Two brothers whose healthy ice cream idea was rejected by Dragons’ Den investors have gone on to turn their company into a multimillion pound business.
The Oppo Brothers ice cream brand appeared on the show in 2016 with brothers Charlie and Harry asking for a £60,000 for a seven percent stake in their health-conscious sweet treats.
They pitched their low-calorie ice creams to the dragons but the investors gave their frozen products a cold reception.
Nick Jenkins told them it was difficult to get into the food sector and decided that the investment was “too risky” for him.
Touker Suleyman told them they didn’t exactly look the part as they looked “like a pair of estate agents” in their suits, with Harry later saying they should have gone for something that better suited their brand.
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But the ice cream business has gone on to become a global success, rapidly tripling its value to an estimated £85.7million.
They ran a crowdfunding campaign in 2015 which raised funds above their target, with the owners of Capri-Sun buying out all the shareholders.
The soft drinks brand is now the majority shareholder for the Oppo Brothers business. Harry told The Mirror of his experience in the Den: “They [the Dragons] said they really liked the product and said it tasted great but it was just too much of a risk.
“They just get hung up on the numbers, saying you can’t grow that much that fast. In the end they just said it’s too much of a risk as Deborah Meadon had actually invested in an ice cream company before and they aren’t around anymore. She said, ‘I’m out’ because of that. For the others, it was just too high a risk.”
In 2017, the company expanded into Ireland and the Netherlands, and also started selling its ice cream in Sainsbury’s. They now sell in other major supermarkets, including Tesco and Morrisons.
The brand boasts a large range of ice cream tubs and ice cream stick products with indulgent flavours including salted caramel, double chocolate brownie and strawberry cheesecake.
They also sell ice cream balls, small chocolate-coated ice cream treats, with flavours including chocolate hazelnut.
Tennis favourite Andy Murray has even invested in the ice cream brand, after enjoying a sample.
Harry said their appearance on Dragons’ Den provided a huge boost in showcasing their business to the nation.
He said: “It really gave us a great boost of awareness and people were buying us in Waitrose.
“I think we were the sixth most searched-for term on Google UK for a short period of time after it aired which was very positive.
“I don’t regret going on there at all. I think it’s the most nervous I’ve ever been but it was worth it. It was a good experience, but it’s definitely a show that is packaged for entertainment above actual business.
“We got massive amounts of exposure. Don’t get me wrong, it would have been great to get an offer. But we’re still here, many years later and have grown a lot.”
Dragons’ Den is available to view on BBC iPlayer.
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