London-based YHANGRY raises $1.5 million to ensure no one is ever hangry

Serving the need to make the most out of social gatherings in a COVID world, YHANGRY has raised $1.5 million, making it possible to book a private chef in a matter of seconds.

The seed funding comes from angel investors including Eileen Burbidge (Passion Capital), Carmen Alfonso Rico (Blossom Capital), Martin Mignot (Index Ventures), Jack Tang (Urban), Adnan Ebrahim (MindLabs), Alex Fitzgerald (Cuckoo Broadband), Georgina Kirby (Vinehealth), Deepali Nangia (Alma Angels) and Made in Chelsea star Ollie Locke.

“YHANGRY sits at the intersection of very strong trends: creator's economy, enabling chefs to make a living out of their passion, focusing on what they do best; and growth of at-home dinner parties, which I believe are here to stay," says Carmen Alfonso Rico from Blossom Capital.

The funding is expected to be used to double the size of the team by the end of the year particularly in the roles of product development, operations, customer success, and business development.

“A dinner party at home is more personal and intimate than going out and some of the best conversations take place in the comfort of home – yet not everyone (us included!) enjoy it, or find it easy to cook meals for friends,” comments YHANGRY co-founder Heinin Zhang. “At the same time, there are hundreds of chefs who have been negatively impacted by the ongoing crisis. YHANGRY provides them an opportunity to continue doing what they love while creating an extra revenue stream.”

YHANGRY currently works with a network of 130 chefs and employs a core team distributed across the UK. Each chef must pass a cooking trial, is fully vetted, and must adhere to COVID rules. Through this network, YHANGRY is able to offer Pan Asian, Italian, Indian, Japanese, Middle-Eastern, and Mexican cuisines as well as brunch, canapes, party food and roast dinners with a minimum £100 spend.