3. Hello Fresh

Founders: Ed Boyes and Patrick Drake
Founded: January 2012
Website: www.hellofresh.co.uk

Moving closer to our prestigious number one spot, Hello Fresh moves up two places this year after coming in at number 5 in our 2013 list. The innovative start-up, founded by Young Guns Ed Boyes and Patrick Drake, (Boyes had two start-ups under his belt by the time he left university and Drake is an accomplished chef), has continued to deliver the goods for UK consumers, growing into a clear market leader in the recipe box delivery sector.

Its stated mission is to transform the way people cook and eat; more than just a simple delivery service, everything from the ingredients and recipes to the way the food is presented and delivered is imbued with the ethos of “turning routine into excitement”. The company has grown revenues from £2m in 2012 to approaching £10m in 2013, becoming a 20-strong team in the process. Across 2014, Hello Fresh expects to deliver two to three million meals in the UK, confidently expecting turnover to grow to an eye-watering £15m.