Dragons’ Den: Where to buy botanical skincare supplements, play wizard golf and more
We also saw a personalised chocolate shop company and a Grip and Glow skincare brand for pole fitness fans
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Your support makes all the difference.The entrepreneurs have been on a roll in recent weeks, and tonight’s episode of Dragons’ Den continued the upward momentum. While just two out of the four founders secured the backing of a dragon tonight, a third magical duo could have conjured up £200,000, if they hadn’t rejected the offer.
The York-based founders of a wizard-themed ‘Hole in Wand’ mini golf attraction were offered all of the money from Peter Jones, but the equity Jones had asked for had the pair hopping on their brooms and waving goodbye. The long-standing staple of the show did, however, still find a different business to invest in tonight.
Caroline Sims’ vegan supplements business Botanycl managed to score four different offers this week, with two dragons coming on board, including Jones. We also saw the founders of a personalised chocolate startup, aimed at influencers, walk out of the den with an injection of cash from Sara Davies.
Lastly, there was Lisa Hickey, the founder of a pole fitness skincare brand called Grip and Glow. Though the dragons loved the branding, Hickey struggled with her numbers and was the first entrepreneur not to secure a deal.
In any case, whether you’re interested in potions or supplements, here’s where you can buy all of the products seen in tonight’s episode.
Botanycl skin clear elixir plant-based supplements: £24.95, Botanycl.co.uk
It was an anxious time in the den for nervy founder Caroline Sims, who came to pitch her plant-based supplement brand Botanycl. But it turns out she had nothing to worry about. The dragons were enamoured with Sims’s product and her journey to get there, with four dragons offering up their cash. Ultimately, it was the now all-too-familiar combo of Peter Jones and Steven Bartlett that won out.
Launched in 2018, Botanycl is a plant-based supplements business that was started after Sims’s battle with bad skin in her early 20s. The flagship product is the skin clear elixir, made from herbs and plant-based vitamins and antioxidants, with zero synthetic fillers and chemicals to be found.
Botanycl claims to clear skin by tackling androgen hormones, said to be the most common cause of skin blemishes in women. The elixir is made from saw palmetto berries (which Botanycl says have the ability to balance androgen hormones), as well as coconut oil and sunflower oil. The supplement also includes acerola cherries, a natural source of vitamin C for collagen formation, and natural mixed carotenoids, a source of vitamin A.
Skin clear elixir comes in bottles of 60 capsules, lasting a month, and can be purchased from Botanycl directly (£24.95, Botanycl.co.uk) or from Amazon (£24.95, Amazon.co.uk), Superdrug (£24.95, Superdrug.com) and Holland & Barrett (£24.99, Hollandandbarrett.com). While Botanycl says men can take the supplement too, it is currently working on a formulation specifically for men.
Read more: Best probiotic and prebiotic supplements for gut health
The Hole in Wand wizard golf and The Potions Cauldron: Theholeinwand.com
Director of wizardry Phil Pinder wasn’t joking when he said his and chief enchantment officer Ben Fry’s wizarding company was complicated to understand. But while the dragons enjoyed the wizardry concept, asking for £200,000 was a difficult pill to swallow… although, not for Peter Jones, who offered the money only to have his offer turned down.
Fry and Pinder have two witchy businesses (launched in 2019) rolled into one. There’s the Potions Cauldron, which sells wizard-themed drinks online and in their shop in York’s Shambles, then there’s Hole in Wand – wizard-themed mini golf attractions with locations in York and Blackpool with another planned for Edinburgh.
Golfers can play one nine-course round of wizard golf and receive one potion drink starting from just £6.99 per person, with maximum group sizes of six wizards. Hopefully you’ll find the gargoyle Grobblenook by the end of the round. Along the way, there are bubbling cauldrons, magical portals, a giant picture frame where you become part of the painting, and spell-casting.
If you’d prefer to sit back with a potion, The Potions Cauldron sells alcoholic options, including whizardky, wizard cream, spellbound butterscotch beer and non-alcoholic cauldron cola and butterscotch beer. You can buy the drinks online or at the York Shambles magical apothecary. There is also a cauldron experience available to book.
Read more: The best Virgin experience days to get excited about
My Chocolate Shop: Mychocolateshop.co.uk
Chocolate always goes down well in the den, and it did so again this week. Just when it looked like Steve Victor and Hamza Shah’s personalised chocolates business for influencers was about to melt under the pressure as the dragons pulled out one by one, Sara Davies swooped in with an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Launched in 2021, My Chocolate Shop helps influencers launch their own chocolate brands and products with their own online shops. The company helped Gemma Collins launch Diva Chocolate, which sells chocolate bars and truffles, as well as Sidemen’s Easter egg as seen in the episode.
If you’re a fan of the Sidemen YouTube channel, you can get the SDMN Easter egg from the YouTuber’s online store (Was £12, now £8, Sidemenclothing.com). And if you’re interested in the Ramadan chocolate advent calendar (from £5, Ramadanchocolate.com), that’s available to buy, too.
Visit the My Chocolate Shop website now
Read more: Best Easter eggs of 2023, taste-tested
Grip and Glow pole fitness skincare: Gripandglow.co.uk
While the dragons were impressed with pole fitness entrepreneur Lisa Hickey’s Grip and Glow skincare brand, it was her limited grasp of the business’s numbers that were her downfall, though they did admire and respect Hickey’s honesty.
Launched in 2020 as a homework project with Hickey’s kids during lockdown, Grip and Glow has blossomed into an entire skincare and body recovery fitness brand. The flagship product is the body grip, which is designed for pole-fitness-goers to improve their grip during training or performances. The body glow is a non-sticky moisturiser for everyday use, and the body rehab range includes gels and scrubs to aid recovery.
The body grip comes in a range of different scents: coming up roses, feelin’ peachy, gaga for grapefruit, if you like pina colada, and totally beachin. They all cost £19. Grip and Glow also sells the body grip and body glow in a bundle for £32.
Read more: Best moisturisers for sensitive skin
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