When we launched Poppy’s Picnic, we had no idea it would one day lead us to a warehouse in Manchester, walking through a set of lift doors into a room filled with five Dragons and about two dozen studio lights. But that’s exactly what happened. We pitched our raw dog food business on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, received four investment offers, and left with a deal that helped change the course of our company.

Since then, lots of people have asked us what it was really like – how we applied, how we prepared, what happened behind the scenes, and what life was like once the cameras stopped rolling. So here’s the full story, from both of us: Dylan and Louise.

Jump to a section

• Why We Applied
• Preparing for the Den
• The Day of Filming
• The Waiting Game
• Life After the Den
• Our Advice to Future Entrepreneurs

Why We Applied

Like many people, we’d watched Dragons’ Den for years. It’s one of those shows you can’t help but admire. The businesses are real, the questions are tough, and the reactions are genuine. We never set out thinking, “Let’s pitch to the Dragons” – but after a few nudges from friends and customers, we decided to give it a go. One evening, almost on a whim, Dylan filled out the application form online. We didn’t expect to hear anything.

But we did.

The call came a few weeks later. From that moment on, everything escalated.

Preparing for the Den

Once you’re selected, you go through a detailed process. You work with a researcher, submit financials, provide evidence to back up your claims, and prepare a word-perfect pitch. The BBC don’t script you, but they do make sure what you’re saying is factual. They want the pitches to stand up to scrutiny.

We were running the business full-time while preparing in secret. Rehearsals happened late at night. We practised answering every possible question, from gross margins and cash flow to sourcing, logistics and our plans for growth. At the same time, we had to make sure the business could survive if everything suddenly took off.

The Day of Filming

People often assume the pitch itself lasts a few minutes. In our case, we were in front of the Dragons for over two hours.

It’s a long, intense session. You arrive at the studio and wait. There are no clocks and no phones, so you have no idea when it’s your turn. For us, it was nearly ten hours before we were called through. By then, you’re running on adrenaline.

You stand in the lift, the doors open, and suddenly you’re there – lights, cameras, and five Dragons waiting in silence.

The pitch itself went smoothly. We’d rehearsed it to death. But the questions came thick and fast – every aspect of the business, every number, every assumption was challenged. And rightly so. They’re investing their own money and they want the full picture. Deborah Meaden asked about sustainability. Peter Jones wanted to know about scalability. Every Dragon brought a different angle.

Only 18 minutes of our pitch made it to air. The other hour and forty-two minutes lives on the cutting room floor.

We were exhausted afterwards. Elated, too – we’d had four offers and walked away with a deal with Deborah. But you don’t leave the studio with a giant cheque. You leave with a handshake and a secret. You can’t tell anyone what happened. And then… you wait.

The Waiting Game

You don’t know when – or even if – your episode will air. For months, we carried on running the business, trying not to think about it. Eventually, we got the call. The episode was going live in two weeks. That’s when the real scramble began.

We’d planned a CrowdCube fundraising campaign to coincide with the broadcast. We’d built the landing page, prepared emails, lined up press releases. But we underestimated the response. We had to take the website offline for the duration of the episode because we knew it wouldn’t cope with the traffic spike. We replaced it with a single holding page that directed people straight to our campaign.

It worked. The response was phenomenal. People rushed to invest, orders flooded in, and our inbox exploded.

Life After the Den

When the show aired, everything changed. Sales jumped overnight. We had more publicity in 24 hours than we’d had in the previous six months. Retailers called. Investors reached out. People recognised us at events.

More importantly, the deal with Deborah helped sharpen our focus. She’s tough, practical and honest. She pushed us to refine our commercial model, strengthen our brand, and prepare for growth. The impact of that one appearance continues to this day.

Our Advice to Future Entrepreneurs

• Do it – but only if your business is ready for scrutiny and scale.
• Know your numbers inside out. You can’t bluff your way through this.
• Be prepared to explain the ‘why’ behind your brand, not just the what.
• Practice until your pitch is second nature – then get comfortable going off-script.
• Be genuine. The Dragons aren’t fooled by jargon or waffle.
• Expect the unexpected. You may only get a few minutes of airtime, but the impact can be enormous.

And if you’ve got a dog like Poppy, who’ll happily clean up any food dropped by a Dragon, bring them too.