Levi Roots asked for £50,000 on Dragon's Den in exchange for 20% of his sauce business.
Roots pitched his Reggae Reggae Sauce to the dragons in 2007. The presentation became one of the programme's most memorable success stories because the sauce moved from a small entrepreneurial idea into a widely recognised food brand.
The pitch led to an agreement with Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh. The investment gave Roots access not only to capital but also to commercial guidance and distribution opportunities. Reggae Reggae Sauce was subsequently developed into the central product of the Caribbean food company later known as Reggae Reggae Foods.
People sometimes remember the pitch as a simple £50,000-for-20% deal without considering the wider business story. The important point is that the televised proposal concerned a specific equity stake in the sauce business, while the company's later growth involved retail expansion, additional products and brand development.