We've been watching Holie's closely for a while now and have been speaking with Bina since last year about their retail journey in the UK.

A Dutch better-for-you cereal brand on a mission to prove that healthy living can be genuinely fun, high protein, high fibre, low sugar, no sweeteners across every single SKU. After making waves in the Netherlands and expanding across Europe, they've just landed in Morrisons so super excited to finally share this one.

Check out Holie's: Website - LinkedIn - Instagram

You launched the Sugar-Score tool, rating cereals A to C on sugar content, and Lotus Bakeries sued you for it. The court ruled in your favour. How deliberate is that transparency mission, and do you think the industry is finally ready to be honest about what's in their products?

"The transparency mission has always been very deliberate. Although the Sugar-Score campaign happened in the Netherlands, the issue is globally relevant, not only because Lotus Bakeries is an international brand, but because transparency in food marketing is a challenge every market faces. Too often, health claims and packaging can be misleading, making it difficult for consumers to understand what they are actually buying. The court ruling in our favour reinforced the importance of giving people simple, accessible nutritional information. Today's consumers are more interested in nutritional labels than ever before. They are reading ingredients more carefully, questioning marketing claims, and expecting brands to be more accountable. I do think the industry is slowly moving toward greater honesty, largely because consumer expectations are changing. Transparency should not be viewed as a threat to brands, but as an opportunity to build trust. Companies that communicate clearly and honestly will ultimately earn stronger, longer-term loyalty from consumers."

13 new products in 3 months is seriously impressive. What does that process actually look like inside Holie's, and how do you keep quality consistent at that pace?

"Launching 13 new products in three months is definitely ambitious, but it works because we have a dedicated product development team that is constantly expanding. One of our next big steps is building an in house test kitchen as part of our new offices, which will allow us to innovate even faster and refine products more efficiently. Our product development is led from the Netherlands, and in the UK we're lucky enough to hand pick the SKUs that feel most locally relevant, even adapting names where needed to better connect with the market. When you have some of the best people focused full time on product development, combined with access to exceptional ingredients, including chocolate from Tony's Open Chain, you can move quickly without compromising on quality. What's important is that development never really stops. Even our original products are constantly reviewed, tested, and improved. We don't just launch products and hope for the best, it's an ongoing process of refinement and evolution."

The UK cereal aisle is brutally competitive. What's been the hardest thing about breaking in as a Dutch brand?

"The biggest challenge has not really been being a Dutch brand versus a British one. The real challenge is breaking into a category dominated by huge legacy brands that have had shelf space locked down for years. In grocery, many buyers operate on a one in, one out approach for SKUs or are actively trying to consolidate ranges, so getting listed is incredibly competitive. The other major challenge is balancing global and local marketing. Like any brand expanding into new markets, we need to make sure campaigns feel genuinely relevant to UK consumers while still protecting the core Holie's brand identity and tone of voice from the Netherlands. That means investing heavily in UK relevant content, creator collaborations, and partnerships that build trust and genuine brand love locally. In grocery, that connection is what ultimately drives rate of sale on shelf. The challenge is making sure local activity feels culturally relevant and commercially effective, while still keeping consistency across every market Holie's operates in."

53% of Europeans are overweight and big cereal brands are a big part of the problem, hiding sugars behind health claims. Holie's motto is that healthy living should be fun for everyone. How do you hold both of those things at once, the serious mission and the unicycles, cranes and surfboards?

"For us, the serious mission and the fun branding actually go hand in hand. Every product we launch, whether it is our new crunchy Loops, our granola clusters, original granola bags, chewy bars or crunchy bars, has to pass the same nutritional test: high protein, high fibre, low sugar, and no sweeteners. We are not a brand with a handful of diet SKUs alongside unhealthy products. Nutritional balance is built into everything we make. What we do not want is for consumers to feel that choosing a healthier product means sacrificing enjoyment. Traditionally, healthy brands tend to focus heavily on functional messaging and can feel quite serious or restrictive in their marketing. At Holie's, we wanted to do the opposite. We want to entertain people, make them laugh, and bring some personality into the category. Granola is not exactly known for exciting marketing, so we saw an opportunity to shake things up and prove that healthy living can still be genuinely fun."

Morrisons is live. What does the first year of major retail look like for Holie's in the UK, and how does the shopper here differ from what you've seen across mainland Europe?

"The first year in major UK retail is really about making sure we nail the Morrisons listing, while also building strong momentum on Ocado and ensuring those listings become a success too. Everyone always says the work starts after the listing, which is slightly annoying because getting the listing itself is not easy, but it is true. You can get a product onto shelf, but then you need to make sure the pricing, messaging, SKU mix, and promotions are all right, alongside a full 360 marketing campaign so consumers actually know the brand is there. Strong promo plans help drive initial trial, and then ideally you see rate of sale steadily grow throughout the year. This case study is hugely important because Holie's brings incremental growth to the category. We are the only cereal brand offering high protein, high fibre, very low sugar products with no sweeteners, so we appeal to shoppers who currently feel underserved. That retail performance data then helps support conversations with other retailers, many of which are already underway."

Check out Holie's: Website - LinkedIn - Instagram

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