On 8 April, co-founders of Genius Brewing, Jason Clarke and Charlie Craig, will face the formidable Dragons' Den panel in search of £120,000 of equity funding to grow their craft beer business.
Last year, filming of the long standing TV show, which will be shown on BBC 1, was interrupted by the global Covid-19 pandemic.
The Genius Brewing team were due to film Dragons' Den in Manchester in July but lockdown restrictions saw production postponed until September.
It was a nerve-wracking experience recalled Jason Clarke, who said: "As a former TV director, I wasn’t fazed by the filming environment but pitching to the Dragons is another matter.
"When the lift doors open and you’re suddenly faced by Peter, Deborah, Touker, Tej and Sara, the pressure is definitely on."
Charlie Craig, co-founder and the company’s Operations Director, knew that preparation was critical: "It’s well known the Dragons like to drill into your numbers and so we prep’d thoroughly; turnover, margins, you name it, and with the cameras rolling, and the Dragons firing questions left and right, there was certainly no place to hide."
Despite lockdowns and business closure, Genius Brewing had a resilient 2020 as they moved their business focus to ecommerce; launching on Amazon and selling direct via their own website.
Jason added: "2020 was a tough year for the industry.
"But with lockdowns now easing and the trend for healthier drinking growing strongly, we’re optimistic about 2021."
You can watch the Genius Brewing founders on BBC 1 at 8pm on Thursday 8 April.
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