Meet the Producers -
PopCornaa

For any newcomers, who are you and what do you do?

PopCornaa is a fun new craft confectionary business, established here on the Isle of Man. We use premium monster mushroom kernals to ensure each piece of popcorn is popped to a perfectly round fluffy ball, before hand coating with our made from scratch caramel sauces. We rely on the butter from grass fed Isle of Man cows to ensure every bite brings out its own “Manx magic”.  

When did you establish your business?

Behind the scene concept and development began in early 2022, allowing us ample time to nail down the recipes and bring them to market at the beginning of 2023. It’s a great sense of achievement to see your own products sitting on retail shelves, knowing all the hard work with product development, nutritional testing and shelf life stability testing were worth all the months of patience! 

What inspired you to begin?

The inspiration to create PopCornaa was first conceived at Port Cornaa funnily enough in 2021, and we are hoping to be one of the Covid-19 success stories in years to come. Looking back to the time of lockdown, making gourmet popcorn is one of my fondest memories I will share with my boys that always made us happy at a time of uncertainty and great sadness. 

How has your business grown since then?

The business is slowly gaining traction as we grow and establish the brand. Our first trading year has seen some very tough economic conditions but hope the strong foundations we have laid in 2022 will enable PopCornaa to grow from strength to strength. 

Where are you based and what does that community mean to you?

PopCornaa moved into its current production kitchen in Balthane Industrial Estate in October 2022. By the time we officially launch at this year’s Food and Drink festival, we would have definitely established roots in Ballasalla. It is unfortunate there are not many other food manufacturing businesses within the same locale but the varied trades that surround us have been super supportive and made us feel very much part of their community. 

What does the Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival mean to you?

To exhibit at this year’s Food and Drink Festival is a great honour for us as we join other provenance labels in showcasing our goods. This is the pinnacle and highlight of our calendar and we are very much looking forward to meeting the wider public and sharing the fun and excitement that popcorn brings. 

Which other local producer(s) are you most looking forward to seeing this year?

We are looking forward to meeting all the other local producers and joining the circuit, as such. We have been incredibly busy with our heads down since the beginning of the year making it impossible to reach out to our peers. The Food and Drink Festival enables us to all gather under one roof and the ideal opportunity for producers to compare notes, and share our experiences. 

What’s on the horizon for your business?

We have plans to distribute into the UK and further afield, showcasing the Isle of Man, with its UNESCO Biosphere status as a good place for businesses to flourish that is outside the typical finance and gaming sectors. 

What is your signature dish/product?

This is a tricky one as we’ve had a great response to all our flavours which means there is a very mixed and diverse market out there for us.  Innovation on our Asian Bursts flavours and Vegan ranges are underway and the launch of these will offer something new and exciting to the popcorn confectionary market which is not fully developed yet. Watch this space folks!