Details About Wellingtons From Shark Tank

Founded by Los Angeles natives Arya and Anastasia Alexander in 2020, Wellingtons LA, appearing on Season 15 Episode 3 of "Shark Tank," is a self-proclaimed "elevated comfort food brand" that delivers ready-to-bake beef Wellingtons right to your door.

A favorite of celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay, beef Wellingtons are notoriously hard to make. Crafted by coating beef tenderloin in goose or chicken liver pate, followed by duxelles — a robustly flavored, paste-like mixture made of minced mushrooms, shallots, onions, herbs, and butter — before wrapping the whole ensemble in a flaky puff pastry and baking it to medium-rare perfection, it's no wonder the beef Wellington has become the ultimate test of a chef's cooking chops. While the technical skill required to nail the dish is intimidating enough to deter many home cooks, Wellingtons LA promises to take care of the hard part so you need only pop your Welly in the oven and serve it.

The ready-to-bake Wellingtons come in several sizes and flavors, including a Breakfast Wellington, complete with scrambled eggs, hash browns, turkey sausage, and cheddar cheese encased in a puff pastry seasoned with Everything but the Bagel seasoning; and Mini Cheeseburger Wellingtons, which feature beef patties, cheddar cheese, grilled onions, and jalapeños in a sesame seed-crusted pastry. When your impressed brunch or dinner guests ask how you managed to pull off the mighty feat, the brand owners even insist you take all the credit.

In March 2020, when most Americans were confined to their homes, people began seeking out new skills to hone. For many, this was expressed through the sourdough pandemic craze; Arya Alexander and his then-fiancée Anastasia Geroulis, however, were spending their time perfecting the notoriously tricky beef Wellington.

For three months during the pandemic, the couple spent every Wednesday — or "Wellington Wednesday," as they affectionately called it — preparing Wellingtons for their family and friends. And they made more than just the classic beef variety; they also pumped out well-known variations like the salmon Wellington and chicken pot pie Wellington. They even came up with some creations of their own, like a breakfast Wellington, a cheeseburger Wellington, and a dessert Wellington.

Before long, word got out about Alexander and Geroulis' Wellington creations, and people wanted to buy them. They moved production to a commercial kitchen, and during the pandemic, Los Angeles locals were able to score Wellies from Wellingtons LA through delivery apps like Postmates, DoorDash, and Uber Eats. Not long after, the blossoming food brand partnered with Goldbelly, an online food marketplace, to distribute their fare nationwide.

While searching for an answer to the age-old question, "What's for dinner?" Alexander and Geroulis looked to none other than celebrity chef (and beef Wellington expert) Gordon Ramsay for inspiration. As they watched a video of him preparing his revered rendition of the dish, they decided to give it a go — since the pandemic had brought work to a sudden halt, they certainly had the time.

Beef Wellington was already a shared thread between the engaged couple, Geroulis told QVC. Both Alexander's father and Geroulis' mother made the dish frequently throughout their respective childhoods. In fact, the recipe they use to make their business' now-famous beef Wellington was supplied by Geroulis' mother. Once they perfected the classic food with the help of a family recipe, Geroulis told Goldbelly that transforming the classic dish into their more inventive Wellington-inspired creations felt like a "no-brainer."

Wellingtons LA currently has a variety of Wellingtons available for purchase through its website. A 9-ounce Personal Beef Wellington costs $35, while a 16-ounce version, which can serve two to four people, costs $90. An XL Beef Wellington, which weighs 32 ounces and feeds between four and six people, is also available for $180. You can order the store's Cheeseburger Wellington for $15 a pop, or, for the same price, you can secure a bundle of 15 bite-sized Cheeseburger or Buffalo Chicken "Wellybites." Meanwhile, an individual Breakfast Wellington goes for $13, and a Nutella-filled dessert option costs $15.

Each Wellington can also be ordered with a selection of sauces. The store suggests its Savage Sauce, which has hints of Thousand Island dressing, for the Cheeseburger Wellington, while the buffalo sauce is great for dunking the Buffalo Chicken Wellybites. However, the pièce de résistance is reportedly the Truffle Horseradish Cream Sauce, which is meant to be served with the classic Beef Wellington.

Packaged with dry ice and vacuum-sealed, the pre-made Wellingtons arrive at your door frozen, with baking instructions included. Because Wellingtons LA is a small mom-and-pop shop, co-founder Alexander told Goldbelly that the store's Wellies are made with only the highest-quality ingredients.

On Season 15, Episode 3 of "Shark Tank," Arya and Tasha Alexander stood before the star-studded panel of Sharks and asked for $200,000 for a 10% stake in their business, Wellingtons LA. While the beautiful display of their perfectly presented wellingtons provided a feast for the eyes, it was the taste that really impressed the potential investors. After digging their forks into the dish, the Sharks dug a little deeper into the financial details of the Alexanders' business. Arya told the investors that despite Wellingtons LA raking in $313,000 in sales the previous year, they ultimately lost $260,000.

Learning that most of their sales stemmed from their partnership with Goldbelly, Kevin O'Leary pointed out that as long as Goldbelly was getting a cut, the couple was unlikely to turn a profit. For that reason, he quickly pulled out, but not before suggesting that the Alexanders switch to a direct-to-consumer business model. Guest Shark Michael Rubin agreed with O'Leary and quickly followed his lead, refusing to make an offer.

After recommending that the Alexanders grow their business beyond the digital sphere by connecting with event coordinators, Mark Cuban also jumped ship. Lori Greiner pulled out next, claiming that she wasn't a big meat eater. With that, all eyes turned to Barbara Corcoran. While the Shark still seemed intrigued, Corcoran ultimately decided she couldn't offer the Alexanders the help they needed.