Spill The Beans

What Spill The Beans does

Spill The Beans is an independent, family-owned specialty grocery retailer registered in the United Kingdom as Spill The Beans (Lincolnshire) Limited. Founded in 1987 and owned and operated by Mike and Vicky, the business operates from two physical stores on St Peters Avenue in Cleethorpes and Eastgate in Louth, Lincolnshire, and serves a nationwide UK customer base through an e-commerce storefront at spillthebeans.shop. The company sells approximately 2,466 SKUs organised into six categories: groceries (1,093 items), cake decorating (784 items), bakeware and kitchenware (319 items), household and toiletries (102 items), health supplements (83 items), and aromatherapy (85 items).

The merchandising model is wholesale-to-retail: products are sourced directly from trusted importers and delivered fresh each week. Pricing is unit-based, with most SKUs priced between roughly £3 and £15 and weight variants offered in 100g, 250g, 500g, and 1kg units where applicable. Local customers in Cleethorpes and Louth receive same- or next-day delivery (free on orders over £25), while UK-wide customers receive home delivery at a flat £6.50 fee, with collect-in-store also available. The customer base consists of individual consumers, and three persona segments are explicitly targeted: home bakers and baking enthusiasts (primary), health-conscious consumers seeking vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and organic options (primary), and eco-conscious household shoppers purchasing zero-waste products such as Bio-D refills and water filters (secondary).

The go-to-market is a direct-to-consumer retail motion delivered through a dual physical-and-online channel structure. The technology stack is a standard third-party e-commerce platform — no proprietary technology, APIs, AI features, or integrations are disclosed. There are no funding rounds, acquisitions, M&A activity, patents, certifications, or external investors on record; ownership remains entirely with the founding family. The company employs 11 to 50 staff and does not disclose financial metrics.

Name

Spill The Beans

Legal name

Spill The Beans (Lincolnshire) Limited

Website

https://spillonline.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spill The Beans is a UK family-owned specialty grocery retailer founded in 1987, operating two stores in Cleethorpes and Louth and a nationwide e-commerce platform offering roughly 2,466 SKUs across groceries, cake decorating, kitchenware, household, supplements, and aromatherapy for home bakers and health-conscious consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Food Retail

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Fruit and Vegetable Canning, Pickling, and Drying (31142)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Canned, Fruits, Veg, Preserves, Jams & Jellies (2033), Bakery Products (2050), Cookies & Crackers (2052)

akta.pro primary industry

Bakery & Desserts Distribution (CRAOABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Canned & Jarred Fruit & Vegetable Processing (Canning, Bottling) (AFAKAFAH), Dips, Salsas, Relishes & Chutneys Manufacturing (AFAKADAM), Pastry, Cakes & Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAFAB), Cookie & Brownie Shops (THAFAGAF)

Keywords

• Specialty food retail
• Home baking supplies
• Cake decorating supplies
• Wholefoods and supplements
• Groceries household goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Grimsby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Traditional retail model where the company purchases products wholesale and sells to consumers at markup. Products include groceries, cake decorating supplies, household items, health supplements, and aromatherapy products. Revenue is generated through in-store purchases and online orders with delivery fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Spill The Beans is an independent specialty food retailer that buys and resells groceries, wholefoods, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, baking and cake-decorating ingredients and equipment, household cleaning and toiletry products (including eco-friendly Bio-D refills), health supplements, and aromatherapy essential oils. It sells these goods through two physical stores in Cleethorpes and Louth and a nationwide e-commerce platform with local and national home delivery.

Product overview

Spill The Beans is an independent family-owned grocery and specialty food retailer established in 1987, operating physical stores in Cleethorpes and Louth with a nationwide online delivery service. The business offers a unified e-commerce platform featuring six main product categories: Groceries (1,093 items covering dried fruit, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, baking/cooking ingredients, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, organic products, beverages, and world foods), Cake Decorating (784 items including equipment, decorations, colourings, and icings), Bakeware & Kitchenware (319 items of cookware, tools, and gadgets), Household & Toiletries (102 items including eco-friendly Bio-D refills), Health Supplements (83 items including vitamins and wellness products), and Aromatherapy (85 essential oil products). The company positions itself as a destination for health-conscious consumers, bakers, and those seeking zero-waste, organic, and specialty food products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Groceries A grocery assortment of 1,093 items including dried fruit, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, baking and cooking ingredients, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and organic products, grains, pasta, rice, beans, pulses, oils, vinegars, condiments, cereals, biscuits, snacks, confectionery, tea, coffee, hot drinks, and world foods. Sold to individual consumers via Spill The Beans' own physical stores and e-commerce site.
• Cake Decorating A 784-SKU cake decorating range including cake boards, boxes and packaging, decorating equipment (brushes, cutters, piping bags and nozzles, rolling pins, moulds), decorations (cake pics, toppers, candles, diamante toppers, edible decorations and sprinkles), food colourings and flavourings, icing and marzipan, sugar paste, cupcake cases, candy buttons, and cake drip. Targeted at home bakers and cake decorating enthusiasts shopping in-store or online.
• Bakeware & Kitchenware A 319-SKU bakeware and kitchenware range covering bakeware, cookware, tools, utensils and gadgets, jam and preserve-making supplies, food storage solutions, baking cases and tin liners, greaseproof paper, foil and cook-bags, cocktail sticks, skewers, and partyware. Sold to home bakers and general household shoppers through physical stores and e-commerce.
• Household & Toiletries A 102-SKU household and toiletries range including general household cleaning essentials, toiletries, a dedicated Bio-D Refills subcategory (6 SKUs) for zero-waste and eco-conscious shoppers, and water filters and cartridges (2 SKUs). Sold to household consumers via in-store and online channels.
• Health Supplements An 83-SKU health supplement range including vitamins, minerals, and wellness products such as Korean Ginseng 1200mg 30-tablets (standardised 10:1 extract providing 24mg Ginsenosides). Marketed to individual consumers seeking dietary and wellness support alongside their grocery shopping.
• Aromatherapy An 85-SKU aromatherapy range of essential oils and related wellness items, sold to individual consumers through Spill The Beans' own stores and e-commerce site.
• Same/next-day local delivery and nationwide delivery service A delivery service for all products sold by Spill The Beans, offering free same/next-day local delivery (Mon-Sat) on orders over £25 in the Cleethorpes and Louth areas, collect-in-store options, and nationwide UK home delivery at a flat £6.50 per order. Available to individual consumers placing orders through the website.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Whole Foods Market: Global premium natural and organic grocery retailer with UK stores; a broader incumbent in the same specialty food and natural products category Spill The Beans targets, with vastly larger scale and brand reach.
• Hobbycraft: UK's largest arts, crafts, and hobbies retailer with a meaningful cake decorating and baking aisle; competes with Spill The Beans for home-baking and cake-craft customers from a much broader, multi-category base.
• Lakeland: UK multi-channel kitchenware, bakeware, and home products retailer; directly comparable to Spill The Beans' bakeware & kitchenware (319 SKUs) and household categories, with national store and online reach.

Direct peers

• Holland & Barrett: UK's largest health food and wellness retailer, directly comparable to Spill The Beans in health supplements, natural foods, and aromatherapy categories, though at significantly greater national scale and with a strong private-label offering.
• Cake Craft World: UK specialist retailer of cake decorating supplies, equipment, and ingredients, directly comparable to Spill The Beans' 784-item cake decorating category and competing for the same home-baker segment.
• Planet Organic: UK independent organic and natural grocery retailer with both physical stores and online delivery; mirrors Spill The Beans' positioning in organic, vegan, gluten-free, and wholefoods, but operates in London and a few other cities.
• Sous Chef: UK online retailer of specialty cooking and baking ingredients, equipment, and world foods; overlaps with Spill The Beans' groceries, baking, and international foods assortments and competes for the same home-baking customer.
• Suma Wholefoods: UK cooperative wholesaler and retailer specializing in vegetarian, organic, and ethically sourced wholefoods; comparable to Spill The Beans on the groceries and supplements side, with a stronger wholesale focus.
• Infinity Foods: UK independent wholefoods retailer and wholesaler offering organic, vegetarian, vegan, and natural products; very similar in ethos and SKU mix to Spill The Beans' grocery and supplement categories.

Emerging players

• Doves Farm: UK specialist flour and baking ingredients brand with strong free-from and organic credentials; partially overlaps with Spill The Beans' flour, baking, and gluten-free assortment as a supplier/brand-side peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/spillthebeanslouth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spill The Beans