A woman who gave up a steady job to sell ‘slices’ of solidified ketchup is well on her way to starting a successful business, having secured more than £21,400 in funding and planning on opening a state-of-the art factory later this year.

Emily Williams, Michigan, USA, not only turned her back on a promising office-based career, but also managed to tear her former boss away from the company to help her kick-start ‘Slice of Sauce’ – a mess-free alternative to traditional tomato ketchup.

With the help of American crowdfunding website Kickstarter, Ms Williams and former boss, Thac Lecong, have managed to raise more than $30,000 (£21,400) towards their unusual business idea, which the duo claim offers up “a perfectly portioned bite of ketchup every time.”

The dried product, which is described as “all natural, no mess and flavour packed,” is made from vine-ripened tomato puree, cane sugar, salt, garlic, onion powder and distilled vinegar.

Following their successes so far, Ms Williams and Mr Lecong are hoping to open a new factory in Brooklyn, New York and launch their products across speciality food outlets by June this year.

Mr Lecong quipped: “It’s going to be like the first man on the moon, except this time the moon is a sandwich.”