Heather’s Choice Update | Shark Tank Season 15
On episode 10 of Shark Tank Season 15, a 36-year-old Alaskan entrepreneur, Heather Kelly, presented her one-of-a-kind food brand, Heather’s Choice.
Based in Alaska, Heather’s Choice sells ready-to-eat snacks and lightweight, shelf-stable, packable meals that can be consumed with hot water. These convenient food items can be taken for any outdoor adventure.
Kelly asked $250,000 in return for 10% of equity to assist with scaling her company’s snacks called “packaroons” to a co-packaging model.
The show’s judge investors Daymond John, Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner, and guest investor Candace Nelson – all of the Sharks- praised the meals of Heather’s Choice. However, in the end, Heather had to leave without a deal.
| Company Name | Heather’s Choice |
|---|---|
| Founders | Heather Kelly |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Products | Ready to eat food and snacks |
| Ask | $250,000 for 10% equity |
| Deal | No Deal |
| Sharks | No Shark |
Heather’s Choice Shark Tank Episode Recap
Heather Kelly appeared on Shark Tank to introduce her brainchild, Heather’s Choice, and asked the Sharks for $250,000 for 10% of her company at a $2.5 Million Valuation.
Kelly talked about meals and snacks from her food line, Heather’s Choice, and how nutritious, delectable, and adventure-friendly these packaged meals are.
She makes six breakfasts, eight dinners, and eight flavored nutrient-packed macaroons called Packaroons.
Packaroons retail for $2.50, breakfast costs $8.95, and the price range of dinner is from $12.50 to $15.95. Heather also asked for assistance with scaling her Packaroon business since she wanted to reduce the expense.
Heather made $1 million in sales by 2022, but that was not profitable due to high production costs in Alaska.
The sharks all raved about the food after tasting the samples and provided distinct feedback right away.
Kevin O’Leary remarked that the market is incredibly niche and inquired why she wouldn’t simply go to a co-packer and scale.
Kelly informed judges about her previous co-packer collaboration, which led to quality degradation. So, she opted out of it and handled everything by herself.
Additionally, the sharks weren’t happy to hear that Heather presently has a debt of over a million dollars. Due to the company’s million-dollar debt, Kevin declined to invest in it.
Candace Nelson said that the product has a ton of potential; however, currently, because of multiple issues in the business, she is out.
Mark Cuban also considered the perspective of Heather’s venture and suggested that Kelly should be more adaptable as a co-packer. Cuban then goes out of the deal.
Daymond John refrained from investing as well.
Lori Greiner advised Heather to concentrate more on meals instead of Packaroons and chose not to make a deal.
The investors advised Kelly to market her meals to a broader audience, including students and working professionals, rather than focusing on the smaller and cheaper Packaroons.
After some discussion, all five investors refused to make any investment, and eventually, Heather had to leave Shark Tank without a deal.
About Company
Heather attended college in Western Washington, where she was recruited to join the rowing team. She led her team to 3 national championships there.
However, Heather’s 30-day Grand Canyon rowing and hiking trip was the catalyst for the creation of Heather’s Choice. She dehydrated a lot of food to take with her on the trip for meals.
That’s when Heather came up with the idea to start a business selling similar meals, and in the summer of 2014, Heather’s Choice was established. This food production company has 11-50 employees and has its headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska, US.
The brand is intended for outdoor enthusiasts, focusing on proper nutrition and taste. It specializes in dehydrated meals and snacks made with wholesome, high-quality ingredients. Gluten-free and dairy-free options are included in the range of products to meet various dietary requirements.
Their products incorporate breakfasts like Banana Nutmeg Buckwheat Breakfast Morning Glory Oatmeal; meals such as Spinach Curry with Chicken & Rice, African Peanut Stew, Grass-Fed Beef Spaghetti; flavourful Packaroons etc.
Every item is cautiously formulated to ensure balanced nutrition, providing the vital calories, fats, and proteins required.
Along with their website, Heather’s Choice products are accessible at the majority of sporting goods stores, on Amazon, Shopify, and REI, and are shipped throughout the United States and Canada.
Most-selling Product of the company
Heather’s Choice stands out for its commitment to sustainable sourcing as its meals contain premium ingredients like grass-fed Bison and wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon.
Beyond nutrition, this commitment demonstrates environmentally responsible practices that resonate with conscious consumers’ values.
Heather’s Choice continues to win hearts with its various handmade, healthy, and scrumptious food items.
A few of their bestsellers include Morning Glory Oatmeal, Blueberry Cinnamon Buckwheat Breakfast, Smoked Sockeye Salmon Chowder, Snickerdoodle Packaroons® Grass-Fed Bison Chili, etc.
Financial Data
As stated in Shark Tank, Heather has 273 wholesale clients, and she has raised $1.3 million from various investors over the past nine years.
Heather’s Choice is a private organization with an estimated revenue and net worth of $8 million and $1 million, respectively, and their margin is 75%.
Who is the CEO of Heather’s Choice?
Heather Kelly is Heather’s Choice’s CEO and founder. She holds a degree in evolutionary nutrition and was an NCAA National Champion along with CRCA/Pocock All-American in women’s rowing.
What is the shelf life of products available at Heather’s Choice?
Heather’s Choice breakfasts and Packaroons have been laboratory-tested for a one-year shelf life. The shelf life of their dinners has been tested to two years.
As there are no preservatives in their products, the best-by-date is when they can expect their products to be the freshest.
What is meant by Packaroons?
Packaroons are coconut macaroons exclusively made by Heather’s Choice and can undoubtedly be your new go-to high-calorie backpacking snack. These dehydrated cookies contain no artificial flavors, MSG, fillers, or additives.
Heather Choice Update 2024 Shark Tank Season 15
Although Heather couldn’t grab a deal, it can be expected that the additional exposure she got from the show would definitely help her financially.
Particularly since the sharks appreciated how great the meals were in front of millions of viewers, the brand seems to be doing great business as far as Heather’s Choice update.
Dehydrated food sources are a major industry, and the demand for these items is extremely high in Asia Pacific itself. The market size of this industry is assessed to be USD 47.10 billion in 2024.
Due to the ever-increasing demand, Kelly and Chief Operating Officer Brad Hurd are concentrating on the nationwide expansion of this business. It can be expected that Heather’s Choice will open up in the worldwide market in the coming time.
