In case you missed it, Kath bravely appeared on BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den seeking investment to help develop BeeBee Wraps further.
SPOILER ALERT below!
The response we've had so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Clearly, we're all asking the same questions - what can we use instead of single-use plastic!?
Even Peter Jones has them at home covering his dinner...
"The one that Deborah's got there, I've got at home...I've got one and I love it"
Peter Jones, Dragons' Den
We are so happy to hear that the Business Titan, Peter Jones, loves our wraps!
There was a lot covered in The Den and, although it was disappointing to not receive investment, the feedback we received from the Dragons is invaluable.
We want to respond so you know we take it seriously and are acting on the Dragons' advice.
The smell of the wraps is different to Deborah's homemade version.
We have changed the ingredients and then tested the smell of the wraps. What we found is that the beeswax makes the difference to the smell and not actually the resin.
We batch code every single pack so know where every ingredient originated. We now know that the wraps that appeared in the Den were made using wax from beehives located around heather on heath land. We noticed this carried a much more astringent aroma than beeswax from hives near for example rapeseed or wildflowers.
BeeBee Wraps are a natural product that relies on natural ingredients and so there will be some variation in scent and colour. Having said that, the honey scent of our wraps tends to get a hugely positive reaction from customers. When out at stalls people always rush over exclaiming at how wonderful it smells! We understand that for some people, the fragrance isn’t for everyone so, if you’re sensitive to it, we recommend washing the wraps a few times with cold soapy water and the smell should diminish.
Your margins are not healthy enough and you won't make any money.
Our business is a social venture and run to benefit the environment and people. We care about creating a financial viable business so we can achieve our the environmental impact that sits at our core, benefit our shareholders and reward our staff.
We realised we needed to make some cost savings to maintain a healthy margin. Our production processes have been reviewed and streamlined, we have reviewed our supply chain to ensure we order above the price breaks to benefit from the discounts available and we are looking at further ways to cut out laborious aspects of the manufacturing process.
Ultimately, the advice Kath received from the Dragons was invaluable and very welcome.
Photo of beehives sent to us by David, one of our Beekeepers, near Aberystwyth
There are other, bigger producers doing what you do, globally.
Globally, there are other producers, specifically in North America and the Southern Hemisphere. However, there has been no standout producer in the UK or Europe until now. People are looking for new ways to reduce their single-use plastic footprint and are asking for a UK-based, ethically-minded producer.
Additionally, we are the UK based market leaders, not least because we scaled early as demand started to rise, but also because of our philosophy to make a design-led product that stands proud alongside other great brands. No compromise. We aim to stay ahead by continually innovating, being led by and leading consumers to the next planet-saving solution.
What's next for BeeBee Wraps?
Although we didn’t receive investment, the experience so far has been extremely positive and we hope that, if nothing else, the exposure will help to spread the word of our cling film alternative to a new audience.
In the time since filming took place BeeBee Wraps has grown further, we have signed a contract with Green Pioneer to distribute our products across Europe, we've outgrown BBHQ and are moving to premises twice the size, and we are working with Abel & Cole and Milk & More to deliver BeeBee Wraps to doorsteps across the UK.
Team BeeBee is really proud of Kath, her courage is inspiring and it is this determination which has got us to where we are today.
Here’s to the next chapter of BeeBee - and we'll be back to show Deborah Meaden we were always here to disrupt the market!
Stay tuned for Kath's own blog on the Dragons' Den experience, due out tomorrow, and where she sees BeeBee Wraps going next!
Hi Kath – I watched last night with great interest. We have been selling beeswax wraps of various makes and brands since last Christmas at our pop up shop. We’ve done about 15 events, and the feedback is always the same! Some are straight in there and buy them at whatever cost already sold and familiar, and others need convincing of the purchase, and perhaps have never heard of them. We therefore carry several different types at different price points, and also make our own as they are the cheapest. I think that more and more larger retailers will carry them, but it is us small retailers on the ground, particularly at markets and events, who try and educate the public and create the demand. We get a lot of people saying, yes we’ve seen them in Waitrose, but they are so expensive!! I think your product ticks all the boxes in terms of quality and design, but some customers still need to be persuaded to invest in any reusables – that is what we are trying to do. All very interesting. We are really looking forward to selling your product. We were looking specifically for a high quality UK producer and we think the demand will grow. Thanks for everything. Heidi from Waste Not Want Not Living