Built our supermarket sauce brand from mum's kitchen after banks said no' - AOL

Jaydon Manders, 23, and his 31-year-old brother Brendon have built Lumberjaxe from just £100 each in their mother’s kitchen in the West Midlands, and now their seasonings and sauces are stocked by major UK retailers including Asda, Aldi, Selfridges and Ocado. The brothers’ rise accelerated after they appeared on Dragon’s Den, broadcast in February 2025, where Good American co-founder Emma Grede invested £90,000 for a 20% stake. But they faced a cash-flow crunch when banks refused to back them after landing an Aldi deal to supply 80,000 units across 1,050 stores. They later secured a £100,000 funding facility from alternative lenders, BCRS Business Loans and the Community Investment Enterprise Fund.