Over-60s online caterer Parsley Box floats on AIM as CEO hails four-year kitchen table-to-IPO journey

Parsley Box, ready meals provider for the over-60s, joined a string of online lockdown winners listing on London’s junior market as it floated on AIM today under the ticker MEAL.

The company, launched in 2017 by husband-and-wife founders Gordon and Adrienne MacAulay, IPOd with a placing price of 200p - giving the company a market value on admission of around £83.8 million. 

Shares reached 211p in early trading, before settling back at 187p. 

The listing raised £5 million for the company and £12 million for selling shareholders.

Chief executive, Kevin Dorren, said: “From an idea cooked up at the kitchen table to IPO in just four years is an incredible achievement... I am looking forward to leading the business through our accelerated growth plans to become a household name.”

Parsley Box saw revenues of £24.4 million last year. It previously raised more than £10 million from investors including its non-Executive chairman, the Minecraft entrepreneur Chris van der Kuyl.

The company highlights its consumer demographic's relative wealth and expansion opportunities as the UK population ages fast.

FinnCap acted as broker and nominated adviser on the float.