Enterprising Gavin pops up in Lisburn with a smart snack idea

Now the owner of Little Popcorn Shop in Lisburn, Gavin had been developing the business idea for a couple of years before the pandemic.

Gavin, 48, now working in banking, started experimenting with different flavours of gourmet popcorn with wife Catherine and his two sons at Christmas 2020 on a part-time basis.

“All lovers of popcorn, we had been talking about making our own,” explains Gavin.

“I decided to buy a small kettle to develop unique recipes from some basic research.

“The kids loved the flavours and began sharing them with their friends. We soon had many of their parents calling with us for packs,” he adds.

He could scarcely have imagined that his fledgling enterprise, named the Little Popcorn Shop, would become a popular attraction and recognisable brand at food markets, especially the hugely successful events organised by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.

“I decided to start attending markets for feedback from shoppers about the quality and flavours of my gourmet popcorn,” he continues.

“I was hugely encouraged by the feedback and also by our success in selling out quickly at most of them.”

The positive feedback also led him to convert the garage at his home into a well-equipped kitchen that’s enabling him to step up production.

The popcorn is also now on sale in local shops.

And he has plans to expand retail sales.

The unique taste of Gavin’s gourmet popcorn comes from the fact that he hand pops the snack in small batches using a traditional kettle.

He has also single-handedly created the unique range of flavours, which include salted caramel, caramel apple, habanero chilli and lime and rainbow – a firm favourite with the kids.

He has recently created four bespoke Christmas flavours: cinnamon and apple, gingerbread, Christmas Kettle Corn and Rudolf’s nose, which are creating quite a stir at markets.

Gavin aims to grow the business in the New Year.