NZ Dragons Den small business, secures overseas deal
On October 6, 2006 Fran Hume from Yummy Tums; a small home based food business started in 2004 appeared on TV one’s
Dragons Den, and presented her idea for children’s healthy meal concepts which was being distributed into schools. In
addition to the products presented on the show, Fran had a new product she was about to launch, and many other ideas for
which she required investment. One of her new ideas is called Sooshi. Sooshi is made similarly to traditional sushi,
with a twist; more about Sooshi later...
The panel at Dragons Den failed to see the potential for her children’s meal solutions and beef & vegetable healthy sausages (aptly named V’Sossies), and Fran never made it passed first base. Not fazed at the
response, Fran focused her energy on the growing interest and orders coming from schools who appreciated the healthy
option offered to students. School children loved the meals, and Sooshi has been introduced only recently.
Kids are absolutely loving it, in particular because it tastes just as good (in fact even better) as Japanese Sushi
except it’s not in a roll, the ingredients are mixed together and it comes in a groovy, folding cardboard box, with
bright graphics which catch your attention, and the type you see at up market Asian noodle bars. The schools are
naturally receptive as it’s a very healthy option.
Unknown to Fran, watching Dragons Den that night were the owners of a UK based food manufacturing company, with
distribution agreements with some of the UK and Europe’s largest supermarket chains with their own children’s patented
product.
The concepts Fran presented so impressed our British guests, the next morning they contacted NZ Trade & Enterprise to make enquires about meeting Fran, sampling the product, with the intention of setting up a licensing
agreement to manufacture & distribute the Yummy Tums range in U.K, Europe and USA.
NZ Trade & Enterprise (I Grow) seeing the potential foreign exchange earnings for NZ have been extremely supportive to Fran;
advising, structuring and negotiating the complex contracts & licensing agreements alongside her.
All the contracts have been signed this week & Fran is off to the UK in March to meet with her UK based distributors, and assist with setting up local manufacturing,
using the Yummy Tummies recipes & unique packaging solutions.
The Dragons Den concept is working as a promotional medium by giving small business ideas a big audience, and as we can
see, you never know whose watching.
ENDS