A dumplings startup launched by a former Masterchef finalist has celebrated the beginning of the Lunar New Year by winning a five-figure investment offer on Dragons’ Den tonight.
Sandy Tang launched Love Sum after she made it to the final three on the 2020 series of Masterchef. She hopes the backing of Peter Jones will help propel the ready-to-cook dumplings brand into more mainstream supermarkets.
Jones offered the entrepreneur £50k in return for 20% of the business, with the equity stake dropping to 10% once the dragon gets his money back.
“We started Love Sum to bring delicious dumplings to everyone, celebrating my own heritage and all that they represent,” said Tang, who co-founded the brand with David Solomon.
“With the support of a Dragon, we can elevate our brand marketing to the next level. And what better time to do this than Lunar New Year. Cooking for the dragons was always going to be daunting but, luckily, I had my Masterchef experience to keep me on track.”
Tang appeared on the same episode as Seep founder Laura Harnett, who secured a £50k investment from Deborah Meaden and guest dragon Trinny Woodall.
The pair follow fellow fmcg brands Doughboys Pizza and Dot Dot Bubble Tea securing offers earlier in the 22nd series of the show.
Love Sum produces ready-to-cook, freshly prepared dumplings made from high-quality ingredients, with the eight-strong range showcasing recipes from Korea, India, China and Nepal.
It is currently sold at Booths and Selfridges, as well as q-commerce players GoPuff and Zapp, London c-store chain Eat17 and by wholesalers. The brand also has a major retail listing ready to go live in the coming weeks.
The business makes its own products and is currently investing in moving to a new, larger facility in Reading to scale up capacity in preparation for bigger distribution, with the move funded by a £2m family and friends round.
Love Sum’s range – Shiitake Mushroom & Vegetable Jiaozi; Lamb Masala Momos; Prawn Hargow; Pork, Prawn & Shiitake Mushroom Suimai; Chicken & Kimchi Mandu; Chana Paneer Momos; Hoisin Duck Dumplings; and Korean BBQ Beef Mandu – retails at £5.50 for a pack of eight dumplings.
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