Bold Bean Co
Bold Bean Co is a UK-based premium jarred beans brand founded in 2021, selling slow-cooked, additive-free chickpeas, butter beans, cannellini and black beans direct-to-consumer via Shopify and through major UK grocers including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Whole Foods.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersHenley On Thames, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Bold Bean Co does
Bold Bean Co is a UK-based premium packaged-food brand founded in 2021 by Amelia Christie-Miller, specialising in slow-cooked, additive-free jarred legumes. Its core product range comprises single-variety queen-size beans — chickpeas, white/cannellini beans and black beans, including organic variants — packaged in glass jars with only beans, water and a pinch of salt. The line has been extended into a baked bean range (Rich Tomato, Smokey Chilli and Classic), curated multi-jar bundles (Queens Taster Box, Ultimate Baked Bean Box, Best Sellers Pack, Pick and Mix Box) and a debut cookbook, 'Full of Beans', which became a Sunday Times bestseller with contributions from Melissa Hemsley, Thomasina Miers and Mob.
The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce on Shopify (with a Subscribe & Save subscription programme and the Bean Club loyalty scheme) and wholesale distribution through major UK grocery retailers — Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Ocado, Whole Foods Market UK, Planet Organic and Booths — together with quick-commerce (GoPuff UK) and specialty food wholesalers via Faire on net-60 terms. Marketing is anchored on organic social content (Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest), earned media recipe partnerships with outlets such as Business Insider, and high-profile endorsements from Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, Jessie Ware and Emily English, which together underpin the company's premium pricing of approximately £22 per 570g jar (around £18.70 on subscription).
Bold Bean Co monetises through three streams: transactional DTC jar and bundle sales, recurring subscription revenue from the Bold Bean Club, and wholesale revenue from grocery listings and specialty distributors. Customer demand is concentrated among health-conscious consumers, plant-based and flexitarian eaters, and premium food/gift shoppers in the UK, with the company's value proposition centred on superior texture, clean-label ingredients, recipe versatility and a content ecosystem (BeanSpo recipe platform with hundreds of tagged recipes) that drives repeat purchase and subscriber retention. The business is privately held, with only a £50,000 Dragons' Den investment disclosed to date, and operates with 11–50 employees from a London mailing address.
Bold Bean Co firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bold Bean Co
- Legal name
- Bold Bean Co
- Website
- https://boldbeanco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bold Bean Co is a UK-based premium jarred beans brand founded in 2021, selling slow-cooked, additive-free chickpeas, butter beans, cannellini and black beans direct-to-consumer via Shopify and through major UK grocers including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Whole Foods.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bold Bean Co industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Packaged Legumes
- SIC
- Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Canned Beans, Legumes & Pulses Manufacturing (AFAKACAC)
Keywords
Where Bold Bean Co is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Henley On Thames
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bold Bean Co business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) E-commerce: Bold Bean Co sells jarred premium legumes and cookbooks directly through its Shopify-powered website (boldbeanco.com), offering individual products, bundle packs, and subscription options. Products include beans (chickpeas, butter beans, white/cannellini beans, black beans, organic variants), baked bean boxes, a pick-and-mix box, and a cookbook. Subscription model (Subscribe + Save) provides recurring revenue with a 5% discount and extra perks.
- Retail and Wholesale Distribution: Bold Bean Co generates revenue through wholesale distribution to major UK retailers (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Ocado, Whole Foods, Planet Organic, Booths) and specialty food wholesale distributors, with net-60 terms available through Faire.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard single-purchase pricing for individual products |
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscription / Subscribe & Save with 5% discount |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Wholesale pricing via Faire marketplace |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Bold Bean Co product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bold Bean Co sells premium slow-cooked jarred legumes in glass jars (chickpeas, butter beans, white/cannellini beans, black beans, plus organic variants) prepared with only beans, water and salt. Its portfolio also includes baked bean varieties, curated bundle boxes, a Sunday Times bestselling bean cookbook, and a Bold Bean Club subscription and loyalty programme offering recurring deliveries with exclusive recipes and rewards.
Product overview
Bold Bean Co is a UK-based premium legume brand offering a focused portfolio of high-quality jarred beans. The core product line consists of five bean varieties: Queen Chickpeas (including organic variant), Queen White/Cannellini Beans (including organic variant), and Queen Black Beans. These products are sold individually in 570g jars, as curated bundles (The Queens Taster Box, Ultimate Baked Bean Box, Best Sellers Pack, Pick and Mix Box), and via subscription through the Bold Bean Club. The company also publishes a Sunday Times Best-Seller cookbook featuring 80 bean recipes, and operates a loyalty program offering exclusive recipes and gifts. All beans are slow-cooked, additive-free, and sold in water with a pinch of salt.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Queen Chickpeas Premium giant, tender, slow-cooked chickpeas sold in 570g glass jars. Additive- and preservative-free, cooked in water with a pinch of salt for individual consumers seeking a clean-label, ready-to-use legume.
- Queen Organic Chickpeas Organic Pedrosillano-variety chickpeas with smooth, creamy and nutty flavour, sold in 660g jars and aimed at hummus, salads, and other plant-based home cooking.
- Queen White / Cannellini Beans Premium white cannellini beans with a creamy texture and starchy quality, marketed for silky sauces, stews, and beanotto dishes. Sold in glass jars for individual consumers.
- Queen Organic White Beans Organic white haricot beans in 660g jars, ultra-creamy and intended for beany broths, protein-rich mash, or as a rice substitute in risottos.
- Queen Black Beans Premium black beans with a rich, earthy and slightly nutty flavour, positioned for Mexican cuisines and dishes with smoky spices and zesty lime, sold in 570g jars.
- The Queens Taster Box Curated six-jar selection box (570g Bold Pack) sampling the full Bold Bean Co range for new customers and as a premium gift option, available as a one-off purchase or subscription.
- Ultimate Baked Bean Box Trio of baked bean varieties (Rich Tomato, Smokey Chilli, and Classic) in 390g jars, sold as a curated bundle for individual consumers seeking a premium baked bean alternative.
- Best Sellers Pack (Taste the Range) Curated bundle of Bold Bean Co's most popular bean varieties, designed as a comprehensive introduction to the full product range for new customers.
- Pick and Mix Box Customisable six-jar box allowing customers to select and mix their preferred Bold Bean Co varieties for personal use or gifting.
- Bold Beans Cookbook ('Full of Beans') Sunday Times best-selling cookbook with 80 exclusive bean-filled recipes from contributors including Melissa Hemsley, Thomasina Miers, and Mob, sold to consumers as a stand-alone publication and premium gift item.
- Bold Bean Club Subscription (Subscribe & Save) Subscription service offering regular deliveries of Bold Bean Co jarred beans and bundles with a 5% discount, available in 1-, 2-, 3-, and 6-month cadences, plus extra perks and early access to new products.
Quantifiable outcome
- Featured in Startups 100 Index 2026 as one of 8 innovative UK food & beverage startups
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Bold Bean Co
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Bold Bean Co technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Bold Bean Co partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Melissa HemsleyminorCelebrity chef and cookbook author who contributed recipes to the Bold Beans Cookbook, the Sunday Times bestselling debut cookbook from Bold Bean Co.
- Thomasina MiersminorCelebrity chef (founder of the Wahaca chain) who contributed recipes to the Bold Beans Cookbook, contributing to the book's authority and market reach.
- Mob (Food Collective)minorFood collective contributing recipes to the Bold Beans Cookbook, adding collaborative credibility and diverse culinary perspectives to the cookbook's content.
- The London RefineryminorBold Bean Co collaborated with The London Refinery to create a candle-making kit as an exclusive loyalty reward for Bold Bean Club members, redeemable with loyalty points. The kit transforms empty Bold Bean jars into hand-made citrus-scented candles.
- FairecoreBold Bean Co offers wholesale purchasing through Faire, providing net-60 payment terms, 50% off first order for new Faire customers, and 1 year of free shipping. Faire serves as the primary wholesale ordering platform for trade buyers.
- Diverse Fine FoodminorUK specialty fine food wholesaler distributing Bold Bean Co products to independent retailers and food service operators.
- Cotswold FayreminorUK specialty food wholesaler distributing Bold Bean Co products, listed as an official wholesale partner on the company's wholesale page.
- Mahalo SuppliesminorUK specialty food supply company listed as a wholesale partner for Bold Bean Co products.
- FodaboxminorUK specialty food distribution company listed as a wholesale partner for Bold Bean Co products.
- GreencityminorUK cooperative wholesale distributor listed as a wholesale partner for Bold Bean Co products.
- CLF DistributionminorUK food distribution company listed as a wholesale partner for Bold Bean Co products.
- CNFoodsminorUK food distribution company listed as a wholesale partner for Bold Bean Co products.
- ShopifycoreBold Bean Co's e-commerce website is powered by Shopify, which provides the online store platform, payment processing, and digital advertising services (Shopify Audiences) for personalised advertising across third-party websites.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Bold Bean Co competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hodmedod's: UK-based British-grown beans and pulses brand selling tinned and dry pulses, including British fava beans and peas, into UK retail and DTC channels. Directly comparable as a UK pulse-first brand with similar clean-label and provenance-driven positioning.
- Belazu: UK premium Mediterranean ingredients brand (jarred olives, antipasti, sauces) sold through Waitrose, Ocado and Whole Foods UK. Comparable as a UK premium pantry brand built around glass-jar hero formats with chef endorsements and elevated price per unit.
- Merchant Gourmet: UK premium pulses, grains and pouches brand (lentils, beans, ready-to-heat pouches) sold through Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Ocado. Closest comparable by virtue of UK base, premium positioning, multiple retailer listings, and a bean/lentil-led product portfolio — the most direct competitor to Bold Bean Co on shelf and online.
- The Bay Tree Food Co. UK premium preserves, sauces and jarred pantry brand stocked in Waitrose, Sainsbury's and farm shops. Comparably positioned as a UK jarred food brand competing for the same premium shelf and gift-aisle real estate as Bold Bean Co.
- Brindisa: UK Spanish-food specialist selling jarred pulses (beans, chickpeas, lentils), conservas and olive oils through retail, delis and online. Directly comparable as a UK jarred-pulse premium specialist with similar gifting and pantry positioning.
- Mr Organic: UK-Italian organic tinned beans, pulses and tomatoes brand distributed across UK multiple grocers. Comparably positioned for organic, clean-label, jarred pulses targeted at health- and plant-based consumers via similar UK retail channels.
Emerging players
- Wild Craft Bean Co: UK small-batch bean brand selling jarred pulses and recipe kits direct-to-consumer and via select delis. Comparable as an emerging UK jarred-bean specialist with similar clean-label and DTC lean.
- Suma Wholefoods: UK wholefood cooperative with its own branded organic pulses and beans. Comparable as a UK clean-label, wholesale-and-DTC bean brand, although operating primarily through the organic/wholefood channel rather than the major multiples.
Broad incumbents
- Princes Group: UK-listed large-scale canned foods and pulses manufacturer supplying own-label and branded beans across major grocers. A broad incumbent in canned/jarred pulses that competes for shelf space and category share through private-label supply.
- Heinz: Mass-market incumbent in canned beans (baked beans, kidney beans, cannellini) with nationwide UK grocery listings. Relevant as the broad incumbent whose own-label-and-bean categories Bold Bean Co is premiumising against.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bold Bean Co social profiles
Digital presenceBold Bean Co financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bold Bean Co leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Bold Bean Co funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bold Bean Co M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bold Bean Co
What does Bold Bean Co do?
Bold Bean Co sells premium slow-cooked jarred legumes in glass jars (chickpeas, butter beans, white/cannellini beans, black beans, plus organic variants) prepared with only beans, water and salt. Its portfolio also includes baked bean varieties, curated bundle boxes, a Sunday Times bestselling bean cookbook, and a Bold Bean Club subscription and loyalty programme offering recurring deliveries with exclusive recipes and rewards.
Is Bold Bean Co a public or private company?
Bold Bean Co is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Bold Bean Co founded?
Bold Bean Co was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bold Bean Co based?
Bold Bean Co is headquartered in Henley On Thames, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Bold Bean Co make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) E-commerce is the primary driver. The others are retail and Wholesale Distribution.
Who are Bold Bean Co's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hodmedod's, Belazu, Merchant Gourmet, The Bay Tree Food Co., Brindisa and Mr Organic. Emerging players are Wild Craft Bean Co and Suma Wholefoods. Broad incumbents are Princes Group and Heinz.
Does Bold Bean Co have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bold Bean Co.
What industry is Bold Bean Co in?
Bold Bean Co's product category is Premium Packaged Legumes. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKACAC, Canned Beans, Legumes & Pulses Manufacturing. Its SIC code is 2030.