Johnny Cashew
Johnny Cashew is a Dutch impact-venture snack company that sources and locally processes Fairtrade cashews in Tanzania, selling branded and private-label cashew products through Dutch and European grocery retail, DTC e-commerce, B2B catering channels, and by-product upcycling partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Johnny Cashew does
Johnny Cashew is a Dutch impact-venture snack company that sources and locally processes Fairtrade cashews in Tanzania, eliminating the conventional 12,000 km shipping detour to Asia for shelling. Founded in 2020 by Hayo de Feijter and Roel van de Weijer, with Freek Wessels joining as investor in 2022, the company is headquartered in Amsterdam-West and operates under parent Not Just Another Nut Company. Its core technology is the whole-harvest processing model executed at partner facility Mama Cashew, which employs over 600 workers and processes nuts from roughly 1,500 farmers across four cooperatives. The company co-developed the Living Income Reference Price with Fairtrade International and Wageningen University and a Living Wage framework with IDH, and its supply chain is the first carbon-neutral cashew chain verified by the Roundtable of Sustainable Biofuels, with a 57% transport-emissions reduction versus conventional supply chains.
Johnny Cashew sells a small portfolio of branded cashew products (8-pack salted, milk chocolate honey & sea salt, cinnamon bun flavour; 1kg roasted salted and raw bulk; 12-pack 25g mini sachets in both salted and plain variants) priced between €19.80 and €27.92 incl. VAT. Revenue is generated through three streams: own-brand DTC sales via johnnycashew.com, retail distribution across most major Dutch grocers plus specialty and circular retailers, and a private-label/fancy-label arm currently anchored by Lidl's 'Way to Go' brand with cross-border rollout planned. By-products (broken cashew bits, cashew apple, shell liquid, skins) are upcycled into vegan cheese (including a Lidl co-developed Parmesan), cashew milk, ice cream, pesto and hummus via partners like Krush.
Go-to-market combines DTC e-commerce, broad Dutch retail shelf presence, B2B sample programs in coffee, sports, hospitality, catering and corporate gifting sectors, and private-label supply to retailers. The company is B-Corp, Fairtrade and Vegan certified, publishes annual Impact Reports, and is currently raising a growth-phase round via the Broccoli crowdfunding platform to fund the Lidl multi-country rollout and continued UK/Ireland expansion.
Johnny Cashew firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Johnny Cashew
- Legal name
- Johnny Cashew
- Website
- https://johnnycashew.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Johnny Cashew is a Dutch impact-venture snack company that sources and locally processes Fairtrade cashews in Tanzania, selling branded and private-label cashew products through Dutch and European grocery retail, DTC e-commerce, B2B catering channels, and by-product upcycling partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Johnny Cashew industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cashew Snacks
- NAICS
- Roasted Nuts and Peanut Butter Manufacturing (311911)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000), Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nuts, Seeds & Trail Mix Snacks (CRADABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Nuts, Seeds & Dried Fruit Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAF)
Keywords
Where Johnny Cashew is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Johnny Cashew business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Own-brand product sales (B2C): Direct-to-consumer sales of branded cashew products through the Johnny Cashew e-commerce website and retail partners (Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Lidl, SPAR, Plus, Picnic, etc.). Products include flavored roasted cashews, chocolate-covered cashews, cinnamon bun flavor, and bulk/unflavored options. Revenue is one-time transaction-based per unit sold.
- Private label / fancy label: Supplying cashew products to retailers under retailer own-brand labels (e.g., Lidl's 'Way to Go' brand). Also referred to as 'fancy label'. Focus on maximizing volume and impact through private label.
- By-product upcycling: Broken cashew bits and pieces are upcycled into value-added products including cashew cheese, cashew milk, ice cream, pesto, and hummus. Partnered with circular muesli company Krush for bits & pieces. New vegan Parmesan cheese launched with Lidl.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 8-pack Salted (8 x 100g) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 8-pack Milk Chocolate, Honey & Sea Salt |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 8-pack Cinnamon Bun Flavour |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Johnny's Bulk Gebrand Gezouten (1kg) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 12-pack Gebrand Gezouten Mini's (12 x 25g) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 12-pack Ongebrand Mini's (12 x 25g) |
Go-to-market motion5 records
Distribution channels13 records
Marketing channels8 records
Johnny Cashew product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Johnny Cashew sources, processes and sells sustainably produced cashew nuts that are cracked locally in Tanzania (where they grow) rather than being shipped 12,000 km to Asia for shelling. The company sells roasted, salted, chocolate-coated and bulk cashew products under its own brand through retail and e-commerce, and supplies private-label cashews to retailers such as Lidl. Broken nuts and by-products are upcycled into cashew cheese, milk, ice cream and hummus with partners.
Product overview
Johnny Cashew is a single-brand snack food company offering a portfolio of cashew nut products, all processed locally in Tanzania (peel it where you plant it) rather than being shipped to Asia for shelling. The core product line consists of the 8-pack format in three flavours (Salted, Milk Chocolate Honey & Sea Salt, and Cinnamon Bun Flavour) and two 1-kg bulk formats (Roasted Salted and Unroasted Plain), plus a 12-pack of travel-size mini sachets in both salted and plain variants. The company also operates a private-label arm supplying its cashew to retailers under their own brands (e.g., Lidl's 'Way to Go'). By-products from processing — including broken nuts, cashew apple, shell liquid, and skins — are upcycled into secondary products such as vegan cheese, milk, ice cream, hummus, biofuel, cooking fuel, and chicken feed.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 8-PACK Cinnamon Bun Flavour
Quantifiable outcome
- 57% reduction in transport-related carbon footprint vs. conventional cashew supply chain
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Johnny Cashew
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Johnny Cashew technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Johnny Cashew partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Mama CashewcoreMama Cashew is Johnny Cashew's core processing partner in Tanzania. This pelfabriek (peeling factory) in Mtwara employs 600+ women and processes Fairtrade cashews from Johnny's partner cooperatives. The partnership enables local processing (eliminating the 12,000 km Asian detour), creates 600+ local jobs with fair wages, health insurance, lunch, and education support. Founded by Maria and George, the factory is a cornerstone of Johnny Cashew's 'peel it where you plant it' mission.
- Fairtrade NederlandcoreFairtrade Nederland provides certification and supports the Fairtrade Minimum Price mechanism. Johnny Cashew pays Fairtrade premiums above market prices to farmer cooperatives. The partnership enables farmer traceability and direct premium payments.
- University of WageningencoreCollaborated with Johnny Cashew and Tanzania-based researchers to develop the Living Income Reference Price (LIRP) — the price needed for average farmer households to earn a sustainable living income. Research informs Johnny's fair pricing model.
- IDH (Sustainable Trade Initiative)coreIDH worked with Johnny Cashew on developing a Living Wage framework for processing factory workers at Mama Cashew. This complements the LIRP for farmers with a wage floor for factory employees.
- Roundtable of Sustainable Biofuels (RSB)coreRSB conducted a full lifecycle analysis of Johnny Cashew's supply chain, providing third-party verification of the 57% carbon reduction achieved by eliminating the Asian detour. The RSB analysis serves as the scientific basis for Johnny's carbon neutrality claims.
- Good Shipping ProgramcoreGood Shipping Program replaces fossil fuel with sustainable biofuels in maritime shipping. Johnny Cashew uses this program to compensate the CO2 emissions from the direct Tanzania-to-Rotterdam shipping route, contributing to their carbon neutrality.
- FORLIANCEcoreFORLIANCE executes Johnny Cashew's reforestation and CO2 offset projects. The company manages agroforestry projects that absorb remaining unavoidable emissions, supporting Johnny's path to carbon positivity.
- KrushminorCircular muesli company Krush uses Johnny Cashew bits & pieces (the smallest broken nut fragments unsuitable for main products) in their muesli, creating an upcycling circular economy loop that prevents waste.
- LidlcoreLidl sells Johnny Cashew products under its own 'Way to Go' private/fancy label brand in the Netherlands, with plans to expand to 9 additional countries. Also launched a vegan Parmesan cheese made from Johnny Cashew bits & pieces.
- 4 Cashew Cooperatives in TanzaniacoreFour farmer cooperatives in Tanzania with approximately 1,500 farmers total. Through the cooperative structure, Johnny Cashew can trace nuts back to individual farmers, enable Fairtrade certification, and pay additional premiums directly to farmers.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Johnny Cashew competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Blue Diamond Growers: Largest almond grower cooperative globally, offering branded and private-label nuts across mainstream grocery. Represents the established branded-nut incumbent that Johnny Cashew's premium positioning must displace at retail.
- Wonderful Pistachios: Major branded nut company with deep retail penetration in Europe and North America. Relevant incumbent benchmark for branded-nut category leadership and shelf-share economics.
- Planters (Kraft Heinz): Mass-market nut snack incumbent owned by Kraft Heinz, dominant in conventional retail. Sets the price/quality baseline against which mission-led brands like Johnny Cashew compete for premium shelf space.
Direct peers
- Pip & Nut: UK premium nut-butter and snack brand with strong sustainability positioning, D2C + grocery retail distribution, and B2B hospitality exposure. Directly comparable in mission-led nut snacking and channel mix.
- Hippeas: Organic, Fairtrade chickpea-puff snack brand with similar 'conscious snacking' positioning, retail listings across European grocers, and a private-label-friendly supply chain model.
- Made Good: Canadian allergen-free and organic snack brand distributed in mainstream grocery with strong ethical/clean-label positioning. Comparable in CPG manufacturing + retail scaling of a values-led snack brand.
- Deliciously Ella: UK plant-based food and snack brand with comparable D2C + grocery retail model, strong ethical/clean-label positioning, and emphasis on ingredient transparency.
- Tony's Chocolonely: Amsterdam-based mission-driven chocolate company built on slave-free sourcing, Fairtrade, and a comparable 'fix the broken industry' brand narrative. Operates in retail + B2B across Europe with similar impact-reporting cadence and a parent/scale trajectory Johnny Cashew aspires to.
- Forest Feast: European premium healthy-snack company (now part of KP Snacks) selling nuts and dried fruit across European grocery, with private-label capability and a similar balance of branded and retailer-brand supply.
- Natural Balance Foods (Nakd / Trek): UK plant-based snack-bar brand with similar ethical, natural, and retail-distribution-led growth playbook. Directly comparable on mission-led brand building within mainstream grocery.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Johnny Cashew social profiles
Digital presenceJohnny Cashew compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Johnny Cashew financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Johnny Cashew leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Johnny Cashew funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Johnny Cashew M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Johnny Cashew
What does Johnny Cashew do?
Johnny Cashew sources, processes and sells sustainably produced cashew nuts that are cracked locally in Tanzania (where they grow) rather than being shipped 12,000 km to Asia for shelling. The company sells roasted, salted, chocolate-coated and bulk cashew products under its own brand through retail and e-commerce, and supplies private-label cashews to retailers such as Lidl. Broken nuts and by-products are upcycled into cashew cheese, milk, ice cream and hummus with partners.
Is Johnny Cashew a public or private company?
Johnny Cashew is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Johnny Cashew founded?
Johnny Cashew was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Johnny Cashew based?
Johnny Cashew is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Johnny Cashew make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Own-brand product sales (B2C) is the primary driver. The others are private label / fancy label and by-product upcycling.
Who are Johnny Cashew's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Blue Diamond Growers, Wonderful Pistachios and Planters (Kraft Heinz). Direct peers are Pip & Nut, Hippeas, Made Good, Deliciously Ella, Tony's Chocolonely, Forest Feast and Natural Balance Foods (Nakd / Trek).
Does Johnny Cashew have an API?
No public API is recorded for Johnny Cashew.
What industry is Johnny Cashew in?
Johnny Cashew's product category is Cashew Snacks. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADABAF, Nuts, Seeds & Trail Mix Snacks, with a secondary code of AFAIAKAF, Nuts, Seeds & Dried Fruit Trading/Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 311911 and its SIC code is 2000.