpmedia.co.uk

A guilt, fake, and junk-free confectionery business’s sweet success is putting its area on the map.

Tooting has some unlikely claims to fame: it has Europe’s largest Chicken Cottage, the UK’s biggest swimming pool, and was named one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods by Lonely Planet.

And now Jealous Sweets, a sweet shop with a twist is, in its own way, adding to that lustre.

Jealous Sweets’ products, unlike most of everyone’s favourite fizzy treats, contain no gluten, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and are vegan friendly.

Taz Basunia and Imran Merza started the company in 2010, when they left their city banking careers.

They noticed that there was a gap in the market for modern, sophisticated and healthy sweets, so they cut out the fluffy animals and unhealthy sugars to create their unique products.

They can boast supplying Selfridges and Harvey Nichols as a result of giving customers the chance to treat themselves without hitting their waistline.

And their sweet success has led to them securing a loan from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.

This cash injection will mean their Grizzly Bears, Fizzy Friends and Tangy Worms start popping up in larger retailers, from Asda to Mannings in Asia.

Taz said: “Our aim is to create a global and iconic brand – and we’re targeting growth not only in the UK market, but also in Europe and Asia and the Pacific, where we see huge opportunity.

“Lloyds Bank has been a breath of fresh air, taking time to understand our story and our ambitions and tailoring a funding package to our needs.”

Keith Breavington, associate director, Global Transaction Banking at Lloyds Banking Commercial Banking, said: “Jealous Sweets is a fantastic example of an innovative company that is targeting the more conscious consumer without compromising on taste.”