Eyes across the country were glued to their TV screens as two old friends and entrepreneurs Nick Johnson (99-10) and Nick Graham (05-09), pitched their award-winning, premium and sustainable drinks, Berczy, to the fiercest of audiences, The Dragons. The OBs set up a hard seltzer brand – a category made famous in the US – and produce a low calorie, low sugar alcoholic sparkling water, flavoured with real fruit that is making a wave over here in the UK.
They had great feedback from all the Dragons, including Sara Davies, who declared that the entrepreneurs had, “credibly explained that this will be the next big thing” and Peter Jones, who stated, “the product is wonderful!”. Steven Bartlett even acknowledged that Berczy may be the one that got away, lamenting “I feel like I may regret that” in deciding not to invest in the fast-growing business.
It looked as though the Dragons might regret letting them go, but what exactly have the entrepreneurs been up to since their performance?
“It was an incredible experience, one that we will never forget and we couldn’t have been happier with the feedback”, he added “the reception from new and current customers has been incredible, the days following the episode have been challenging as we’ve worked hard to keep up with the extra demand, but I guess that’s a great problem to have!”.
Since the show aired, Berczy has continued to grow in the UK and can now be found across some of the UK’s best outlets, including Planet Organic, and 100s of independents across the country. They recently won a huge listing to launch in 100 RedCat pubs in April with a new distribution partner, and already have a great presence across citizenM Hotels.
Nick Graham adds, “We are now calling on the UK’s biggest retailers to get Berczy into their stores, there is clearly a customer demand for Berczy and the feedback from the Dragons puts us in a fantastic position to become the best-known brand in the category”.
Despite missing out on investment in the den, the entrepreneurs have since raised an additional £400,000 from five new angel investors to help them move into the US market, a strategic mission revealed in the den. Berczy will launch across New Jersey this April with signed distribution agreements, listing with some of the biggest retail partners in the area.
Not satisfied with stopping just there, Berczy has ambitious plans to launch in the Netherlands, France, and Cyprus over the coming months as interest in the fast-growing category gains traction!
Over the months since they filmed the episode, Berczy also launched a category first winter flavour – Winter Cola – made with a mix of kola nut and subtle notes of lime, a nostalgic blast from the past. They think the Dragons could have liked this flavour even more!
Will this indeed be one that got away from the Dragons? Two keen entrepreneurs certainly think so.
Nick and Nick are now looking for potential investors and/or Non-Executive Directors to join them on the next part of their journey. If you feel you would be suited for the role or would like to find out more, please get in touch with Nick Graham at nickgraham@berczydrinks.com.
For more information on Berczy visit: www.berczydrinks.com
