A vegan chocolate brand started by two former Deliveroo riders has secured the backing of the aggregator app, and signed a distribution deal which will see its range stocked in Deliveroo’s rapid delivery Hop stores.
Catherine’s Originals was launched in 2021 by Catherine Dodd and her partner Jamie Miller – who both worked as couriers for Deliveroo to raise money for their venture, started after the pair “noticed a gap in the confectionary market for indulgent, high-quality, inclusive sharing vegan chocolates”.
In 2022 the riders turned chocolatiers won a £25,000 investment through Deliveroo’s The Big Pitch competition, which allowed them to expand their business from Catherine’s parents’ kitchen into a dedicated factory in Arundel, West Sussex and purchase production machinery.
The brand will now be available across 11 UK Hop sites in London, Manchester and Bristol, available for delivery in as little as 25 minutes.
“It’s brilliant that alongside riding for Deliveroo, Catherine set up a thriving business,” said Carlo Mocci, chief business officer, Europe at Deliveroo. “We are proud to have supported Catherine’s Originals at an early stage, and it’s exciting to support the next step of the company’s journey by helping them to reach new customers via Deliveroo.”
Demand for Catherine’s Originals products has been going from strength to strength. From handcrafting 30,000 chocolates in just 10 days in a kitchen, the team has grown to produce and sell tens of thousands of chocolates a week from their own factory. The new partnership with Deliveroo will help to support the business’s continued growth in the UK, allowing the company to reach new customers and identify opportunities to expand its offering, the company said.
The brand specialises in “inclusive vegan chocolates, meticulously crafted to offer an indulgent experience”. Their flagship product is a diverse selection box, with flavours such as Runny Caramel, Cherry Cream, and Cookies & Cream cubes.
“Being a Deliveroo rider enabled me to focus and grow Catherine’s Originals, as flexibility and income are so important when starting a business,” said Catherine Dodd, founder of Catherine’s Originals. “Now, two years after winning the prize money from Deliveroo, joining the platform as a brand partner feels like everything has come full circle. This is a huge next step for Catherine’s Originals, cementing our relationship further with Deliveroo so our vegan chocolates can reach as many customers as possible.”
Deliveroo introduced The Big Pitch in 2020, inviting riders to present their business ideas for “a chance to bring them to life” with financial backing from Deliveroo. Each year the app offers prize money of £25,000, which winning ventures can secure all or a portion of. Previous winners include Kacper Serafin and his company Magic Suction Mug, which makes a range of coffee mugs and kitchen appliances that can stick to tables; Frankii Pachoo, founder of Hair Anywhere, a mobile hair salon in a converted ambulance; and Sahil Sharma of homeware products brand Ageode.
To support pitching participants in this year’s The Big Pitch, launched this month, Deliveroo is hosting workshops that provide guidance on creating business plans and presentations, covering key topics such as finance, operations, and public speaking.
“From tech startups to new pasta sauces, riders have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of experts and compete for funding to help make their business dreams come true,” Deliveroo said.
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