JNCK Bakery Bids a Sad Farewell to Functional Snacking
JNCK Bakery is saying a sad farewell to the healthy snack category after four years of bringing innovation to the space.
Brothers and co-founders Sean and Alex Brassill announced the news on social media today following a series of “difficult conversations” in recent weeks.
Launched in 2021, the brand set out to reinvent classic fresh bakery items into functional treats that offered indulgence, without the baggage.
The JNCK Cookie quickly became a firm fan favourite, packing the same gooey, decadent bite as its calorie-laden counterpart, but 90% less sugar, 35% less saturated fat, 10g of prebiotic fibre, and 8g of protein.
“The JNCK Bakery journey is ending,” Alex Brassill wrote on LinkedIn.
“Having given so much energy and sacrifice to the business over the last 4 years, this is, of course, really difficult news to share.
“However, taking a step back, it has been a positively life-changing experience, one I wouldn’t change and one I have been fortunate enough to share with my brother.
“Although we didn’t achieve the desired outcome, I’m extremely proud we put ourselves in the arena (there’s really nothing quite like it).
“Taking an idea, turning it into something which positively touches people’s lives and scaling it, has been one of my most fulfilling life experiences to date.”
JNCK Bakery was started by the brothers in their Mum and Dad’s kitchen. The family home provided a base for the duo to trial multiple iterations of the JNCK recipe, before unleashing it on the world.
Less than 18 months after launch, JNCK was the only bakery brand to be selected in the Tesco Accelerator Scheme — an incredible achievement for any fledgling business.
“I’m so proud of what we achieved,” Alex continued.
“Launching true, first-to-market innovation, in multiple product formats and sales channels, trading in over 1,000 stores nationwide and securing a place on the Accelerator Programme of the UK’s largest retailer — even if the outcome wasn’t what we hoped for.
“There have, of course, been a huge number of challenges along the way. All the production challenges that come with scaling and innovation, fundraising in the recent macro-economic climate and hyper-inflation of key ingredients like cocoa to name a few.
“You learn quickly that these obstacles are an important part of the journey and what makes it special. It’s hard though, so massive respect to all the founders that are making it happen.”
JNCK Bakery’s demise is yet another reminder of how unforgiving the current ecosystem can be for startups — even those that appear to be successful from the outside looking in.
“We made good decisions running JNCK Bakery, and made mistakes,” Sean Brassill added.
“I believe it’s never been harder to succeed with a start-up brand in food and drink. Hats off to the incredible founders and brands I’ve met over the past five years who are making it happen. I hugely admire your continued focus, resilience and creativity…
“Thank you also to our customers and suppliers for believing in the product and our journey. And finally, to everyone who ever bought a JNCK cookie or messaged us with kind words — you made us smile and kept us going more than you know.”
The brothers’ posts were met with an outpouring of support from fellow entrepreneurs, including the founders of high-protein snack brand, The Curators, and protein cheesecake maker, Mighty Slice.
Both praised the originality they’d brought to the space, in both formulation and concept.
A voluntary liquidator has been appointed to manage the winding up of JNCK Bakery. All products on its website are listed as sold out.
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