Smashed, Not Mashed: The Brand Turning Wonky Avocados into a Fresh Food Movement

Holy Moly, the London based startup known for its preservative-free, fresh-tasting dips, has just recorded its biggest month ever. In a typically sluggish January, when most brands are shaking off the holiday hangover, Holy Moly surged. “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.”

That clarity of mission – to make fresh food more convenient without compromising on taste – is central to Holy Moly’s appeal. While most brands in the dips category compete on price and shelf space, Holy Moly is playing an entirely different game. “We’re technically in the dips category and aisle,” Walker explains, “but we’re solving a fresh produce problem.” Their north star? The £350m fresh avocado market. “That’s what we’re aiming for – targeting people who buy avocado.”

This positioning has allowed the brand to outpace the Fresh Dips category at large, posting a 42% compound annual growth rate over the past three years. According to Walker, it all boils down to solving a relatable consumer pain point: “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 makes Holy Moly different isn’t just the brand story – it’s the tech. The business is the first in the UK to use High Pressure Processing (HPP) for avocado-based products, a move that’s as much about values as it is about logistics. “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.” Late-night Googling led them to HPP and eventually to Mexico, where they found partners turning surplus and ‘wonky’ avocados into premium 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.”

The impact has been transformative – not just in terms of operations but also in what Holy Moly stands for. The brand’s commitment to sustainability is underscored by its B Corp status, and Walker insists innovation must always align with values. “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.’”

And while dips have long been seen as a seasonal treat, Holy Moly is challenging that, too. “Guacamole has always been a summer favourite,” Walker admits. “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 meeting cold-weather cravings with winter-friendly innovations like Nacho Chilli Cheese, a hot-serve dip designed to be enjoyed alongside their signature guac. “It’s about meeting different consumer needs throughout the year while keeping avocado at the heart of it.”

Looking ahead, the vision is bold but focused: bring avocado out of the produce section and into new formats, new channels, and new moments of consumption. “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.

Holy Moly may have started as a kitchen-table dream, but with a firm grip on innovation, sustainability, and consumer insight, it’s now leading a quiet revolution in what was once the most beige aisle in the supermarket. “We put people and planet before profit,” Walker says. “That philosophy runs through everything.”

From solving the avocado lottery to rewriting the rules of convenience food, Holy Moly isn’t just selling dips—it’s changing the way we think about fresh food altogether.