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- 🚀 Your Weekly Slice of UK Consumer Startups #17
🚀 Your Weekly Slice of UK Consumer Startups #17
Steven Bartlett’s praise and a cool £1.3M raise, STOCKED are redefining frozen 🧊
The Startup Slice
August 24, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes
Hey 👋
This week’s been stacked with bold collabs, wild campaigns, and summer activations galore. We’ve also been out and about at events, making the most of what startups and challenger brand activations this summer.
And for our feature this week, we chat with STOCKED co-founder Sam Moss, praised by Steven Bartlett and fresh off a £1.3M raise.
Oh, and if you’re an emerging drinks brand? There’s a ✨ £500k prize package ✨ up for grabs at The Beverage Forum’s Pitch Slam later this year. We’ve dropped all the details.
📱 From the Feed
 Cobra x Proppadoms collab 🔥 | 🍺 Cobra Beer teams up with Proppadoms: who says big brands can’t collab with startups? The duo launch two bold new flavours,Tamarind Chutney and Butter Chicken Proppadoms, a perfect pairing for curry lovers. 🍑 JUBEL brings Sessions Syndicate to Brick Lane: We swung by and documented the event on our Insta Stories. The pop-up was in collaboration with vintage clothing store 212 Collective. Who doesn’t like a Dj set whilst clothes shopping? |
👀 ICYMI: Brand Moves Worth Watching
💦 Punchy is bank holiday-ready: from Creamfields festival on Saturday, to Carnival on Sunday, to Monday recovery. Each flavour is dressed for the occasion. 💀 Nuud Gum ends weeks-long stunt: Fergus Main chewed plastic gum daily until he’d built a coffin, capped off with a playful funeral video exposing microplastics in traditional gum. 💪 Feisty Protein Soda launches wild new campaign: rebellious, bold, and unapologetically not for the protein bros. |  Feisty Protein Soda, new campaign photoshoot 📸 |
💡 Bitesize Playbook: Sam Moss, Co-Founder @ STOCKED
Fresh off STOCKED’s £1.3M raise, we caught up with co-founder Sam Moss to chat all things frozen, Steven Bartlett and what’s next. Safe to say, a few STOCKED blocks are making it into our next weekly shop 🥶
Co-founders of STOCKED, Sam Moss & Charlie Gilpin.
What is STOCKED and how did it all begin?
STOCKED makes delicious, nutritionally balanced meals you can store in your freezer and eat whenever you want. It all started with a simple idea: make it easy for busy people to eat better without compromise.
How did the publicity from Dragon, Steven Bartlett impact the business?
Steven making an offer on Dragons' Den was game-changing. Overnight we reached a whole new audience who might never have found us otherwise. The show gave us a platform to tell our story and show people that frozen can be exciting, nutritious, and convenient. Off the back of that, we saw a real lift in awareness and credibility. Having Steven champion us publicly was a huge moment.
Congrats on your recent raise of £1.3M. How did you make the decision to raise additional funding?
We decided to raise because we were outgrowing the capacity of our kitchen. The £1.3M gives us the resources to invest in our kitchen, build out the team, and make the customer experience even smoother. We didn’t want to raise just for the sake of it. It was about making sure we can keep scaling without losing sight of what makes STOCKED special. The process also brought on a group of backers who really believe in our long-term vision.
The UK frozen space has evolved a lot recently. How are you staying ahead in such a fast-growing market?
We believe frozen is the most exciting space in food right now. It lets us create meals that are tastier, more convenient, and more nutritious than chilled or takeaway alternatives, without the waste. For us, staying ahead is about leaning into that potential and constantly innovating. We’re not just freezing what already exists, we’re rethinking what frozen can be: from bold new recipes to smarter portioning and packaging. That belief in the power of frozen underpins everything we do, and it’s what keeps us pushing forward.
What’s next for STOCKED?
New products, an improved service, and a wider distribution. We’re just getting started.
STOCKED dishes featured: Harissa Jackfruit, Curried Chickpeas & Chicken Tinga.
📌 The Noticeboard
Your weekly list of things to check out:
📣 Events
The Beverage Forum Europe: London, 7th–8th October 2025
The U.S.’s leading beverage industry gathering is making its European debut at Indigo at The O2. The inaugural forum will bring together retail giants Walmart, Albertsons, Aldi, Tesco, Ocado, Carrefour, alongside beverage leaders Coca-Cola and Diageo.
Speakers include Jonas Tåhlin (LVMH), Olivia Ferdi (TRIP), Charlie Morgan (Au Vodka), Simon Squibb (HelpBnk), Aitch (SYPS), Vikkstar (SIDES Coffee), Chris Williamson (Neutonic), and Bill Shufelt (Athletic Brewing), blending industry powerhouses, creators, and disruptors. With TikTok Shop also on board, the forum promises to spotlight the future of beverages, creator-led brands, and cross-Atlantic opportunities.
Pitch Slam: £500k Prize Package: As part of the forum, a competition will give new beverage brands the chance to win £500,000 worth of support to accelerate growth. If you’re an ambitious, high-potential beverage brand apply now for this game-changing opportunity.
Eligibility criteria:
Annual turnover of up to £2M (D2C, events, or activations)
An established supply chain (no drop shipping)
No existing retail presence
Registered as a Limited Company or Partnership
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