How NUGS founders found their way to the chicken nugget industry

NUGS recently completed two-pop up residencies.

Reis Esiroglu was a marketing manager in the music industry. So when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and countries started lockdowns, events were cancelled and no one knew when they would start back up again. Eventually, he was furloughed and then made redundant.

After losing his job, Reis’ partner, Charley convinced him to start his own business, a food company focused solely on chicken nuggets. From a home kitchen and only using one fryer, Charley and Reis founded NUGS.

QSR Media talked to Charley to find out more about the story behind their bootstrapped beginnings and what it takes to take a chunk out of the UK’s chicken nuggets market.

QSR Media: Could you tell us about how NUGS first started? What’s your story?

We started this during Covid when we were in lockdown! Prior to NUGS being Reis’s full-time job, he was working in the music industry as a marketing manager. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no events happening and therefore he was furlough and eventually made redundant. At the time we were living with his Mum and Dad, waiting for our house to go through. I encouraged him to take the plunge and start NUGS as we had always had the idea to start a food company focusing solely on chicken nuggets. We started cooking from his Mum’s kitchen, using one fryer. We started an Instagram page and delivered it to a few local celebrities. At the time, I was doing the delivery driving at the weekend and in the evenings.

People within the community loved the food and it has grown since then. I think Reis’ Mum was getting fed up with us taking over her kitchen so we decided to brand out to another location –NUGS was then born!

Why the focus on chicken nuggets?

Everyone loves a nugget – they are so nostalgic! We also used to see memes on social media about nuggets and we just thought, what a great idea. Let’s start the UK’s first-ever chicken nugget shop where we focus entirely on the nugs! The menu has since expanded and we now offer a selection of burgers, wraps and sides.

How has the year been so far for you regarding profits, foot traffic, and other metrics?

We are currently in a really crazy time with food costs constantly rising, VAT remaining at 20% and also there being staff shortages due to Brexit. Having said that, this year we completed our first full summer of events which included Reading Festival, F1 at Silverstone and WE ARE FESTIVAL in Essex. Our brand is also so well received at these festivals and events and the queues are always so long which we are grateful for. We also completed two pop-up residencies –it’s been a busy year. Times are difficult for everyone in this industry but we are so grateful to everyone that follows our journey and supports us.

What challenges have you identified in the industry? How did you overcome them?

The reason we have been able to overcome some of the problems I’ve mentioned like taxes and staff shortages is that we have been able to retain a solid team. Some of our team members have been working with us since we started nearly three years ago, they are loyal to us, and we are loyal to them - We are a little NUGS family. Although food costs are constantly increasing, we check the prices of food from suppliers every single week so that we are getting the best cost without lowering the quality of our product. Quality is a non-negotiable for us, the
quality of our chicken is one of the reasons customers keep returning!

Top fast-food brands are already offering nuggets. What make’s yours different?

Although big food brands offer nuggets, no one has owned the nugget – and that’s where we step in, Not only are our nuggets handmade, but they are also gluten-free and we use halal chicken – we like to try and offer tasty food options for everyone. We also have different types of NUGS, The Buffalo is our spicy one, and The Korean is the NUG for someone that likes it sticky, sweet and with a little kick. The cheesy one is our halloumi nug which caters to vegetarians and we also have a Vegan NUG option too.

What have you been doing differently regarding management and customer engagement to stay competitive?

We are only a small company and therefore it feels like we are a family. Since we started NUGS, the culture of the company and getting that right has been so important to Reis and me. We set by example; if a shift needs to be covered, Reis and I will work in the kitchen with the team - we aren’t afraid of getting our hands dirty.

We try to be as supportive as possible, we appreciate people have things going on outside of work and we always try to be as flexible as possible. We always have fun in the kitchen and at the events – check out Instagram for some cool festival content! We aren’t open too late compared to other hospitality brands, this gives our staff more time at home with their friends and family. We try to get people involved in stuff they are genuinely interested in. For example, if we have a festival or an event booked and one of our team members is a fan of that particular event, we will include them on the festival rota. In terms of customer engagement, we send out monthly newsletters updating them with all of our recent activities and promotions.

We do a NUG of the month and ask customers what NUG they would like to see next – customers always have great ideas and it’s nice to see an idea come to fruition! When it comes to customer service, Reis and I like to make deliveries and talk to customers, or we’ll chat with customers at events – we will also recognise loyal customers by surprising them with freebies in their orders. However, I feel that the key factor is authenticity. We are transparent with our customers, we are true to ourselves and the brand. We work hard and people recognise this and support us along the way – they want to see us succeed and this is something that makes us want to provide the best service and product possible.

What is your current target for NUGS?

To tell the world about NUGS and get the brand in front of as many people as possible! The food isn’t anything fancy, it’s just nuggets but they are real nuggets! They are homemade and delicious and It would be amazing to have NUGS locations across the UK so that people can live their best #NUGLIFE! It’s also pretty cool that we can provide jobs in local areas and see people having fun at work – we want to continue to grow our workforce so that people turn up to a job they really enjoy every day!

What are some of your future plans? 

We have an event next week in Manchester for the fashion retailer, Pretty Little Thing. Next year will be packed out with back-to-back events, festivals and weddings. Keep an eye on our Instagram page to see where we are throughout the year! We hope to do a few more pop-up locations, hopefully in London. We’ll be adding more NUGS to the menu and making sure we have fun along the way!