WowzaBox, the North East’s authentic Chinese recipe box service, has successfully raised £170,000 to accelerate its expansion plans. The funds will support the business to double its workforce from six to 18, secure new premises, and enhance its product offerings, including the launch of a dedicated supermarket range including Asian meal kits and sauces.
Founded by Newcastle University graduate Joshy Jin, WowzaBox has quickly gained popularity for its unique, chef-led recipe boxes featuring region-specific Chinese dishes, such as Tianjin Black Pepper Beef and Lychee King Prawns. The business has already delivered over 180,000 meals across the UK in its first year, achieving a turnover of more than £675,000.
The recent investment will support WowzaBox’s growth strategy, which includes moving to larger premises, to expand floorspace by an additional 1000sq metres, in Newcastle and introducing new levels of automation to meet the demands of potential supermarket customers. The company plans to diversify its offerings with a new line of condiments and explore fusion cuisines from other parts of Asia.
Joshy Jin said: "Our crowdfunding success has been a real game changer for us, the £170,000 raised will not only allow us to enhance our current offerings but also help us introduce new products, like our dedicated range for supermarkets.
“We're close to full capacity at our current site, and expanding into a larger space will be transformative. It will boost our productivity and allow us to launch a new production line for condiments - meeting growing demand and enabling further innovation.
“While Chinese cuisine will always be at our core, we’re exploring other Asian cuisines such as a fusion of flavours from South Asia, Japan, and beyond - it’s an exciting time for us.
“As we scale, we may seek additional funding to support our ambitious growth plans, ensuring we stay on track with our goals."