The British brand has emerged as one of the fastest-growing snacks in the UK. Though Propercorn has yet to make a profit, it now employs around 40 staff, had takings of £10m last year, and forecasts sales of between £15m to £17m this year. In 2009, aged 26, Cassandra Stavrou quit her job and moved back in with her mum in London, helped by a deep-rooted entrepreneurial spirit. By working in pubs in the evenings and at weekends, as well as undertaking painting commissions, she managed to scrape together a £10,000 start-up fund. Their success has come in tandem with an explosion in popcorn's popularity, with UK sales increasing from £50m in 2010 to £129m in 2015, according to Mintel.
