SMALL CAP MOVERS: Tesco boost for gluten-free bread brand

There’s a new loaf rising in the Free-From aisle, and it’s taking Tooru’s share price with it.

The £3million wellness food minnow surged 32 per cent this week after revealing that its gluten-free brand OAF is getting more shelf space at Tesco.

Britain’s biggest grocer has boosted the number of OAF lines to eight, a sign that even in the crowded gluten-free market there’s still room for something fresh.

Tooru, which also makes Juvela, a prescription-led coeliac range, said it continues to post week-on-week growth and is in ‘advanced talks’ with other major supermarket chains for additional listings. 

Unlike most gluten-free loaves made with rice flour, Tooru’s products use a special wheat starch with the gluten removed, a tweak it says improves both taste and texture.

Chief executive Scott Livingston described the push as part of a mission to ‘inject new energy, relevance, taste and enjoyment to the retail Free-From space’.

Turning to the wider small-cap market, the AIM All-Share ended an uneventful week flat at 771.81. The FTSE 100, by contrast, hit a new closing high on Thursday with a 2.4 per cent gain.

OAF is getting more shelf space at Tesco, Tooru said this week

Metals One shares shot up 39 per cent this week after its investee Evolution Energy Minerals fast-tracked plans for the Chilalo Graphite Project in Tanzania, bringing first ore production forward to October 2027.

Metals One, which owns 16.9 per cent of Evolution, called the move a ‘fantastic’ show of confidence in one of Africa’s most advanced undeveloped graphite projects. Managing director Dan Maling said Chilalo was ‘strategically positioned’ to benefit from global supply diversification and backed by strong government support.

Light Science Technologies shares jumped 40 per cent after the AgTech group renewed its distribution deal with Gavita International through 2026 and expanded its global order pipeline to more than £24million. New contracts include greenhouse and retrofit projects, plus a major rollout with Haygrove across five countries.

Bargain hunters were out in force picking up oversold healthcare stocks Futura Medical and ANGLE, which were up 30 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.

Onto the week’s casualties. In the sick bay was Polarean Imaging, which fell 59 per cent after the lung imaging specialist launched a strategic review that could see it quit London’s AIM market.

The company said small-cap MedTech valuations remained ‘highly challenging’ amid poor liquidity and high listing costs, a familiar refrain echoed by the scores of healthcare and life sciences groups that have exited London’s junior market.

The board is weighing all options, including delisting and going private, to cut expenses and access capital more easily. No decision has been made, but Polarean said it remains focused on commercialising its Xenon MRI technology during the review.

Arc Minerals was hit hard by the exit of Anglo American, its partner in Zambia, from their copper joint venture. It was a case of ‘it’s us, not you’ as Anglo navigates its tricky merger with Canada’s Teck Resources and all that brings. It will be interesting to see whether Arc has someone else lined up to take the mining major’s place.

Revel Collective shares sank 36 per cent after the pub group behind Revolution Bars and Peach Pubs launched a strategic review that could lead to a sale. The move follows weak trading, rising costs and falling revenue, with the company warning of £4million in extra annual expenses.

It was a case of short-term pain for, hopefully, long-term gain as Oxford BioDynamics shares slumped 33 per cent. The catalyst was a heavily discounted £7million fundraise. The new investment will provide working capital as sales of its EpiSwitch tests grow, while the company pursues new licensing and partnership deals that, one hopes, will result in commercial success.

And finally, Empresaria Group shares dropped 25 per cent after Legacy UK Holdings ruled out a takeover, ending the staffing firm’s offer period. The recruiter said its new board, led by former chief executive Joost Kreulen, will launch a full review of operations to stabilise performance and tighten costs.

Kreulen, who returns as chair for an interim period, said the group would focus on efficiency and rebuilding momentum in subdued recruitment markets, aiming to position Empresaria for recovery and long-term, sustainable growth.

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