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Froglet succeeds where dragons fear to tread
An idea for wine in a glass, which was rejected on the television show Dragon’s Den, has seen unprecedented success on the shelves of Marks & Spencer.
The single serve 187ml plastic glasses with a tear-off lid, have been filled with three wines from Marks & Spencer’s Le Froglet range, a Shiraz, a rosé and a Chardonnay.
Retailing at £2.25 and positioned in the “Food on the Move’ aisle, a section popular with office workers, such is the popularity of the wines that M&S is reportedly struggling to keep up with demand.
A spokesperson for the chain told The Daily Mail: “They’re 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’re also popular with commuters who want to enjoy a drink on the train home from work to wind down. We’ve also found that they’re very popular in locations popular with tourists.”
The scheme’s creator, James Nash, presented his idea on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den programme last year.
The five Dragons; Peter Jones, Theo Paphitis, Duncan Bannatyne, James Caan and Deborah Meaden, rejected his proposal of £250,000 investment for a 25% stake in his idea, out of hand.
Bannatyne went so far as to say: “People don’t want to buy wine in plastic glasses like that with a seal on top.”
While the wine is proving popular, one blogger remained less than impressed, saying that the overall experience didn’t live up to expectations.
The top was hard to open and not a good seal for the wine, which apparently wasn’t much better either.
“It was horrendous,” they said. “Not balanced at all. Very rough on the palate not helped by the (abrasive) glass. I took a couple of sips and threw it down the sink.
“It is hands down the worst ever glass of wine I have ever drunk.”
The move is not the first such wine foray into the single serve wine-in-a-glass sector. Two years ago Echo Falls launched a red, white and rosé range for the catering and on and off-trade sectors.
Rupert Millar, 21.06.2010
I’m not so sure this idea would have gone anywhere base on the product itself. it s precisely [i]because[/i] it was on Dragon’s Den that the idea got traction and got onto the shelves of Marks & Spencer.
Once the novelty wears off, the question remains… were the Dragon’s right or wrong about the viability of the product long term?
That blogger’s review makes me think that the product is a short lived one, at least in its current form for the general audience.
Issamar Ginzberg
[url]www.issamar.com[/url]