I’ll get the obvious bit out of the way first. We went into Dragons’ Den asking for investment and came out without it.
So, technically, the answer was no. But the experience itself was a huge yes.
I was incredibly nervous before walking into the Den. You can prepare your numbers, practise your pitch and try to imagine all the questions the Dragons might ask, but nothing quite prepares you for standing in front of them with the cameras rolling.
Spice Kitchen is not just a business to me. It is my family’s story. It began with a conversation between Mum and me on Christmas Day 2012, when we were trying to think of something she could do in retirement. We came up with the idea of making spice tins filled with her favourite family blends and wrapped in beautiful sari fabric.
We listed the first one on eBay that day. It sold on Boxing Day, and that was the beginning of everything.
More than a decade later, I was standing in the Dragons’ Den trying to explain what we had built, why it mattered and where I hoped it could go next. No pressure!
What you didn’t see on television
Our time in the Den lasted around 90 minutes, although naturally only a fraction of that made it into the final programme.
The Dragons asked about everything: our products, numbers, margins, customers, retail relationships and plans for the future. It was intense. When you have lived and breathed a business for years, it is strange to hear it examined by five people who have only just encountered it.
You want to answer every question perfectly. You want people to understand not only how the business works, but also what makes it special.
For us, that is Mum. It is the sari fabric she and her team sew around our tins. It is the recipes and knowledge passed through our family. It is the independent retailers who took a chance on us. It is also the idea that food can bring people together, which has been at the heart of Spice Kitchen from the beginning.
Walking away without a Dragon
Of course, part of me wanted one of the Dragons to invest. You don’t walk into that room without imagining what it might feel like to hear somebody say yes.
But when the answer was no, I also felt something I hadn’t expected: relief.
The Dragons asked difficult questions, but they also recognised what we had created. The experience made me think carefully about the business, what we value and what kind of future we actually want for Spice Kitchen.
We are fiercely independent. We care deeply about the shops and stockists that helped us grow. We want to make brilliant products, create meaningful employment and keep building a business that Mum and the whole family can be proud of.
Perhaps we did not need a Dragon to tell us how to do that.
Watching it all back
Watching the episode when it finally aired was surreal. I knew what had happened, but seeing it edited for television, knowing that millions of people were watching too, was another experience entirely.
The response afterwards was wonderful. Customers, retailers, friends and people who had never heard of us before sent messages to say they had been cheering us on.
That meant more than I can properly express. Going into Dragons’ Den reminded me how far we have come: from one homemade tin sold on eBay to hundreds of independent stockists and a pitch on national television.
We did not leave with an investment. But I walked away proud of Mum, proud of our team and more certain than ever about what Spice Kitchen stands for.
The answer was no. But would I do it again? Absolutely.
And if you missed our Dragons’ Den episode, you can catch up on BBC iPlayer here →