Levi Roots sought £50,000 on Dragons' Den for 20% of Reggae Reggae Sauce.
That proposal valued the business at £250,000 before investment, using the standard equity calculation: £50,000 represented one-fifth of the company. The pitch became especially memorable because Roots presented the sauce with a song, linking the product to his musical persona and Caribbean heritage.
The offer was accepted by Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh, who agreed to invest jointly. Their involvement helped provide both capital and commercial guidance as the sauce moved from a small-scale product toward supermarket distribution. The exact terms of a televised deal can later change during due diligence, but the on-screen ask is the figure most commonly associated with the pitch.
A common mistake is to remember only the 20% equity figure and overlook the cash amount. Both figures are necessary to describe the proposal accurately: £50,000 was the requested investment, while 20% was the ownership share offered in return.