A Wiltshire business owner is set to brave the Dragons’ Den when she appears on the hit BBC show.
Amelia Gammon, the owner of Bide Planet, will appear on BBC One at 8pm on Thursday, January 26, when she will pitch her business to the dragons.
Mrs Gammon, from Pewsey, is seeking investment for Bide Planet, a for-profit social enterprise that has given marginalised people the opportunity to manufacture eco-friendly cleaning products from their own homes since June 2020.
While Mrs Gammon can’t yet reveal if she secured the money she was looking for, she is excited about the exposure for her business and the benefits that could bring.
She said: “When they told me that they’d never had a social enterprise like us on the show before I realised that this was a unique opportunity for us to get in front of lots of people.
“This is going to be absolutely vital because we don’t have a marketing budget and we can’t compete with some of the bigger greenwashing brands that are out there.
“The ability for us to be on a mainstream TV channel during primetime is going to be invaluable to us.”
Many contestants have cracked under the pressure of the dragons’ interrogation and Mrs Gammon now knows why.
“I’ve always watched that TV show and wondered why people are so nervous and stand there sweating and stumbling over their words”, she said.
“When I went in, I understood why. We filmed without pause and the questions lasted over two hours.
“The dragons ask really tough questions and don’t give you pause for thought, but once you actually go through the process they’re incredibly complimentary and supportive afterwards.
“It was really intense, but I just kept reminding myself that it wasn’t about me. The work that we’re doing is so important and that really helps.”
Bide planet gives people the training and resources to “turn their kitchen tables into mini factories” and works with organisations such as Working Chance and Breaking Barriers to give former prisoners and refugees an opportunity to enter the work force.
All the cleaning products the company produces are made with non-toxic, vegan ingredients and come in recyclable and compostable pouches that are handmade by local workers.
Their home manufacturing team covers the whole of the UK while some of their staff, who were previously cleaners that were furloughed during lockdown, run the company’s warehouse in Pewsey.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here