When every member of the BBC's Dragons' Den panel says an invention is rubbish, most people scurry off back to their day jobs, vowing never to come up with a silly idea again.But James Nash refused to give up on his dream and he is having the last laugh as Marks & Spencer struggle to keep up with demand for his 'cup-a-wine' concept.
Mr Nash's invention – a single-serve plastic glass of French wine with a tear-off lid – solves the problem of feeling like a glass of wine but not having a glass or a corkscrew.
Mr Nash first took the idea to BBC's Dragons Den last year only for it to be rejected out of hand. He asked the Dragons - Peter Jones, Theo Paphitis, Duncan Bannatyne, James Caan and Deborah Meaden - for £250,000 for a 25per cent stake in his business, Wine Innovations Ltd.
However, they gave him a torrid grilling and bowed out because they were unconvinced anyone would be interested. Duncan Bannatyne was particularly dismissive, saying: 'People don't want to buy wine in plastic glasses like that with a seal on top. For that reason, I'm out.'
The 187ml glasses equate to about a quarter of a bottle of wine, which adds up to 2.25 units and below the drink drive limit for most people of 3 units. They are bigger serving than the traditional small - 125ml - and medium -175ml - offered by most pubs and bars. However, they do not match the 250ml large glasses now offered by many wine bars.
The new M&S Le Froglet wine individual glasses, which each cost £2.25 for a Shiraz, Rose and Chardonnay, were launched just last week and the store has found they quickly sell out. The website cluelessaboutwine.co.uk said shoppers seem excited about the concept. 'Judging by the buzz in the shop I suspect that these may well be a hit,' it said. 'They look so off the wall that curiosity will force a purchase and then good old bourgeois convenience will take over.'
'This is a new idea, and what it does have the ability to do is to give the consumer a realistic portion, a more manageable drinking quantity which saves you spoiling a whole bottle for a glass. 'It also provides you with a nice collection of plastic picnic glasses. 'It does change the perception of wine, and could make a 'ready meal for one' a richer experience.'
However, the website did point out that the extra convenience does come at a price. If the same wine was bought in a full 75cl bottle the price comes to £5.49 versus £9 for the equivalent amount in four of the new packs. Mr Nash, who is based in Surrey, said: 'It was disheartening to be dismissed by all the Dragons, but I knew I had a great concept which would work in outdoor events, BBQ, picnics, concerts and wouldn't give up.
'I'm really looking forward to facing the Dragons again as 'the one that got away'. Hopefully sales of the product will show that they're not always right.'
An M&S spokesman said: 'The glasses are merchandised in our 'Food on the Move' section, which is obviously the aisle people on the go head to - particularly office workers. 'We think that they are proving popular with people who want to perhaps enjoy the summer with a glass of wine in the park as part of an impromptu picnic - either after work or for a relaxing lunch. 'They are also popular with commuters who want to enjoy a drink on the train home from work to wind down. We have found that they are very popular in locations popular with tourists.'
The M&S winemaker, Belinda Kleinig, said: 'This is a really exciting step for M&S – our research has shown that our customers really like the greater convenience of lighter weight bottles so we thought we’d take it one step further with great quality wine ready to drink from a glass.'
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