Here at Craft Gin Club HQ, the date of 24 July holds a special place in our hearts: it marks the anniversary of Craft Gin Club founders Jon and John’s exciting pitch to the investors on the BBC television show, Dragon’s Den, back in 2016!
It got a little heated in the Den during the pitch, but it turns out that Dragons really do like gin – following offers of investment from an almost-unheard-of four out of five Dragons, Jon and John walked away with a £75,000 investment from London Cocktail Club co-founder Sarah Willingham.
Not only did Sarah have a huge amount of industry experience, it turned out she was also already a long-time Craft Gin Club member!
Founders Jon and John with Dragon’s Den star & Craft Gin Club investor Sarah Willingham
Sarah’s involvement helped Jon and John to accelerate the growth of the Club to become the amazing gin-loving community it is today, and she continues to play a close part in the development of the Club as it looks to an exciting future.
So what was the Dragon’s Den experience really like? We asked John, Jon and Sarah what they remember of their appearance on that fateful episode - here’s what they had to say.
Jon and John nervously arrive at their pitch with their gin trolley in hand.
What did it mean to you to appear on the show - what were you thinking about before you went on?
John B: “Mostly, I was really curious about the Dragons’ reaction to the business itself. We hadn’t pitched to any investors before that point so it was a complete unknown as to how they’d react. It’s always good to get feedback of any kind from competent outside parties that can help you to improve your business - preferably good feedback, of course!”
Jon and John make their pitch to the Dragons. Credit: BBC2
What was the scariest moment of appearing on the show?
Jon H: “Getting into that "lift" (hint - it’s not a real elevator!) and waiting for the doors to open, knowing that when they did, we were on! There are no second chances in The Den...”
John B: “Putting powder on my face to stop the glare of the lights!”
Sounds terrifying! Sarah, what did you think when you saw the pitch from John and Jon?
“When you’re sitting there in the Den you genuinely have no idea who will come through the lift door next, but as soon as I heard Craft Gin Club pitch I knew it was a business I wanted to be a part of.
“Not only do we all share a passion for the business side of things, we also get pretty excited about a great gin and tonic, which makes board meetings fun!”
The Dragons listen to the Craft Gin Club pitch. Credit: BBC2
We’re so happy to hear it! Jon and John, can you describe your favourite moment of the whole experience?
Jon H: “Getting our fourth and final offer and knowing that, with four of the five Dragons now bidding, we were set to walk out with a deal. The tables had turned!”
John B: “For me, the best moment was a little bit later - meeting Sarah backstage after accepting her offer on screen. We had a great chat and hit it off from the get-go. So it was a big relief as we knew at that point that we’d made the right choice.”
It must have felt amazing! What has it meant to you both - personally and professionally - since your appearance on the show?
John B: “Professionally, of course, the show raised the profile of Craft Gin Club, which was fantastic. But personally it was really important, too - it showed we could stand up in front of scrutiny and argue our case in a stressful environment in front of intimidating characters. If you can achieve that once, it gives you the confidence to achieve it again and again!”
Jon H: “I agree. Appearing in the Den, and leaving with a deal, was a great vote of confidence in our business and the publicity generated afterwards really gave us a kick-start.
“Plus, working with Sarah has been a fantastic experience - she's an awesome businesswoman and all-round good egg.
“Given the chance, I would do it all again!”
And since our Dragon’s Den victory in 2016…
Our first ever rum-markable rum box!
We are thrilled to have recently raised over £800k from our very first crowd-funding campaign on Seedrs - a whopping £300k over our initial investment target!
We’re branching out into other delicious craft spirits. We quickly (and excitingly!) sold out of our first-ever rum box, and have launched a summer vodka box too - just watch this space…
There’s more choice than ever on our Craft Gin Club Shop. We taste test every spirit on our shop, so from whisky to vodka, rum and beyond, we’ve got you covered.
We’ve won amazing awards and honours over the years - like being named as one of the inaugural 2022 FEBE Growth 100, an annual list and awards that “shines a light on the finest and fastest-growing privately owned businesses in the country, where the founder or founders are still involved”. Cheers!
And not only that, we’ve had some seriously exciting previous wins, including the Food and Drink People’s Choice Award 2021 , a major gong at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2021, and our inclusion in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 “Ones to Watch” list. We feel so proud!
Watch the full appearance on Dragons’ Den below!
Every month, we send our club members a full-sized bottle of amazing craft gin from one of the world’s finest distillers.
We work hard to source new, limited-edition and exclusive gins for our members, so you can be sure that you'll always receive a truly special gin that you won’t find elsewhere – certainly not in the supermarket!
We capture the passion of our craft distiller partners in our monthly GINNED! Magazine, packed with real-life gin stories, tailored cocktail recipes and much more.
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