Once a private chef to actors and directors, Tessa Reed has set aside the movie world to produce a different kind of blockbuster.
Reed is the founder of All Dressed Up, an award-winning range of dressings that, in less than two years, has secured listings with retailers across the country.
Her career in the food industry began at The Coconut Collaborative as a national account executive, before she attended the Leiths culinary school. After completing a diploma in food and wine she became a private chef working on film sets for actors, producers and directors. She later joined recipe box business SimplyCook as a product developer.
The origins of All Dressed Up can be traced to June 2023 and a tahini dressing Reed made to pair with roast chicken. “My husband texted me the next day saying he had a business idea to bottle and sell the dressings,” she says. “He also suggested the name All Dressed Up, which I loved.”
Before taking the leap and launching the business, Reed researched the current state of the dressings market. “I was underwhelmed by how many shop-bought dressings were full of preservatives, saturated fats and unrefined sugars,” she says. “There was nothing out there which inspired me to dress up my salad.”
Confident there was a gap in the market, Reed set out to make her own dressings in batches of just five to 10 bottles in her own kitchen. They were an immediate hit, and the brand soon partnered with wholesaler Mahalo, which helped the brand secure listings in London farm shops and delis.
All Dressed Up has since been listed with retailers including Bayley & Sage, Whole Foods Market, Ocado and supermarket chains.
“We are now listed in over 250 farm shops, delis and independents across the UK, as well as more than 350 listings in Waitrose, Booths and Co-op,” says Reed, adding that revenue has grown around 400% year on year.
As demand and sales soared, production was outsourced to a farmer in the Cotswolds, where the range of four dressings – Everyday House, Tahini Lime, Miso Sesame and Spicy Harissa – are made today. They continue to be produced in small batches by hand.
The team has grown since All Dressed Up launched as a one-person operation. It now has seven full-time employees and freelancers. In addition to Reed, the core team includes general manager Henry Mills and brand & marketing executive Maya Oliver.
Reed met Mills during her time at Nestlé’s SimplyCook when he was working in the same office for sister brand Mindful Chef.
“Henry is a brilliant addition, with a wealth of experience having worked at Seedlip, Vita Coco and Mindful Chef,” says Reed. “Maya applied for the first role in the business as an intern and she’s growing from strength to strength.”
Awareness of All Dressed Up has primarily been driven by social media, alongside exhibiting at events such as Farm Shop & Deli Show. At the 2024 show, the business took part in the Dragons’ Pantry event, at which suppliers pitch their products to industry experts, and was named Newcomer of the Year.
“This really helped us launch the brand with impact,” says Reed. “It was the first time we introduced the products to retail and were blown away by the response. It gave the brand credibility from the get-go and gave me the confidence to commit to going full-time on the business.”
Looking ahead, two new All Dressed Up products will roll out this spring, one of which is a collaboration with a well-known restaurant chain. Reed is keen to build a larger portfolio of dressings and to own the salad dressings space, she says. “We want to be the salad dressing that makes your salad, and make dressing an obsession.”
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