Kirsty Henshaw delivered the most memorable, emotional and successful pitch ever seen on Dragon's Den in July 2010. The 24 year old single mum electrified the Den with her passion, commitment and gritty determination to succeed. She became one of the youngest entrepreneurs to receive investment on the show securing a £65,000 investment from Dragons, Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne, in return for a 30% stake in Kirsty's Freedom, her frozen dessert business.
The range of dairy-free, nut-free and sugar-free frozen launched across the UK in all major supermarkets in September 2010. This year she launched into Kirsty’s Ready Meals, a new range of delicious pre prepared meals using healthy food swaps and only the best ingredients for a new way of thinking for the whole family. She is now stocked in all Sainsbury’s and Budgens.
Inspired to create her range of frozen products by her four year old son Jacob who has a serious nut allergy and is intolerant to dairy and gluten, she began experimenting with a little ice cream maker from Argos in her tiny kitchen at home. Formulating a recipe for success by combining brown rice milk, coconut oil and natural fruit extracts, all renowned for their health giving properties, she knew she had a recipe that children and adults would enjoy as a healthy alternative to ice cream.
Fired up by this delicious discovery she approached a local ice cream maker to produce the products in larger quantities and hired a consultancy to help her create a brand and design a website. She funded this with £14,000 of her own money which she had saved from doing two part-time jobs and also secured £6,000 of vouchers from the North West Development Agency through the University of Preston. Kirsty was so determined to succeed in business that she dropped out of university where she was studying for a sports therapy degree to pursue her business dream full-time.
Kirsty's business has been compared to the hugely successful fellow Dragon's Den contestant, Levi Roots and his 'Reggae Reggae Sauce' which now sells in excess of ten million bottles a year. She is looking to sell millions of all her products too and this looks highly probable because Kirsty's products are highly innovative and offers a solution to a clear niche in the food market. Many desserts on the market contain lots of saturated fats or are labelled as 'low-fat' but actually contain a high amount of added sugar or are laced with artificial sweeteners and flavourings. There is a clear need for a range of desserts tailored to people with eating restrictions, allergy’s and for those who just enjoy eating natural and healthy foods.
An inspirational, confident 'can-do' young woman, Kirsty speeches are about her entrepreneurial journey so far. She emphasises the importance of building great relationships with the people around you and knowing your business model inside-out. Kirsty is very focused on building the Kirsty's Freedom brand and is consolidating her position as one of the most inspirational young businesswomen in the country.
The range of dairy-free, nut-free and sugar-free frozen launched across the UK in all major supermarkets in September 2010. This year she launched into Kirsty’s Ready Meals, a new range of delicious pre prepared meals using healthy food swaps and only the best ingredients for a new way of thinking for the whole family. She is now stocked in all Sainsbury’s and Budgens.
Inspired to create her range of frozen products by her four year old son Jacob who has a serious nut allergy and is intolerant to dairy and gluten, she began experimenting with a little ice cream maker from Argos in her tiny kitchen at home. Formulating a recipe for success by combining brown rice milk, coconut oil and natural fruit extracts, all renowned for their health giving properties, she knew she had a recipe that children and adults would enjoy as a healthy alternative to ice cream.
Fired up by this delicious discovery she approached a local ice cream maker to produce the products in larger quantities and hired a consultancy to help her create a brand and design a website. She funded this with £14,000 of her own money which she had saved from doing two part-time jobs and also secured £6,000 of vouchers from the North West Development Agency through the University of Preston. Kirsty was so determined to succeed in business that she dropped out of university where she was studying for a sports therapy degree to pursue her business dream full-time.
Kirsty's business has been compared to the hugely successful fellow Dragon's Den contestant, Levi Roots and his 'Reggae Reggae Sauce' which now sells in excess of ten million bottles a year. She is looking to sell millions of all her products too and this looks highly probable because Kirsty's products are highly innovative and offers a solution to a clear niche in the food market. Many desserts on the market contain lots of saturated fats or are labelled as 'low-fat' but actually contain a high amount of added sugar or are laced with artificial sweeteners and flavourings. There is a clear need for a range of desserts tailored to people with eating restrictions, allergy’s and for those who just enjoy eating natural and healthy foods.
An inspirational, confident 'can-do' young woman, Kirsty speeches are about her entrepreneurial journey so far. She emphasises the importance of building great relationships with the people around you and knowing your business model inside-out. Kirsty is very focused on building the Kirsty's Freedom brand and is consolidating her position as one of the most inspirational young businesswomen in the country.
Kirsty Henshaw delivered one of the best pitches ever seen on Dragon's Den when she appeared on the programme in July 2010. A 24 year old, single mother born and bred in Preston, she electrified the Den with her passion, commitment and gritty determination to succeed. Kirsty became one of the youngest entrepreneurs to receive investment on the show when she secured a £65,000 investment from Dragons, Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne, in return for a 30% stake in Worthenshaws, her frozen dessert business.
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