An ever-lasting temptation of sweetness exists in humans and what tops that is a scoop of ice cream. But what if someone is lactose intolerant, vegan, or a radical leftist? Why should anyone be robbed of ice cream because of their eating habits or a sick ideology (these should be)?
Single mom Kirsty Henshaw came up with a lactose-free, comparatively healthy, and deeply researched frozen dessert to cater to people who can’t or don’t consume the normal ice cream but want to taste the fun of it.
Worthenshaws’ frozen dessert was a deeply researched product but was research enough for the dragons to invest in?
Worthenshaws’ at a Glance:
| Idea | Vegan frozen dessert (now frozen food) |
| Founders | Kirsty Henshaw |
| Asked For | £65,000 For 15% |
| Accepted Deal | £65,000 For 30% |
| Dragons | Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne |
| Business status | Active |
| Episode No. | Season 8, Episode 1 |
Index:
What is Worthenshaws’?
Worthenshaws’, rebranded as Kirstys’ is a Harrogate-based company that used to manufacture and market frozen dessert.
Upon realizing the fact that the ice cream business was impossible to make money in, the founder mindfully shifted the business to the production and marketing of frozen foods instead.
In the following days, the company was rebranded to Kirstys’. Even in the frozen food business, the offerings are completely vegan.
The company’s quick restructuring and smart business strategies have led it to success. The business grew by 75% in the year after Worthenshaws’ rebranding.
Amidst the surge in finances that Kirsty’s is experiencing the founder said, “While the business has evolved and moved on from desserts to concentrate on savory meals, the aim and vision of the company remains unchanged.”
Who is the Founder of Worthenshaws’?
Kirsty Henshaw is the founder and Managing Director of Kirsty’s (previously Worthenshaws’). She is a single mother who started her entrepreneurial journey for her little boy.
She went on record to say that she started this company at the rock bottom of her life. At the Den, she stated that she was not good in academics and that she dropped out of university to start her frozen dessert business.
Quoting Henshaw,” I started my business 10 years ago when I discovered my son Jacob was allergic to nuts and intolerant to gluten and dairy.
After the initial panic and worry that he was going to go hungry, I began exploring free-from-food options. I soon realized that many of the food products that were safe for him to eat were not particularly healthy. So I had to make everything from scratch.”
Today, Henshaw is a millionaire and a mother of 2 children. She wishes that her kids get everything that she couldn’t as a child.
Did Worthenshaws’ get a deal on Dragon’s Den?
Kirsty electrified the Den not with her product as such which tasted just like any other frozen dessert with a list of what ingredients it ‘did not contain’ but with her thorough knowledge of the product and accurate sales estimates topped by a realistic investment proposal.
Kirsty had an accurate answer to every question every single Dragon had in the entirety of her pitch. It started to seem like Kirsty is not a woman for some time (just a joke).
Kirsty ended up with three offers at the Den but she then indirectly asked Peter and Duncan to enter the business together by taking a bit of extra equity. The Dragons accepted her indirect request and Kirsty walked out of the Den with a recipe for success.
Although the pitch was full of emotional outbursts, the decision of the Dragons to invest in Worthenshaws’ was a logical and sound one.
What happened to Worthenshaws’ after Dragon’s Den?
The Dragons helped Henshaw accelerate the process of taking her frozen dessert to big retail chains. After some time it would seem that even the Dragons’ hand wasn’t enough for propping an ice-cream business to the top which lacked unique characteristics as far as taste was concerned.
When it started to appear that even Whigs weren’t eating the Worthenshaws’ frozen dessert, Henshaw rebranded Worthenshaws’ to Kirstys’ and shifted from frozen dessert to frozen meals but she retained the vegan characteristics to not lose the original consumer base.
Kirsty’s invested £2 million in a state-of-the-art factory in Harrogate in 2022, which enabled the brand to produce 20 million ready meals per year.
Henshaw projected a £300,000 sales figure in the Den. As of 2023, her company is on its way to turning over £25 million and she has also bought back the equity from Dragons as per Express UK.
The shift from frozen desserts to frozen food appears to have fed Red Bull to the brand, giving it wings (don’t file a lawsuit).
Henshaw has bought back the equity of the Dragons and now has full control over her multi-million pound frozen food empire.
Product Details:
- It was a vegan frozen dessert.
- The frozen dessert contained only fruit-sourced sugar.
- It used coconut oil for fat.
- The company now sells frozen food.
- The entire range of frozen food is also vegan.
Competitors of Worthenshaws’ :
Worthenshaws’ wanted to indulge in the ice cream business which overflows with competition and is very capital-intensive. It is almost impossible to sustain in the FMCG market and even more so in the frozen dessert segment.
Even after rebranding to Kirsrtys’, the company continues to face formidable competition from:
- Emma Field Therapie
- Butterfly Snacks LTD
- Foodilicious LTD
- Bill and Bonn Cakes
What is the Net Worth of Worthenshaws’?
Henshaw valued her company at about £430.000 initially but the Dragons opined it to be £260,000 but since Henshaw wanted two Dragons to invest in Worthenshaws’, she settled at a valuation of £215,000.
After turning to frozen foods, Kirstys’ saw a huge increase in revenue boosting its net worth to a gigantic £15 million in 2022. The company now eyes expansion into international markets to further boost its sales.
Is Worthenshaws’ still in Business?
Yes, Worthenshaws’ is very much in business by the name of Kisrtys’. It has set up its production facilities now and is reaching sorts of revenues that are paving its way to becoming a corporate giant in the FMCG industry!
The astounding growth of Worthenshaws’ in an industry that even the Dragons would think twice before entering is a testament to what a mother can do if the survival of her children becomes a question.
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FAQs:
What is Worthenshaws’?
Worthenshaws’, rebranded as Kirstys’ is a Harrogate-based company that used to manufacture and market frozen dessert. Upon realizing the fact that the ice cream business was impossible to make money in, the founder mindfully shifted the business to the production and marketing of frozen foods instead.
What's the net worth of Worthenshaws’?
After turning to frozen foods, Kirstys’ saw a huge increase in revenue boosting its net worth to a gigantic £15 million in 2022.