Many retailers ‘trying to replicate our product’, viral mochi brand says
Little Moons co-founder Vivien Wong said manufacturers around the world were racing to replicate the sweet treat.
London-based mochi ice cream maker Little Moons has said international markets are key to its growth, as the once-viral brand faces squeezed UK consumers and fends off supermarkets rolling out own-brand versions.
Co-founder Vivien Wong said manufacturers around the world were racing to replicate the sweet treat.
Little Moons, which makes mochi balls – ice cream, wrapped in soft and chewy rice dough – was founded in 2010 by Ms Wong and her brother Howard, and has grown to generate a turnover of more than £50 million.
It experienced a sudden surge in popularity when it went viral on video-sharing platform TikTok during the Covid pandemic, with users rushing to find the dessert amid limited supply.
Ms Wong described the period as the “best of times and the worst of times”, with the business having to quickly grow its factory and production capabilities to keep up with the boom in demand.
She said it was a “huge risk” to upscale but that the business had managed to maintain growth since, and the product can now be bought in supermarkets across the UK including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado, and Asda.
It also exports to about 35 countries around the world, not including the US.
