One night in late 2009, our founder, Simon Sullivan, had a dream—literally. His late father, Nigel, appeared and left him with a curious message: “Bananas will play a significant role in your life.”

Upon waking, Simon was both puzzled and intrigued, unsure of the message’s meaning. In the years that followed, the mystery lingered—a quiet presence in the background of his daily life. He dove into researching bananas, their many health benefits, and he ate them almost religiously!

When the idea of crafting gourmet chocolate-dipped bananas came to life, the perfect name became obvious: Nigel’s—a sweet tribute to the man whose words sparked it all!

Nigel’s started as a simple idea during a big life transition. Simon, a chef burned out from the long hours of kitchen life, was shifting toward private chef work when he came up with the idea to sell chocolate-dipped bananas at the local farmers market. Around the same time, Marla—a professional photographer with two decades of experience and a history of launching small businesses—was also ready for something new. Together, they realized the banana idea had real potential. After a successful pop-up in December 2020, they officially launched Nigel’s in May of 2021 in the iconic town of Seaside, Florida!