Holy Moly Sees Avocado-Led Growth

Holy Moly, the London-based startup renowned for its preservative-free, fresh-tasting dips, has achieved its most successful month to date. This milestone comes during January—typically a subdued period for food brands—demonstrating significant momentum for the business.

"We've been riding a strong growth curve for the last few years," says Tom Walker, co-founder of Holy Moly. "January and the new year always brings a shift in consumer habits, with more people looking for healthier, time-saving alternatives, and our Smashed Avocado has become a go-to for shoppers who want the goodness of avocado without the worry or hassle of waiting for a ripe avo and reducing any waste."

This clear and consistent brand mission—to make fresh food more convenient without compromising on flavour—remains at the heart of Holy Moly’s growing appeal. While most brands within the dips category compete primarily on price and shelf space, Holy Moly has carved out a distinct market position.

"We're technically in the dips category and aisle," Walker explains, "but we're solving a fresh produce problem." The company’s long-term ambition centres on the £350 million fresh avocado market. "That's what we're aiming for – targeting people who buy avocado."

This strategic positioning has enabled Holy Moly to significantly outpace the broader Fresh Dips category, achieving a 42% compound annual growth rate over the past three years.

Walker attributes this success to a deep understanding of consumer needs: "Our growth comes from tapping into the needs of avocado lovers who are tired of the guesswork. By offering a high-quality, fresh-tasting alternative that never lets you down, reducing the risk of an over ripe avo."

What sets Holy Moly apart is not just its narrative, but its technological innovation. The business was the first in the UK to adopt High Pressure Processing (HPP) for avocado-based products—a decision rooted as much in principle as in practicality.

"We started Holy Moly with zero food experience, just a mission to make dips that taste homemade," Walker recalls. "Once we learnt how supermarket dips were made, we knew there had to be a better way." Extensive research eventually led the team to HPP technology and to Mexico, where they partnered with producers transforming surplus and 'wonky' avocados into high-quality dips. "HPP gave us the ability to preserve freshness without preservatives, while extending shelf life 4x compared to fresh dips – cutting waste dramatically and streamlining our supply chain."

This innovation has had a transformative effect—not only operationally, but also in terms of brand values and identity. Holy Moly’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated through its B Corp certification, with Walker affirming the centrality of purpose-led innovation. "We live by our 'Holy Commandments,' which guide every decision we make. Innovation for us always starts with solving a real problem, like fixing the 'avocado lottery.'"

While dips are traditionally viewed as a seasonal indulgence, Holy Moly is redefining this perception. "Guacamole has always been a summer favourite," Walker acknowledges. "But our Smashed Avocado has really been our rising star – it's become a year-round staple and has grown at nearly 90% over the past three years." The brand is also addressing colder-season preferences with products such as Nacho Chilli Cheese, a hot-serve dip created to complement their flagship guacamole. "It's about meeting different consumer needs throughout the year while keeping avocado at the heart of it."

Looking forward, Holy Moly’s ambitions remain both bold and focused: to take avocado beyond the confines of the produce section and into new product formats, retail channels, and consumption occasions. "We're expanding into new snacking formats that will take avocado out of just the dip section and into faster-moving parts of the store," Walker says.

What began as a kitchen-table idea has evolved into a dynamic brand at the forefront of a quiet transformation in the convenience food sector. With innovation, sustainability, and consumer insight at its core, Holy Moly is redefining what fresh food can be. "We put people and planet before profit," Walker concludes. "That philosophy runs through everything."

From solving the ‘avocado lottery’ to reshaping the way consumers engage with fresh food, Holy Moly is not merely selling dips—it is reshaping an entire category.

Source: Entrepreneur