A baking company set up by a Newport woman has secured investment from Dragons Den's Peter Jones.

Adelle Smith, who is originally from Newport, launched BKD from her kitchen in Shoreditch, London, in 2015, after reigniting her passion

for baking when making her son’s first birthday cake.

The business has grown rapidly since then, with revenues of £151,000 in 2017 and more than 30,000 units being sold. The brand’s products are now stocked in retailers including John Lewis, Moonpig, Gousto and Arnotts throughout the UK and Ireland.

The pitch focused on BKD’s line of Mini Bakers Club subscription kits for children aged three to eight years.

The subscription kits are available through the BKD website and each month the mini baker will receive a personalised box containing a themed baking and craft activity. Each box is handcrafted in BKD’s London bakery using quality pre-measured ingredients, with themes covering an array of themes including Minibeast Adventures, Exploring the Senses and a Trip to the Big Top.

Adelle grew up in the Beechwood area of Newport, attending St Patrick’s primary school and then St Joseph’s high school before going to university in Caerleon.

After her degree she moved to London at 22 and started a career in market research. She has lived in London ever since and is now 36 years old.

Adelle Smith pitched to the five dragons on the popular BBC 2 programme, including new investors Jenny Campbell and Tej Lalvani, asking for £80,000 in return for 20 per cent equity in the business.

Dragons Peter Jones and Jenny Campbell were both interested and offered the full amount in return for 35 per cent and 30 per cent equity stakes, respectively.

Smith opted for Jones’ higher 35 per cent offer due to the investments he has made in serveral food businesses, including Levi Roots and for his connections with key UK retailers including Sainsbury’s.

Peter Jones said: "I'm absolutely delighted with my investment in Adelle and her company BKD. I'm sure that both she and the business will benefit from the explosion in interest in the baking category over the last few years. I've already tried out the kits with my own family and we had great fun sharing the experience so I'm confident about the company's future."