JD’s Hot Honey, a startup founded by former Dragons’ Den stars, has opened a £500k fundraise to launch the sweet and spicy sauce into supermarkets.
Launched three years ago by Tea+ founders Jade Dawson and James Dawson, JD’s Hot Honey has grown sales to approximately £1.1m through DTC sales and partnerships with major pizza chains Pizza Hut and Domino’s in Europe.
It now seeks £500k from angel investors to help it launch into retail while expanding its foodservice and DTC customer base.
The company has a “firm pipeline” to keep up its triple-digit growth in 2026, according to co-founder James Dawson, as consumer demand for the novel condiment grows.
“We want to unleash the shackles, because we have a lot of demand, and we haven’t invested to release that demand,” James Dawson said.
“We’ve been very efficient in everything we’ve done so far – but there are lots of plans in place after this raise to hit the wider market.”
JD’s “more premium” products – whose USP, Dawson said, is that each bottle has a “full chilli mash” – have established a foothold in online barbecuing and pizza-making communities and independent restaurants, alongside its presence at more familiar chains.
Looking to raise £500k from one or several angel investors, the company now has set its sights on growth through retail as well as foodservice.
Alongside the company’s existing 350g, £6.99 rrp SKUs, JD’s Hot Honey last year launched a more “mass-market” line of 260g, £4.69 rrp bottles.
Dawson explained the raise would allow the husband and wife duo to grow the team with sales staff who could establish the brand in retail across Europe, and invest heavily in marketing across digital and out-of-home spaces.
At present, it sells to retail in several European countries through distributors, though hasn’t yet established the “firm presence” the founders want, he said.
The Dawsons’ venture is not their first. JD’s Hot Honey follows in the footsteps of Tea+, a vitamin-infused tea brand the couple took to Dragons’ Den. Winning support from Vitabiotics CEO Tej Lalvani, they eventually exited the company in 2022.
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