A LACK of an appetite from the Dragons to tackle early stage debt amassed by Grimsby's Scrubbys Crisps' founders hasn't deterred the husband and wife team behind the brand.
Claire and John Brumby are preparing to launch in 275 Waitrose stores next month, having just endured a rigorous due-diligence mauling played out before millions on their fledgling company.
And despite revealing on BBC2's Dragons' Den how £145,000 has been sunk into the business, yet Claire has been forced to take a job to keep money coming into support the family of five, they did receive a partial offer from Duncan Bannatyne.
But it became a head-over-hearts decision for his celebrity colleagues as £75,000 was sought for 15 per cent of the business, despite unanimous approval of the product itself.
Bannatyne himself turned the conversation from the unique selling points of lower temperature frying, Great Taste Awards and Coolbrand status to the raw financials, hearing how first part year saw £20,000 turnover, followed by £75,000 in 2013 and a predicted £320,000 for this financial year.
Quizzing the Europarc-based pair on investments already made, he was told how they had put £20,000 in, with £15,000 from the mortgage of their Elsham home and a £5,000 grant from family.
Pressed further it was revealed they owned 75 per cent of the business, with a further £50,000 investment from two private businessmen, then loans from regional business support bodies of £60,000 from the Acorn Fund in February 2012, and a further £15,000 from Finance Yorkshire.
Asked how they were surviving now, again by Bannatyne, the polished pitch became a personal tale of struggle to make Scrubbys work.
"To be completely honest with you, about three or four weeks ago we hit the wall, I had to take a job, but we haven't given up, hence being stood here today," Claire told, with stiff upper lip.
Picking up on a pained expression, Peter Jones said: "It is written all over Claire's face. It has taken you to the edge hasn't it. You've gone back to work to support your family.
"You've got a dream you've got a business but you're broke."
Agreeing throughout his assessment, she managed: "(we've got) three children, you've got to haven't you," before John hold how early stage personal debt had meant bank funding hadn't been possible.
"We are not going to give in, we are going to build the brand, it is going to be a fantastic brand," added Claire.
Prior to the finance firestorm, Deborah Meaden drew focused on competition, asking what other products were out there, while Kelly Hoppen flagged up the enormity of a marketing budget to get to the point where they could be on a level playing field with the less healthy alternatives.
Piers Linney thought the opportunity had already passed due to the packed market place, and was the first to declare his hand, despite stating the product was "very nice actually" in the opening exchanges.
He said: "It is quite hard, whether this is a business I want to invest as opposed to help someone with personal finances.
"I still think the ship has sailed slightly on this one and don't think it will scale the way you think it might. I'm out."
Meaden followed: "I see pressure on this business from every single side. As a business decision I won't be making you an offer, so I'm out."
Then came the relief from Bannatyne, who had already said they had "done very well" when hearing of the listings at Ocado and the pending Waitrose supply.
"It is a huge risk here for an investor so I'm not going to risk £75,000, but I am going to make you an offer. I am going to offer you half of the money, £37,500 for 12.5 per cent."
Den rules meant a second dragon had to come on board for this offer to be realised.
Hoppen said: "Half of me is sitting here with my heart, then there is the business side of me. But I can't sit in this chair and make a commitment to you that I can make this work if I don't honestly think I can. So it is with sadness, but I'm afraid I'm out."
With just Jones, left, a glimmer of hope emerged as he asked Bannatyne how hard he'd work on it, with Claire chipping in that they would do all the work, but Jones, said: "I'm sorry, I can't do it. It would be really wrong of me, going against everything that's right in my own business head about a business deal. Unfortunately I'm out."
Then as the spotlight returned to Bannatyne, the dragon opportunity crumbled completely, with the leisure entrepreneur deciding against upping his own offer, stating he let his head rule rather than heart, adding the other dragons were right.
Leaving the den, John said: "I thought initially our passion and drive did come across. It is disappointing not to have crossed the line."
Claire added: "We are going to launch with the listings we have got. It is a shame we have not got a Dragon to do that with, however we will get through."
Two more product launches for the year ahead were mentioned in the pitch. Dragons Den, season 12, episode one, featuring Scrubbys Vegetable Crisps, is repeated tonight at 11.20pm, on BBC2.
