Sunday dinner entrepreneur lands investment to expand

A young Teesside entrepreneur is using his passion for the Sunday dinners to earn himself a living, and has now secured a £3,500 to drive his plans forward.

26 year-old Daniel Wilkinson, founder of Sunday Dinner Delivery Ltd, is hoping to expand to a weekday service with a wider range of meals.

Daniel said: “I grew up with my Mum preparing a traditional Sunday dinner every week with vegetables fresh from our allotment,” he says. “It was an important part of our family life and I thought there must be a business in providing that for people who can’t or don’t want to prepare it themselves.

“Customers have been so appreciative. We’ve got a 4.5 star feedback rating, a 5 star hygiene rating and have been nominated for a local business award which is all fantastic.

“All our meals are served on proper china plates before they are boxed and sealed so that they are safe in a microwave and can be enjoyed as a Sunday dinner is meant to be. People often order two dinners and keep one for the next day.”

The business operates from kitchens at Lazenby Village Hall, where Daniel has just invested in larger freezer space to accommodate a growing range of meals - including English breakfast and hot baguettes.

Daniel added: “I was still working full-time when I had the idea for Sunday Dinner Delivery and it’s been hard work,” he said, “especially as it proved difficult to get the finance together.

“UK Steel Enterprise came up trumps with the money I needed very quickly and everyone was so approachable. It’s made a huge difference and I’m confident that there is massive potential for us as the business has grown so fast in just a few months.”

Peter Taylor, UK Steel Enterprise’s area manager, added: “Daniel really impressed us with his idea and his business plan. He is already creating jobs and making Sundays brighter for a lot of people. It can often be a relatively small amount of money that makes a big difference to a start-up or young business and our Regeneration Fund is designed to help.”

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