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LAD Who Set Up Business For A Bet Now Turns Over £3.5 Million

LAD Who Set Up Business For A Bet Now Turns Over £3.5 Million

Nick Coleman is the owner of The Snaffling Pig Co., a gourmet pork crackling company which featured on the BBC's 'Dragon's Den' last year.

Chris Ogden

Chris Ogden

We've all watched The Apprentice or Dragon's Den and dismissively thought we could come up with a better business idea than the weird shit someone's put forward on telly. But actually being arsed to make it happen? That's another matter entirely.

That's exactly what this LAD did, however, as he launched his posh pork scratching brand on a bet - and has now transformed it into a business worth millions of pounds.

Nick Coleman, a 35-year-old from Essex, founded his brand The Snaffling Pig in 2014 when his friend dared him to build a business on just £500. Three years on, the gourmet brand now has a turnover of £3.5 million ($4.7m) a year.

Nick Coleman (r) and his business partner Andy Allen (l). Credit: PA

"The bet enabled me to see if I could start a new business with a very limited capital," Nick, who also runs a medical supply firm, told the Sun Online.

"Instead of worrying about how to make money, I focused on what was I the most passionate about and what did I really enjoy doing."

Nick's business focuses on selling pork scratchings made of prime cuts of pork, which are now available in nine different flavours including Maple, Black Pepper & Sea Salt and their firiest chili offering, Pig of Doom.

Unlike the bog-standard sort of snack you'd usually find in pubs, though, this is gourmet stuff: packed with flavour and sold in mason jars, The Snaffling Pig's products are just as likely to be found on the shelves in John Lewis as they are at your local.

Nick and his business partner Andrew Allen even appeared on Dragon's Den last year, snaffling a £70,000 ($94,000) investment from Moonpig founder Nick Jenkins in exchange for 20 percent of the business. The company has now made enough to earn that percentage back.

Credit: PA

The Snaffling Pig now employs 16 people and is well underway with its Christmas promotion: an advent calendar containing 24 mini bags of crackling treats which you can find at Debenham's and John Lewis.

Its biggest product is the 'Pig Night In': a £13 ($17) bespoke gift box containing two bags of crackling along with a few beers to wash them down with. Not bad for staying comfy on those winter nights.

"My favourite part about my job is seeing my team develop and observing how things are evolving without me having to kickstart everything," Nick said.

"Seeing how customers react to the final product is also a treat."

He hopes to continue to delight his customers and eventually take The Snaffling Pig global, with the company having also just launched its own recipe book.

Nick's business nous looks to be in good.. er, nick. Maybe someone should set him a harder challenge next time.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, Business, News, Bet