Our Client Doughboys Secured Investment On BBC Dragons’ Den

Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meadon is impressed with her slice. Like the other Dragons, she’s also heard the pitch and seen the projections. She offers £90k for 10%. 

Sarah Davies counters, but wants 15% of their business. 

Peter Jones shakes his head: “There is no way I can let this go to Deborah Meadon.” He makes his own offer.

Twins, Luke and Owen Buckmaster confer quietly at the back. They have their pick of three offers – three Dragons. They want Peter Jones. It’s on, it’s done and at 8:14pm they walk away with £90k to grow their business.

In 2020, these two 19-year-olds stood in their mum’s garage frantically packing pizzas. So how did these 24-year-old brothers persuade some of the most successful and demanding investors in the UK to part with their money?

Two brothers, one idea

Luke and Owen Buckmaster weren’t your typical overachievers. By their own admission, school wasn’t their thing. While their peers were fretting over A-levels, the Buckmaster twins were already looking for something else – something that felt meaningful, something they could build.

Leaving formal education, they took on apprenticeships. Luke explains: “I went to work in a kitchen to start earning money while studying part-time, Owen did an apprenticeship with a construction company product in management administration.”

While the roles gave them valuable skills and paid the bills, they quickly realised these careers didn’t fuel their ambition. Why, they wondered, should all their effort go into making someone else’s dream come true?

The lightbulb moment came during a trip to Italy. Inspired by the incredible pizzas they’d tasted and frustrated by the lack of authentic options in the UK, they had an idea: As Luke explains: “We wanted to bring genuine Italian pizzas, as you’d expect to be served in a pizzeria, to the UK but in a ready-made format.” It was bold, ambitious and completely untested, but no other company was doing this and Luke and Owen were determined. 

Pooling their savings – £10,000 each – they launched Doughboys Pizza in early 2020. The timing, as it turned out, couldn’t have been worse…

Growth, grit and a whole lot of pizza

Within weeks of their launch, the world shut down. 

For many, this would have meant the end. But Luke and Owen weren’t about to give up. Instead, they hustled. Doughboys Pizza went on ice and they took jobs at Tesco and M&S, keeping the business alive in the margins of their lives.

When COVID restrictions eased, they relaunched Doughboys Pizza from their mum’s garage, using overnight couriers to deliver pizzas directly to hospitality venues. It worked and demand skyrocketed, forcing them to move into a commercial space.

In 2021 things start to accelerate once again and they secure a spot in the finals of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2021. In 2022 they upgraded to a 4,000-square-foot warehouse, their pizza production scaled up and they began to make waves in the industry, 

In 2023, they launched their first retail range on Ocado and collaborated with the UK’s largest toy store to promote The Ninja Turtles movie.

Yet, for all their success, they knew they were reaching a turning point. They needed proper investment to take Doughboys to the next level. And to do that they needed pitch assets that would convince investors to invest.

That’s when they contacted Robot Mascot.

Preparing for investment

Working with the team at Robot Mascot, through our PitchReady package, the brothers ensured they were prepared in every possible way. From a meticulously crafted business plan and financial projections to a valuation report and a pitch deck that encapsulated their vision, our work wasn’t just about creating documents – it was about turning their raw potential into a compelling, investor-ready proposition.

1. Financials

One of the biggest areas we tackled was their financial projections. This wasn’t a case of just plugging in numbers; it required deep analysis and a clear understanding of their margins, which were a key area of concern. Doughboys had been producing a superior product but selling it at a price point lower than their competitors – great for market penetration, but less so for achieving the margins investors would expect. Through careful modelling and analysis, we worked closely with Luke and Owen to strike the right balance: maintaining an attractive price to drive growth while optimising margins to appeal to investors. It wasn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet – it was about aligning their pricing strategy with the long-term sustainability of their business.

2. The business plan

The business plan was another cornerstone of the preparation process. Our team challenged Luke and Owen to think differently about their approach. While they had already achieved something extraordinary – building a thriving brand as two young founders – the next step required a more robust and scalable model. The process pushed them to refine their strategy, turning them from two ambitious lads with a vision into entrepreneurs who truly understood the mechanics of building a high-growth enterprise.

3. The pitch deck

The pitch itself was where it all came together. Every slide in the deck was designed to tell a cohesive story: from their journey and achievements to the untapped potential of Doughboys Pizza. We highlighted their rapid growth, their unique product positioning (no one else was importing authentic Italian pizzas) and the huge market opportunity ahead. The valuation report provided clarity and confidence and the financial projections reinforced their credibility. Most importantly, we prepared them for investor scrutiny. We worked through the tough questions – the kind that could throw even seasoned entrepreneurs – and ensured they had the answers at their fingertips.

Thanks to this, when the time came for them to step into the Den, Luke and Owen weren’t just ready; they were a force to be reckoned with. They had the data, the strategy, and the confidence to impress not only the Dragons but also secure an investment that would take Doughboys Pizza to the next level.

Enter the dragons

Later in 2024, the brothers were invited to appear on Dragon’s Den. And they were ready.

When Luke and Owen accepted the offer to pitch to the dragons, they knew it was more than just an opportunity to secure funding – it was a rare chance to present Doughboys Pizza on the national stage. The stakes were enormous: there was the potential to supercharge their business, but it might also expose gaps that could set them back.

Walking into the Dragon’s Den studio is, by all accounts, a nerve-shredding experience. The boys said: “Our Dragon’s Den debut was like stepping into a pizza oven – hot, intense and absolutely terrifying.”

Their pitch, however, was a triumph. With characteristic charm and a dash of humour, they told their story, weaving in the highs and lows of their journey with the kind of authenticity that can’t be faked. They outlined their vision for Doughboys Pizza’s future – expanding their retail presence, diversifying their range and growing their DTC pizza kit operation.

The Dragons were hooked. Compliments came thick and fast from all five Dragons, three made offers. In the end, it was Peter Jones who secured the deal, investing £90,000 for a 10% stake in the business. Jones said he believed in their ability to scale without losing the heart of what made Doughboys Pizza special.

You can watch the episode on BBC iPlayer.

For the Buckmasters, the deal wasn’t just about the money. It was validation. After years of sacrifice, sleepless nights and relentless hustle, they’d proved that their dream wasn’t just viable – it was worth betting on.

Beyond the Den: building on success

Since launching in 2020, the business has sold more than two million pizzas and generated combined revenues of more than £2.6m, with forecasts to turn over a further £1.8m this year.

With Peter Jones on board, Doughboys Pizza is set to accelerate its growth. They’re expanding their product range and have new pizzas in development with plans to crack the meal kit category. Their retail footprint is growing, with conversations already underway with major UK supermarkets.

Today they supply thousands of hospitality venues across the UK, have a retail range in Ocado and have won more than six awards. Despite their success, the brothers remain as hands-on as ever, whether it’s designing trade show stands or experimenting with new recipes. Their ethos hasn’t changed: quality first, always.

Lessons from the Doughboys story

So, what might other entrepreneurs learn from Luke and Owen’s journey? 

1. Success doesn’t come without grit
2. Never underestimate the importance of preparation. The difference between a good pitch and a great one often comes down to the finer details – the kind we helped the Doughboys perfect before they stepped into the Den.
3. Their story is a reminder that ambition and authenticity can go hand in hand. Luke and Owen didn’t set out to build a business just for the sake of it. They had a vision, a product they genuinely believed in and a willingness to share their story – warts and all.

Looking to the future

As for what’s next, the Buckmasters have no plans to slow down. They’re eyeing further retail expansion, a push into international markets and even more innovative collaborations. Their dream of making Doughboys Pizza a household name feels within reach – and with Peter Jones in their corner, the odds are stacked in their favour.

And it’s been a privilege to be part of Luke and Owen’s journey. Helping them prepare for pitching wasn’t just about creating a deck or running through numbers. It was about helping two young entrepreneurs tell their story in a way that resonated – and watching them succeed has been nothing short of inspiring.

If you’re a founder with a vision, we’d love to help you write the next chapter of your own story. Like Doughboys Pizza, your dream could be bigger than you realise.