When 23-year-old Marietta Hickman was diagnosed with autism and Tourette’s Syndrome several years ago, she began baking regularly to manage her anxiety and reduce her involuntary tics.

She often baked homemade allergy-friendly granola inspired by nostalgic British desserts.

After setting aside £10,000 of her savings, Marietta decided to launch her own independent business called Cheeky Nibble, offering one of the only vegan, gluten-free and nut-free granolas on the market, with 100 percent compostable packaging.

Since winning the Innovate UK Young Innovators Award in 2022, Cheeky Nibble has been stocked by independent retailers in London and Norwich. The business is now gearing up for commercial launch in Co-Op and Ocado supermarkets in the UK.

Marietta has also appeared on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den, which helped widen her brand recognition and national reach.

Scaling up to supermarket shelves

When Marietta first applied to the Young Innovators Award, Cheeky Nibble was about as rudimentary as it gets. Working entirely independently, the brand was only operating within a small, relatively local radius.

“The project was in its very early stages,” said Marietta. “I was still baking each box of granola by hand and all by myself. Our product was only stocked in a few independent stores in London and several Norfolk farm shops.”

Support from Innovate UK was instrumental in growing Cheeky Nibble into a confident and self-assured business that could scale beyond a single kitchen.

“My mentors helped me prepare for my Dragon’s Den appearance,” Marietta explained. “While I may not have received investment from the show, Innovate UK helped me to prepare and impress the public. That recognition has helped me to grow the business tremendously.”

After her appearance on the BBC, Marietta secured a place in the Co-op’s Apiary scheme, an accelerator initiative that promotes innovation and smaller-scale food and drink businesses. This then led to a full-time partnership with Co-op to stock Cheeky Nibble on its shelves.

“I launched with the Co-op in November,” said Marietta. “This was my first national supermarket. There are also plans to stock with Ocado in the future.”

Financial help and building confidence

Marietta’s business was given a financial boost from the Young Innovators Award, which she valued immensely as a young entrepreneur with limited experience prior to Cheeky Nibble.

“It really helped with cash flow at the start of my business,” Marietta explained. “It can be near impossible to receive funding, a bank loan or even an overdraft. This can make starting and scaling your business really difficult. The support came at a pivotal time and made a huge difference.”

Business coaching was also provided as part of the Young Innovators programme, which Marietta found to be the most impactful part of her experience with Innovate UK.

“The mentorship I received was the most influential and beneficial part of the programme for me,” said Marietta. “It helped me solve problems, bounce ideas around and network with useful people I otherwise wouldn’t have met. I also really appreciated the emotional support, when I was struggling from stress.”

Advice for future prospective applicants

Given all her experiences so far, what advice would Marietta give to aspiring innovators? She believes it’s all about planning and strategy.

“The grant is helpful, naturally, but the coaching was a real game changer for me and my business. I’d really recommend taking the time to get to know your mentor,” Marietta said.

“Prepare for your meetings ahead of time, even if it’s just jotting down notes on your phone. Really make sure you benefit from all the knowledge and support that the programme provides.”