Twisted Orange

What Twisted Orange does

Twisted Orange Ltd is a UK-based boutique consultancy founded around 2016, headquartered in Sidmouth, operating with a core team of approximately four professionals. The firm delivers professional services across three integrated modalities—Training, Consultancy, and Research—and four specialist modules: Innovation & Insight, Nutrition, Procurement & Supply Chain, and Sales. Its client base spans start-ups, challenger brands, and multinationals in food and beverage, alongside government bodies, educational institutions, and logistics/aviation/energy clients such as Roche International, Mondelez, ADNOC, Marks & Spencer, Clarks, and the UK Ministry of Defence.

The company generates revenue through bespoke, quote-based engagements covering half-day to comprehensive training workshops, fractional consultancy roles, and collaborative research projects. Its principal differentiator is the proprietary Visual Focus Group (VFG) methodology co-developed with Swansea University's School of Psychology, which underpins the Kaleidoscope consumer insight sub-brand and incorporates virtual reality shopping and quantitative research. Distribution is primarily direct via website, email, and phone, supplemented by channel partnerships with training organisations (Blue Ocean Corporation, Sterling, Chamber Business Training, London Training for Excellence, Ajyal HR Solutions) and accredited HM Government Help to Grow provider status, with delivery conducted globally in person or online.

Pricing is not publicly disclosed; all engagements are quote-based following direct consultation. Revenue streams include training services, consultancy services, research services, and grant-funded prize packages under the Kaleidoscope programme. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or parent company, and operates with no subsidiaries. Grant funding from AFN Network+, Innovate UK, and UKRI Agri-food for Net Zero Network+ supports specific research projects rather than core operations.

Name

Twisted Orange

Legal name

Twisted Orange Ltd

Website

https://twisted-orange.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Twisted Orange is a UK-based boutique consultancy delivering training, fractional consultancy, and proprietary consumer research (Visual Focus Groups via its Kaleidoscope sub-brand) to food and drink, procurement, sales, and nutrition clients, from start-ups to multinationals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sidmouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Training Services: Bespoke training programmes tailored to address specific organisational needs and challenges. Delivered globally in person or online, from half-day workshops to comprehensive suites of sessions. Covers procurement fundamentals, category management, strategic sourcing, contract management, supplier relationship management, negotiation, sales fundamentals, consultative selling, and nutrition.
2. Consultancy Services: Business consultancy supporting organisations from start-ups to multinationals across various industries including financial services, food industry, medical and travel. Services include innovation and insights, operational performance, commercial success, procurement expertise, fractional roles, and strategic planning.
3. Research Services: Research collaboration with academic and industry partners bringing impactful insight to inform business strategies and support policy. Includes consumer research, market insights, nutritional analysis, and visual focus group methodology.
4. Kaleidoscope Prize Packages: Bespoke consumer insight packages awarded as prizes to start-ups and challenger brands at events like Food & Drink Expo. Funded through Innovate UK 2025 Healthy Ageing Catalyst Accelerator award.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Twisted Orange is a UK-based consultancy providing bespoke training, consultancy and research services to the food and drink industry, covering innovation and insight, procurement and supply chain, sales, and nutrition. It delivers services globally either in person or online through practitioner-led programmes, fractional roles, and consumer research methodologies including its proprietary Visual Focus Group (VFG) approach developed with Swansea University.

Product overview

Twisted Orange is a consultancy firm offering a unified portfolio of professional services centred on business growth through training, consultancy, and research. The core offering comprises three integrated service strands—Training (real-world practical workshops), Consultancy (fractional roles and functional expertise), and Research (creative visual methodologies)—supplemented by four specialist service modules: Innovation & Insight (product launch and market strategy), Nutrition (health claims and wellness), Procurement & Supply Chain (category management and supplier relationships), and Sales (fundamentals and leadership). The Kaleidoscope sub-brand provides a proprietary consumer insight methodology using visual focus groups developed with Swansea University. Services are delivered globally in person or online, with project management supported by Prince II practitioners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Training Real-world insights and practical knowledge training programmes tailored to address specific organisational needs and challenges. Delivered globally in person or online, from half-day workshops to comprehensive suites of sessions. Covers procurement fundamentals, category management, strategic sourcing, contract management, supplier relationship management, negotiation, sales fundamentals, consultative selling, and nutrition.
• Consultancy Business consultancy supporting organisations from start-ups to multinationals across financial services, food, medical, and travel industries. Services include innovation and insights, operational performance, commercial success, procurement expertise, fractional roles, and strategic planning. Provided globally in person or online.
• Research Collaborative research services developed with academic and industry partners. Includes consumer research, market insights, nutritional analysis, and the proprietary Visual Focus Group methodology. Brings impactful insight to inform business strategies and support policy.
• Innovation & Insight Product launch and market introduction services including concept development, branding, marketing strategies, budget management, project management (Prince II practitioners), supplier negotiation, and customer relationship development for sustainable foods.
• Nutrition Nutrition training and consultancy services covering health and nutrition claim support, product formulation, consumer and market insight, and employee wellness programmes. Focus areas include sustainable food choices and healthy ageing.
• Procurement & Supply Chain Training and consultancy services covering procurement fundamentals, category management, strategic sourcing, contract management, supplier relationship management, negotiation, and supply chain risk management.
• Sales Sales training and consultancy covering sales fundamentals, consultative selling, effective communication and presentation, negotiation strategies, relationship building, sales leadership development, and sales support for start-ups.
• Kaleidoscope Consumer Insight A proprietary consumer insight methodology developed in collaboration with Swansea University School of Psychology, using visual focus groups (VFGs) to enable deeper understanding of consumer acceptance through drawings and visuals, combined with virtual reality shopping and quantitative research. Offered as bespoke prize packages to start-ups and challenger brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7+ figure savings achieved for Clarks through logistics contract renegotiations
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UKRI Agri-food for Net Zero Network+coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2025UKRI-funded network supporting the Posters to Plates project focused on increasing sustainable food choices in schools through visual communication and co-creation research methodologies.
• Swansea University School of PsychologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2025Academic collaboration to develop Visual Focus Groups (VFGs), a novel psychology qualitative methodology enabling deeper understanding of consumer acceptance and providing stronger youth voice in research.
• Torfaen County Borough CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2025Partnered with Torfaen schools for Posters to Plates pilot project. The council's team added the project logo to school menus across 27 primary schools for analysis of impact on sustainable meal choices.
• Jess FearnleyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2025Graphic designer engaged to create poster and flyer designs for Posters to Plates project, based on student drawings and visual focus group outputs.
• AFN Network+coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2024AFN Network+ Flex Fund grant programme funded the 'Posters to Plates' research project investigating visual communication in students' meal choices. The project tested co-creation and visual communication approaches to encourage sustainable food choices among school students.
• BIOVITminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2024Hosted panel discussion 'Exploring the Complexities of Ultra-Processed Foods' with Louise Neilson and Natalie Rouse joining Dr Laura Wilkinson (Swansea University) and Luigi Tozzi (Safe Food Advocacy Europe) as panellists.
• Swansea UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Visual Focus Groups methodology development. Danni Walters is a Leverhulme Doctoral Scholar at Swansea University studying Psychology.
• Aberystwyth UniversityminorOthersListed as client/partner with logo displayed on Clients & Partners page.
• University of BirminghamminorOthersListed as client/partner with logo displayed on Clients & Partners page.
• University of LiverpoolminorOthersListed as client/partner with logo displayed on Clients & Partners page.
• Blue Ocean CorporationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining organisation partner listed under 'Training Organisations we work with' for potential co-delivery of training programmes.
• SterlingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining organisation partner. Testimonial from Managing Director of Sterling Training praising Andy Neilson's procurement expertise.
• Chamber Business TrainingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining organisation partner listed under 'Training Organisations we work with' for potential programme co-delivery.
• London Training for ExcellenceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining organisation partner listed under 'Training Organisations we work with'.
• Ajyal HR SolutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining organisation partner listed under 'Training Organisations we work with'.
• Virgin Start UpminorOthersAndy Neilson is a Virgin Start Up Mentor, supporting entrepreneurs and start-up businesses.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Kantar: Global consumer insight, market research, and consulting firm. Overlaps directly with Twisted Orange's research and consumer insight offerings and serves the same multinational FMCG clients, but operates at much larger scale as a broad incumbent.
• Proxima (Accenture Strategy - Procurement): Originally an independent procurement and supply chain consultancy, now part of Accenture Strategy. Directly comparable to Twisted Orange's procurement advisory services but operating as part of a much larger global consulting platform.
• Mintel: Global market research firm with a major food and drink research practice, including consumer insight, product innovation trends, and category forecasts. Comparable to Twisted Orange's Kaleidoscope consumer insight and research methodology services, but at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• The Food People: UK food and drink industry strategy and innovation consultancy. Comparable in food-industry focus, trend forecasting, and innovation support for brands and retailers, with similar target customer profile to Twisted Orange's food and beverage segment.
• IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution): UK-based membership organisation providing food and grocery industry insight, research, and training. Directly comparable to Twisted Orange's food industry training, consumer insight, and innovation support services, with overlapping buyer personas (food manufacturers, retailers, suppliers).
• Cambridge Consultants: UK-based innovation and product development consultancy serving global brands. Comparable to Twisted Orange's Innovation & Insight service module, particularly for clients needing concept development, product launch support, and consumer-led innovation.
• New Nutrition Business: Nutrition and health industry strategy and insight consultancy. Comparable to Twisted Orange's Nutrition service module and healthy-ageing positioning, particularly for clients navigating health claims, product formulation, and wellness trends.
• Baringa Partners: UK-based management and technology consultancy with strong procurement, supply chain, and energy practices. Comparable to Twisted Orange's Procurement & Supply Chain service module and similar enterprise client base.
• William Reed: UK-headquartered business intelligence, data, and events company serving the food and drink industry. Comparable in food industry research, insight, and B2B content, though operating at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• Huthwaite International: UK-headquartered sales training and performance consultancy. Most directly comparable to Twisted Orange's Sales service module, including consultative selling, negotiation, and sales leadership training delivered to enterprise clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/twisted-orange
• Instagraminstagram.com/twistedorangeltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Twisted Orange