It's been a tough year for business amid the pandemic, but Didsbury Gin has reported a record year. The family business provide a free-to-use online platform for buying and selling whisky, earning a small commission on each exchange. Unfortunately, no investment was forthcoming on this drinks related pitch, which took place on the last episode of series 20.

Andy Murray, the ambitious entrepreneur behind the Drinks Bakery, said he had his heart set on the Scottish EDGE competition after winning the Wild Card EDGE award for pre-trading companies in 2017. Read More Related Articles Before today if you wanted to experience Fresh Beer you had to visit a brewery’s tap room,” it said. “Now with the Pinter, your front room can be your taproom.” Not wanting to give up his favourite tipple, he tried hundreds of non-alcoholic beers, but wasn’t getting the same effect, so made it his mission to find a healthier way to unwind without booze. Two years later Impossibrew, based in Durham, was formed, with all the drinks crafted at a brewery in Allendale, Northumberland. Kate Darracott and her husband and co-owner Graham Darracott appeared on episode 6 of season 18 and although they left the den with some new customers, no investment was forthcoming from the dragons. For any drinks brands wanting to take part in the programme, they have also created a blog post on ‘ How to apply to be on Dragon’s Den‘.The 24-year-old had moved to the UK from Hong Kong when he was 13 and was unable to speak any English, and went on to study philosophy at Durham University. Poster explained that she discovered matcha while studying at university in the US when too much coffee and energy drinks resulted in ‘jitters, crashes and exacerbated by anxiety symptoms’.

This is a staggering 1295 per cent increase since the duo behind the company landed investment from entrepreneur Jenny Campbell in 2018. Called the Pinter, the device allows people to make up to 10 pints of beer at home, which the company claims will make it fresher than anything bottled or canned. The business has also created bartender-quality ready-to-drink (RTD) products - securing listings in Co-op, Booths and WHSmith, as well as selling direct to consumers. Read More Related Articles Founders Vaani and Keeran appeared on episode 2 of season 19 of the show, looking for investment in their beer targeted at women, created to change perceptions that beer should only be drunk by men. However, due in part to their high product price relative to competitors, the couple were not able to secure investment from the dragons. Energy drink start-up PerfectTed managed to garner interest from all five Dragons when two of its co-founders, Marisa Poster and Teddie Levenfiche, appeared on the BBC programme on 2 March.With the Pinter we’re going to deliver a new world of fresh beer into people’s homes. Everyone would drink brewery fresh beer if they could, the Pinter now means they can.”

A London-based startup founded by two Dragon’s Den contestants has launched a homebrewing kit that enables craft beer lovers to produce 10 pints if lager, IPA or cider from home. Less than six months into his business journey Mr Wong was invited to pitch his business to the Dragons’ Den panel, after winning several start-up awards. Established in October 2019 by two Scottish brothers, Double Trouble Drinks made a brief appearance during episode 3 of season 18. This family run drinks company targets the darts community and were not able to secure any investment from the dragons.

The Drinks Den

The investment of cash was secondary, but it allows me to think bigger and go after some larger accounts like Sainsbury’s."

Murray, who moved to Edinburgh from the north east of England 15 years ago, said he grew up in a "food and drink-obsessed family where Aperitif was a daily tradition". Based in Edinburgh and baked in the Highlands, Drinks Biscuits are made with natural, premium ingredients. These biscuits are flavour profiled to match with drinks such as Scottish beer Innis & Gunn Original, different Scotch Malt Whiskies, or a gin & tonic.

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Former village pub landlord Paul Stanley, failed to secure investment from the Dragons in episode 1 of series 17 for his Cloven Hoof Spiced Rum. The product is made with rum from Guyana and Trinidad and is produced in Chorley. It is a blend of rum made from the wooden pot still at the Diamond Distillery in Guyana where it is part aged in bourbon casks and caramelised, and blended with a lighter column still rum from Trinidad. Then infused with a mysterious concoction of natural spices, including cloves, star anise and cassia bark. But costing problems and the brand name deterred any dragons from investing in Richard and Tommy's business, with Steven Bartlett declaring: "I am here to invest capital, I am not here to recruit myself to be the CEO of your company or here for a full-time job". The news that I had to give it up meant the end of my career, but it also felt like the end of my social life. Growing up in Sunderland in a food and drink-obsessed family, Aperitivo was a daily tradition for the Murray family. Read More Related Articles