Arya and Tasha appeared on Shark Tank Season 15 Episode 3 to pitch their frozen beef Wellington business, Wellingtons. The duo introduced a convenient way to consume beef wellingtons, which they prepared using a frozen recipe, and the consumers only had to bake it for 35 minutes.
The delivery-based business model and weak financial performance proved to be the main problem with Wellington. Sharks had no confidence in the loss-making frozen food business because it was not scalable. However, did Arya and Tasha overcome the odds and strike a deal? Find out in our Wellingtons Shark Tank Update.
Wellingtons Net Worth 2024
Arya and Tasha asked the Sharks for $200,000 in exchange for 10% of the company’s equity. This proportion valued the company at $2 million. However, the actual net worth of the business is lower than the proposed valuation.
For a quick Wellingtons update, Wellingtons suffered a loss of $260,000 in the preceding year of their appearance on the Shark Tank. The company’s faulty business model did not allow it to earn profits and increase its net worth. The actual net worth of Wellington is less than $1 million.
Wellingtons Shark Tank Update
Wellingtons is operational as of this date. The Sharks’ reluctance to invest in the business did not stop Arya and Tasha from chasing their passion. The company has a Shark Tank pack on its website to cash on the post-show consumer traffic. The prices of some items have been reduced after their appearance on the Tank. However, no significant development has surfaced on the internet.
Wellingtons did not get a deal on Shark Tank because of its faulty business model and recurring business losses. The business had high delivery and packaging costs that resulted in net losses. The $2 million valuation proposed by the owners seemed unfair, so the Sharks did not invest.
Kevin O’Leary opted out because he was already involved in the meat industry. Lori Greiner refrained from investing because the meat industry was not her will-house. Mark Cuban bowed out but suggested the duo collaborate with party planners and event management companies to eliminate the high delivery costs.
Michael Rubin refused to invest because the company had no direct-to-consumer channels to grow. Barbara Corcoran did not want to partner with the duo on their co-packing strategy. She advised them to do everything to keep the business relevant. Wellingtons left the Shark Tank with no deal. Keep reading our Wellingtons update to see what happens next!
Shark(s) Name | Offer and Demand | Counteroffer | Accepted? |
Kevin O’Leary | Out | N/A | N/A |
Mark Cuban | Out | N/A | N/A |
Michael Rubin | Out | N/A | N/A |
Barbara Corcoran | Out | N/A | N/A |
Lori Greiner | Out | N/A | N/A |
Wellingtons Shark Tank pitch
Arya and Tasha arrived on Shark Tank to ask for $200,000 against 10% of their frozen beef wellington business, Wellingtons. The duo described beef wellington as filet wrapped in a puffy flake pastry.
Tasha asked the Sharks if they ever prepared beef wellingtons at home. Preparing wellingtons took time and effort, so people preferred cooking it on special occasions or enjoying it directly in restaurants.
Wellingtons provided the consumers with frozen beef wellingtons shipped directly to them. The product did not require a recipe because the Wellingtons prepared it in their commercial kitchen in Los Angeles.
The wellies recipe by Wellingtons requires just a 35-minute bake to prepare. Arya and Tasha listed their complete product line, including Classic Beef Welly, Cheese Burger Welly, Breakfast Welly, and Hazelnut Chocolate Welly. The Welly Bites in Cheese Burger and Buffalo Chicken flavors were unique products no competitor had.
Kevin O’Leary, the chef wonderful, reconfirmed the long time consumed and the difficulty in preparing beef wellingtons. Michael Rubin and Mark Cuban loved the taste.
Kevin asked Arya and Tasha if their best-selling product was the Classic Beef Wellie. He wanted to know the selling price and cost of a unit. Arya explained that the Classic Beef Wellie was indeed the best-selling product. It had a $35 selling price and a $9.41 cost. The costs included the cost of goods sold and kitchen labor.
The duo added that the wellies were available on GoldBelly and the official website. The company was planning to go direct to consumers. The GoldBelly listed a four-pack Classic Beef Wellie deal in its store for $169. The price included shipping.
Mark inquired about the wellies sold on the official website. Arya explained that the four-pack Classic Beef Wellie deal was available for $140 on their website. The deal cost $37 to prepare, with $27 shipping and $9 spent on packaging.
Barbara Corcoran asked if Wellingtons planned to shift its business entirely to its website. Arya and Tasha confirmed that they wanted to go national. The ultimate aim was to reach 1200 stores across the USA. However, those plans were premature because the business was new and facing growth issues.
Kevin asked the duo about the sales and profitability situation. Arya disclosed that Wellingtons made $300,000 in sales last year, out of which $240,000 came from GoldBelly. The business made a net loss of $260,000 during the same year.
Kevin advised Arya and Tasha to switch the business model to direct-to-consumer. Mark suggested adopting a different way to sell beef wellingtons. According to him, event services and party planners were the best people to scale it.
Arya argued that Wellington signed a purchase order with a food service business with 72 hotels across the USA. The consumer base of the hotel resonated with the company’s products. The purchase order contained 200 units of Welly Bites for two hotels, and the vendor was willing to continue expanding the contract if it worked.
Barbara asked Arya and Tasha about what they needed from the Shark. Tasha replied that they wanted a mentor to help them establish distribution channels and a co-packing system.
Kevin O’Leary refrained from investing in Wellingtons because he had shareholdings in competitors. He advised Arya and Tasha to change the business model if they wanted to make money.
Michael Rubin saw potential in the Wellingtons but considered the business uninteresting due to the wrong business model. Mark Cuban also opted out, stating that the frozen food businesses were hard to crack. He admired the product but disapproved of the expensive shipment charges. He advised the duo to find a better way to sell their Wellingtons.
Lori Greiner was not passionate about the meat industry and refused to offer a deal. Barbara opted out as well. She recalled her disastrous experience with the co-packing food company. She termed the food industry a difficult market to sustain a business that had to do everything.
Arya and Tasha reconfirmed that they were passionate about the business, but none of the Sharks responded positively. Wellingtons left the Shark Tank without a deal.
Product Availability
Wellingtons is another frozen food business that indeed solves a problem. People find beef wellingtons challenging to cook. However, Wellingtons prepare the raw recipe, which a consumer can bake directly after receiving the package. The product has demand because beef consumption is high in the USA.
The prices are not too high because the convenience of having beef welly in your home is nothing less than a luxury. It is available on GoldBelly and the official website. The pack of four wellies is $169 on GoldBelly, while the same package goes to $140 on the official website. The Classic Beef Welly is available for $35.
The company’s profit margins are solid, but the delivery costs spoil the fun. Wellingtons cannot expand if they continue to burn cash on delivery services and packaging. They should switch their model. Wellingtons can collaborate with hotels, restaurants, and event organizers to reduce the selling costs.
What Went Wrong For Wellingtons On Shark Tank?
From our Wellingtons update research, the per unit cost of goods sold by Wellingtons’ products was impressive. The company enjoyed high gross profits, but the faulty business model dented their chances of striking a deal.
Frozen food businesses are vulnerable to spoilage if the packaging is substandard or the delivery service is average. To mitigate this, Wellingtons had a high delivery cost, putting the company in net losses. Considering this faulty business model and sustainability issues, Sharks did not offer Wellingtons a deal.
Conclusion
Wellingtons is a unique business targeting the luxurious dish few can afford due to its time-consuming and laborious preparation. The idea might seem reasonable, but the frozen beef wellingtons are challenging to deliver.
The business had high gross margins but the high delivery charges reduced it to net loss. As Sharks suggested during the Shark Tank Season 15 Episode 3, Wellingtons should work on their business model. The $2 million valuation was too high for a loss-making business with weak business model. However, the bright aspect is that Wellingtons is in demand so they can capitalize on this.
Hi. I’m Daniyal Durrani. A CA-finalist, CPA-UK, and Master in Economics, with a decade-long business studies experience. I work as an Audit and Business Advisory Manager in a globally recognized accounting firm. I have been watching Shark Tank for a long time and have always admired the innovative business ideas. The revolutionary solutions to unaddressed day-to-day problems presented on the show used to impress me like no other thing on TV. Read more About me.