Kirsty secured the backing of Dragons Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne for her free-from brand Worthenshaw. They both gave her half the money for a 15 percent stake.
She got £65,000 for total of 30 percent equity which she was happy to accept.
Kirsty’s business Worthenshaw produced dairy-free, sugar-free frozen dessert alternative to ice cream.
She rebranded the business as Kirsty’s in 2012 and produced the first range of free-from chilled ready meals launched in supermarkets.
In 2020, her business was worth £11million but during 2021, the business saw a turnover increase of 11.5 percent.
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Kirsty’s is now worth £15million and sells an award-winning range of chilled ready meals, frozen pizzas and frozen desserts.
The products are always gluten and dairy free and are stocked in major UK supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons, and Tesco.
Kirsty’s invested £2million in a state-of-the-art factory in Harrogate, which will enable the brand to produce 20 million ready meals per year.
She started her business in 2009 following a long search for free-from food options for her son after discovering he had several allergies.
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“I decided to apply for Dragons’ Den, after a bottle of wine, as it was desperate measures at that point really.”
On whether she would do anything differently if she could start again now, she added: “Even though things have been hard at times, there has been a lesson with everything I have ever done.
“I would not change anything about what I did, and that includes going on Dragons’ Den.”
Kirsty had put £20,000 of her own money into the business to get it off the ground. To be able to afford this, she worked two and a half jobs – just to give her son “the best life possible”.
Kirsty left university to pursue her passion in this business. To be able to afford this, Kirsty told the Dragons’: “I worked two jobs, and a bit of a night job. And I had my little boy. I don’t know how he puts up with me.”
“You’re pretty amazing aren’t you,” Theo Paphitis said.
Kirsty broke down in tears explaining to the Dragons’ that she does this all for her little boy, who was four at the time.
Theo continued: “I’m finding it really difficult to take on board all you’ve achieved. It’s absolutely phenomenal. I am totally blown away by it.”
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