Sessions, a startup focused on championing the next generation of talent within the food industry, has raised £7.4 million in a Series A round led by Guinness Asset Management.
Founded in 2020 by Dan Warne, former MD of Deliveroo, CFO Ian Banks, former CFO at Soho House, and leisure industry specialist Chairman Graham Turner, Sessions is a platform that helps foodie entrepreneurs realise their business potential and thrive in the post-COVID marketplace.
Sessions gives a voice to independent food talent and enables them to accelerate the growth of their brands through their readymade, cross-channel platform, encompassing both virtual and retail spaces.
Alongside Guinness Asset Management, the financing also saw participation from Jon Moulton’s private investment vehicle.
The investment raised will allow the company to continue helping aspiring food founders scale their businesses, with an aim of partnering with 15 more chefs and opening 500 more kitchens within the next 12 months. Alongside this, the funds secured will also be used to expand their team to be able to deliver this growth.
Sessions operates the acclaimed Shelter Hall, a chef-led food hall on the Brighton Seafront which has topped TimeOut’s list of best places to eat in the city. Sessions currently partners with more than 13 leading brands – including Lost Boys Chicken, SoBe Burger and Oxblock by Masterchef winner Kenny Tutt.
It works with over 50 kitchens nationwide, where customers can order from the range of partner food brands. The funding will enable Sessions’ plans to open two more food halls in 2022 as well as launching the Sessions Studio designed to pair aspiring founders with world-class culinary support.
“We are proud to take investment from such a forward-thinking, collaborative fund as Guinness. Our purpose is to be a voice for the independents, championing change and empowerment, and it’s great to see our new partners entirely bought into that mission,” said Warne.
Ashley Abrahams from Guinness said: “We are very excited by this investment and Session’s mission, which is made even more compelling by the quality of the team behind it.
“True disrupters in the hospitality sector, the hybrid physical and digital model of Sessions is of intense interest to us and we’re looking forward to watching the partnership between Sessions and Guinness grow.”