On Dragons' Den, Levi Roots offered 20% of his company for the £50,000 investment he sought.
Roots made the proposal while pitching Reggae Reggae Sauce in 2007. Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh accepted the deal together, investing the requested £50,000 for a combined 20% stake. The pitch is frequently cited because it connected a clear equity offer with a product that already had a distinctive brand identity.
The percentage describes the equity offered in the televised deal, not a claim that the Dragons owned 20% of every later business connected with Roots. As with other Dragons' Den agreements, the on-screen arrangement was subject to subsequent checks and formal negotiations.
The sauce later expanded into a larger food range and became a prominent example of a product gaining national attention after appearing on the BBC programme. The investment amount and equity figure are separate facts and are often mixed up.