Challenger coffee brand Little’s is brewing up expansion plans following an appearance on Dragons’ Den this week.
MD Will Little, the second generation of the family-run business, pitched for £80k and received four offers on the BBC One programme, settling on backing from Steven Bartlett, who took 5% of the business for his investment.
Little’s is on a mission to “end ordinary coffee” with its range of Nespresso-compatible coffee pods, instant, ground and flavoured coffee. It is stocked in more than 1,600 retail outlets across the UK, with listings at Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Booths, Ocado, Amazon, Whole Foods Market and Harrods, and exports to 25 countries.
“We’re a self-funded family business, so my natural reaction was to say no to Dragons’ Den when I was approached by the BBC,” Little said. “But I thought about it, and I realised the programme has become a really credible TV show for challenger brands and having the backing, and mentorship, of a Dragon seemed like an opportunity I’d be silly to pass up.
“It’s hard to explain how intense, surreal, and nerve-racking the whole experience is. Nothing can prepare you for the moment you step into the Den and face the Dragons. It’s not every day you get to meet the people you grew up watching on television. Overall, the experience was actually amazing. Scary, but amazing. I hadn’t considered what I’d do if I got offers. Let alone four.
“So, it’s kind of blown my mind that I had four dragons interested in investing in my business. I really believe we got the best partner in Steven Bartlett. He made it pretty compelling for me and it felt like a no-brainer to accept his offer.”
Devon-based Little’s started more than 30 years ago, when husband-and-wife team Henry and Leila Little were inspired to make flavoured coffee by the roasters they encountered on travels around California.
Today, the business is run by Will and his wife Caro and generates annual revenues of £4m, employing a team of 30 staff.
Little’s manufactures in-house and uses ethical sourcing practices and premium beans to make a range of flavoured instant coffee, as well as capsules and ground.
“Little’s is a challenger brand on a big mission to get people drinking better coffee,” Little added.
“In the UK, we drink nearly 100 million cups of coffee every day. However, the way people drink coffee is changing. While high street coffee shops are exploding, with a huge selection of flavour trends and innovative drinks, the same options just aren’t there for the coffee we drink at home. Little’s is here to show that just doesn’t need to be the case, and prove you can have the coffee-shop experience for a fraction of the cost.”
Pet nutrition disruptor Omni also received backing from Steven Bartlett and Deborah Meaden on this evening’s programme, and joins Doughboys Pizza, Dot Dot Bubble Tea, Seep and Love Sum as fmcg brands to score investment on the current series.
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