By Alec Hogg
Two lads who rang the doorbell yesterday introduced me to a stonking good idea. They were representing recipe-box service Gousto, an ambitious startup which intends changing the world for those who love cooking but struggle to find time to buy the ingredients.
Guosto is the brainchild of Timo Boldt and his neighbour James Carter. In August 2013, they were famously turned down on the venture capital reality show Dragons Den. But a month later they raised $2m from a VC fund, with Unilever Ventures joining a year later. Their latest funding round in March doubled the total to £56.5m (over R1bn).
The lads on my doorstep explained that once a week Guosto would deliver everything needed to prepare three meals (selected from 30 options). Their introductory offer slices 35% off the first month’s price. Guess they’re confident that by then customers will be hooked.
The market for direct deliveries is booming in the UK. The age of convenience is a fertile field for creative minds. For me, the only downside I’ve found is living with a sidekick whose duty is to amplify the sound of “his” doorbell ringing. One day, maybe, someone will make a fortune teaching us how to train Jack Russells.
