Bold Bean Co has struck a deal with Deborah Meaden during an appearance on Dragons’ Den tonight.
The Grocer Gold-winning startup walked away with a £50k investment from the dragon in return for a 7.5% equity stake, valuing the fledging business at more than £650k.
Amelia Christie-Miller launched Bold Bean in 2021 and has since won praise for the quality of the product from the likes of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Thomasina Miers and Nigella Lawson.
The brand’s range of beans are now sold by supermarkets and independent retailers across the UK, with the business currently undergoing a period of rapid growth. It recently increased distribution points from 350 to more than 1,000 and is stocked by Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Booths and Ocado.
Bold Bean will use the Dragons’ Den investment to support its supermarket listings and develop further bean-related NPD.
“Securing a deal with Deborah was the dream outcome for us going into the den,” Christie-Miller told The Grocer. “Her commitment to sustainability aligns perfectly with our mission, as well as her expertise in scaling businesses.”
The appearance on Dragons’ Den comes after Bold Bean recently appointed its first appointed head of grocery, with Andrew McIntosh joining Christie-Miller and co-founder Ed Whelpton to focus on growing the brand’s presence in the supermarkets.
Read more: What every startup needs to know before applying to Dragons’ Den
Since launching just three years ago, the business has also published a cookbook and was awarded Start-up of the Year at The Grocer Gold Awards in 2023.
This year it expanded its heirloom range of butter beans, white beans, chickpeas, red beans and black beans to include carlin peas, a British bean grown in Cambridgeshire.
“Appearing on Dragons’ Den was both thrilling and incredibly daunting,” Christie-Miller added.
“The whole Bold Bean Co team really pulled together to prepare for the pitch, and the experience of discussing all things beans with the dragons is one I’ll never forget.
“For a growing startup like ours, appearing on BBC One is an amazing opportunity to introduce a whole new audience to the joys of cooking with beans.”
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