SimplyCook receives $1.1m backing from Episode 1 Ventures

London-based subscription “food discovery” service SimplyCook has secured $1.1m in finance to drive expansion in a round led by Episode 1 Ventures.

Founded by Oli Ashness as a way to try new recipes, SimplyCook provides its customers with a recipe box each month containing four easy to follow recipes, and four ingredients kits devised by professional chefs.

Each dish is said to work out at between £2 to £6 per person, with each meal taking around 20 minutes to make.

The funding will be used to develop its marketing initiatives and enhance its data gathering processes to cater for a wider variety of customers.

Ashness commented: “It occurred to me that despite a litany of celebrity chefs, cookery shows and Christmas cookbooks, people generally stick to the same seven or eight dishes or settle for a takeaway.

“When I tried cooking a Malay Laksa from a cookbook, it cost £42 to get all the necessary ingredients – which is too much for the vast majority of people. But with the precise amount of taste and flavour elements, combined with simple recipes, cooking delicious meals suddenly becomes quick, easy and affordable.”

Adrian Lloyd, founding partner at Episode 1 Ventures, said: “I loved the fact that Ashness was solving a pain he had suffered from when working late nights and living off poor quality takeaways and ready meals.

“The market opportunity is huge.”