Belfast recipe tech start-up Plate Up Raises nearly £500,000 from high-profile investors. Former Bangor lawyer Conor Boyle secures backing from retail leaders and celebrity chefs to expand free meal planning app.
Belfast-based recipe technology start-up Plate Up has raised close to £500,000 in an oversubscribed funding round, surpassing its original £400,000 target within six weeks.
The raise attracted a group of prominent investors from across the retail, finance and hospitality sectors, alongside a number of well-known chefs.
“My background in advising on complex commercial deals has helped prepare me for the challenges of scaling a start-up”
The company, founded by Bangor native Conor Boyle, aims to simplify home cooking by linking recipes directly to supermarket shopping.
Boyle, 42, left a career as a project finance lawyer in 2021 to build the business and initially self-funded its early development.
The latest funding round includes backing from Roger Burnley, former chief executive of Asda, Michael Hughes, chief executive of OCU Group, and Mukid Chowdhury, chief executive of Trading 212. Other investors include Mensahy Cohen, former finance director at The Spiced Pig Company, along with several celebrity chefs who are also acting as brand ambassadors.
Cooking up a storm
Plate Up has built up a user base of more than 50,000 registered customers, with over 10,000 monthly active users. The company reports steady growth, with new users joining the platform each month and increasing levels of revenue generation.
Boyle said the support from experienced business leaders is a strong endorsement of the company’s direction. “The fact that industry leaders like Michael Hughes, Roger Burnley and Zoe Collins believe in what we are building validates the progress we have made,” he said. “My background in advising on complex commercial deals has helped prepare me for the challenges of scaling a start-up.”
As part of the expansion plan, Plate Up has appointed Zoe Collins, former managing director of the Jamie Oliver Group, as a creative and commercial advisor. Her appointment is expected to support the company’s partnerships and content strategy.
The round also brought in a number of high-profile chefs as investor ambassadors, including Thom Bateman, Martyn Odell, Dean Edwards and James Wythe. Collectively, they bring a significant social media following and are expected to play a role in promoting the platform and contributing recipes.
Plate Up’s core proposition is to remove the complexity of meal planning. The app allows users to select recipes, automatically populate a shopping basket and order ingredients directly from supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Boyle said that planning, rather than cooking, is often the biggest barrier for households.
“Across the UK, families are faced with choices that can be expensive, time consuming or unhealthy,” he said. “We are focused on removing that friction. Users can choose recipes, add ingredients and complete their weekly shop in minutes, without subscriptions or hidden costs.”
Unlike many competitors in the food and recipe space, Plate Up operates a free-to-use model. Recipes are typically priced at £3 per serving or less, with costs displayed upfront. The company generates revenue through partnerships with retailers and food brands rather than consumer fees.
The new funding will be used to strengthen those partnerships, enhance the app’s artificial intelligence capabilities and improve meal planning features. The company also plans to expand its community education initiatives aimed at encouraging home cooking.
Plate Up has already partnered with a range of food brands and retailers, including Sainsbury’s, AO, Dr Will’s, Bold Bean Co and Finnebrogue. Its recipe content includes contributions from recognised chefs such as Tom Kerridge and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
Boyle said transparency with investors has been a key part of the company’s approach to growth. Regular updates on both performance and challenges have helped build trust among shareholders.
Looking ahead, Plate Up is targeting wider adoption across the UK, with ambitions to reach hundreds of thousands of households. The company believes its model can address rising food costs while helping consumers cook healthier meals at home.
“We are building a simple, practical solution for everyday life,” Boyle said. “If we can help more families plan better, reduce waste and enjoy cooking again, that is a meaningful impact.”
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