In May, Wirral-based Drew Cockton secured £50,000 via BBC’s Dragons’ Den for his Owen Drew fragrance business and now he is expanding to start selling wine. Tony McDonough reports

A Merseyside fragrance entrepreneur who secured £50,000 via BBC’s Dragons’ Den is expanding his business to start selling wine.

Drew Cockton founded Owen Drew five years ago. His Wirral-based venture offers offers scented candles, luxury soaps, perfumes, bath oils and other home fragrance and bath and body products.

The idea for the business came when Drew noticed how mass produced-candles could damage walls and furniture in the home as they burned. He began making his own candles, sourcing vegan soy wax and blending it with essential oils to produce his own fragranced candles. He sold to friends and family and then at craft fairs. 

Demand for his products have come from all over the world and in May, Drew appeared on the BBC2 show, Dragons’ Den. One of the Dragons, retail magnate Touker Suleyman, was so impressed he offered £50,000 for a 30% equity stake in Owen Drew.

Drew impressed the Dragons by discussing his previous mental health issues. He explained why these were the driving force behind the creation of his business and why the concept of wellness is so important to him.

Buoyed by the new investment Drew is now expanding the the business to offer his customers a Provence rosé wine cultivated at an independent winery called Domaine Fredavelle in the South of France. 

“A dry Provence rosé, this wine is a delicate and balanced blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, which are harvested by night to maintain their freshness, discernible in the drinking experience,” said Drew.

“Having spent months diligently researching the world’s best vineyards, I handpicked this independent, family-run winery as the our first partner in viticulture. What’s more, they’re certified by Eacocert as a vineyard which uses environmentally-friendly practices to cultivate their grapevines, with their produce on the path to becoming fully organic.

“The vines are planted deep within a clay and limestone soil just outside picturesque Aix-en-Provence, ground once covered by a warm, shallow sea, paving way for today’s rich and fertile terrain. The Mistral breeze brings freshness inland from the Mediterranean, creating the perfect environment for the cultivation of a light, summery wine.”

The pale pink rosé wine is delivered inside a gold-foiled gift bag, making it an ideal gift. Drew says it fits in perfectly with his range of luxury candles, offering a “a full and enveloping sensory experience”.