Swindon & Wiltshire News
Swindon brewers with a difference showcased on Dragon’s Den
A Swindon company has showcased its beer with a difference on BBC TV show Dragon’s Den.
Neitiv, which was founded by husband and wife team Keeran and Vaani VetriKo, launched in 2021.
The company brews lager infused with coconut flower drops, and the range – a 1.5 per cent low alcohol sweet lager called Ninkasi, Menquet, a 2.0 per cent light lager, and a 4.0 per cent smooth lager called Dea Latis – are aimed at women consumers.
According to Neitiv, the vast majority of the 2,000 breweries in the UK aim their products at men. While 53 per cent of men drink beer, only 17 per cent of women do.
Neitiv’s low calorie, low alcohol beer aims to address perceptions about beer and beer consumers.
The product is also ethical and sustainable. Neitiv works with farmers and artisans in the UK and in communities in India and Vietnam, who are paid an ethical wage for their ingredients.
And the beers are sold in packs with scented candles and meditation guides. “We are promoting an experience,” Vaani told the Dragons. “Lighting up a candle, drink a beer and just chill.”
While the male Dragons – Peter Jones, Touker Suleyman and Steven Bartlett – were unconvinced by the pitch, Sara Davies – one of two females on the panel along with Deborah Meaden – said: “I think you’re absolutely on to something here. There’s huge growth at the drink at home beer market, phenomenal growth in meditation.”
But it was the price of the product that discouraged the Dragons. The Dragons decided that at £32 for eight beers – a not unreasonable £4 each – they would not be investing.
After broadcast, Keeran said: “Unlike other standard beers, we are using a unique ingredient, Coconut Flower Drops. CFD is produced in small batches working collaboratively with small farmers. Paying our farmers ethically is one of our key policies.
“The cost of being eco-friendly, ethical and quality is reflected on our pricing, also using aluminium bottle and ring cap contribute to the final product cost and price. To be honest, our profit margin in our beer is low, in the long run we may be able to increase profit margin based on a large quantity of sales.”
Still, the gamble may have paid off – millions of potential customers watched the pitch, and traffic to the Neitiv website increased ten-fold during the show.
Meanwhile, the brand won the Global Vegan Award at the LUXlife Global Vegan Awards 2021 and it has also been selected for the Global Incubator Programme for Agrifood Innovators.
Vaani said: “Since launching last year, we have been overwhelmed by the interest and support that has been shown towards our products and our ethos.
“Having the opportunity to appear on Dragons’ Den will be an experience that my husband Keeran and I will never forget and we’re extremely grateful to have had this opportunity to share our brand’s story with such a wide audience. As we look ahead to the next twelve months, we’re excited to introduce new coconut flower drops beverages to the UK market and we also look forward to extending our support for initiatives both here and abroad that help to empower all people to enjoy great tasting beer.”
The episode of Dragon’s Den is available to stream on BBC iPlayer at https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0013dg2/dragons-den-series-19-episode-2
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