A woman has launched her vegan chocolate brand on the food delivery site she used to work for as a teenager.

Catherine Dodd was working as a Deliveroo driver when she spotted a gap in the market for vegan chocolate and pitched the idea to the delivery giants.

Now, Catherine and her partner Jamie Miller have launched Catherine’s Originals on the site after a funding boost from the company.

“Two years after winning the prize money from Deliveroo, joining the platform as a brand partner feels like everything has come full circle," said Catherine.

“Being a Deliveroo rider enabled me to focus and grow Catherine’s Originals, as flexibility and income are so important when starting a business.

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“This is a huge next step for Catherine’s Originals, cementing our relationship further with Deliveroo so our vegan chocolates can reach as many customers as possible.”

Catherine, 22, launched Catherine’s Originals in 2021 with Jamie, 23, after receiving a £25,000 funding boost from Deliveroo through their “Big Pitch” programme.

The funding came while Catherine was working as a Deliveroo driver aged 18.

The grant allowed them to move into a new factory in Arundel in 2022 where they now produce tens of thousands of chocolates a week.

Catherine’s Originals is now available in 11 sites across the UK through Deliveroo’s Hop grocery delivery service.

Carlo Mocci, chief business officer for Europe at Deliveroo said: “It’s brilliant that alongside riding for Deliveroo, Catherine set up a thriving business and we’re thrilled to now be providing her tasty vegan chocolates for delivery in as little as 25 minutes.

“We are proud to have supported Catherine’s Originals at an early stage, and it’s exciting to support the next step of the company’s journey by helping them to reach new customers via Deliveroo.”