With Axel Schulz at the grill, three founders pitch their grill board at DHDL – but in the end the deal falls through.
This episode of The Lion’s Den was literally about the sausage. The founders Enrico Krüger (50), Udo Mammone (38) and Tim Gollenstede (40) presented their product Butjer – The Grill Board. They had prominent support from former boxer Axel Schulz, who personally turned the sausages on the grill. The three founders offered the lions 100,000 euros for their company for 15 percent of the company shares.
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The grill board is intended to serve as a 6-in-1 tool. It is supposed to combine heat protection, turner, sausage scoop, steak hook, rust cleaner and beer opener in one device. The idea came about at a barbecue event that Axel Schulz was booked for. However, barbecue utensils were missing on site. The three founders happened to walk by, Schulz spoke to them and asked if they had anything with them. The answer: a grill board. As he later says, that “helped him out of trouble.” From the improvised solution, the founders later developed a product made of solid wood with a stainless steel blade that is intended to take on several functions on the grill.
The founders have been on the market with the product for around three months. So far, sales have primarily been made directly to end customers, among friends and acquaintances, and through word of mouth – there is no online shop at the time of recording. The planned retail price is 24.95 euros. The first production batch comprised 2,500 boards and generated sales of around 41,000 euros. “I don’t just like the product, the three guys are sensational,” explained Schulz. “You can celebrate with those who are strong on the glass. You have fun doing it.”
Test on the grid
During the pitch, Carsten Maschmeyer and Janna Ensthaler tried out the product directly on the grill. The steak hook briefly fell out, which Judith Williams commented with an “Oh”. Frank Thelen was skeptical: “The use of steak is no fun at all, I’m afraid of hurting myself. That’s not my market, so I’m out of it.” Williams added: “It’s hard to value something where there’s no history. I don’t think there’s a market for it and that’s why I’m out.” Ensthaler makes it short and painless: “Guys, great, but not my thing.”
From the boxing ring to the grill
Ralf Dümmel praised Schulz as the face of advertising, but noted that his own range covered similar products and withdrew. Meanwhile, Schulz provided some humorous moments. Dümmel asked: “Your greatest success, was that losing the fight against George Foreman?” Schulz grinned: “I would say yes.”
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In the end there was no deal, so the four men left the cave as poor sausages. Schulz said goodbye with the words: “I’m going to go and beat them up. Head up, beer, get out.”
