A Manchester-based spirit brand was left disappointed last night after being brutally rejected on the BBC show Dragon’s Den.
German-born Manchester resident Max Ruether, who runs his moonshine business O’Donnell Moonshine out of the Northern Quarter, faced up to the five business moguls on Thursday – asking them for a £200,000 investment in exchange for a 5% equity share.
At first, things seemed to be going well. Max appeared in his bootlegger garb – flat cap, white shirt and braces – alongside multiple mason jars filled with different flavours of moonshine and everyone, bar Touker Suleyman, happily got stuck into the sampling.
Peter Jones was so enthusiastic, in fact, he was chugging the stuff straight from the bottle.
Image: O’Donnell Moonshine
But as the dragons started to dig into the figures, it soon became clear that all did not add up. The business was in debt to the tune of £870,000 and investment was only available in the UK arm of the company, not its more successful German parent.
ADVERTISEMENT
Commenting that the UK business had lost money over the past three years, Touker was the first to issue a brutal rejection – telling the Mancunian entrepreneur his valuation was “ridiculous” before asking “how much of that stuff have you drank?”
He continued, “I find amazing is that you come in here with a business that has a million euros in debt” before surmising it was overvalued, over-indebted, there were too many questions marks and too many doubts.
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: O’Donnell Moonshine
Up next, Peter Jones called the business ‘deflating and unexciting’ before announcing he, too, was out. Admitting he could have been a potential investor, he ultimately slammed Max saying “even if I drank everything that’s on this table here I’d still come to the same conclusion.”
Steven Bartlett and Deborah Meaden were quick to follow suit, with Meaden explaining “You’re a tiny shareholder… you’ve made it impossible for me to invest”.
As for Sara Davies, it seemed there could be a glimmer of hope as she enthused about how ‘cool’ the concept was but, ultimately, she opted out too.
ADVERTISEMENT
After the show, Max Ruether said: “Whilst it was disappointing not to have received investment, it’s important to pick out the positives from my experience on The Den.
“The feedback was really encouraging and tells me that the brand and products are absolutely on the right track.
“It’s certainly not the last you’ll hear of O’Donnell Moonshine. For us it’s only the beginning.”
Image: O’Donnell Moonshine
Founded in 2016, O’Donnell Moonshine takes its name from anti-hero Chicago bootlegger Edward ‘Spike’ O’Donnell – a bootlegger during the roaring twenties.
Inspired by the rebellion and inventiveness of the American prohibition era, where illegal alcohol was produced overnight by moonlight to avoid detection, O’Donnell Moonshine is sold in flavours including Tough Nut, Wild Berry, Sticky Toffee, and 72% ABV High Proof.
ADVERTISEMENT
Although none of the dragons invested in the business, they did seem impressed with the product.
In an additional comment following the show, Max Ruether said moonshine could overtake gin in popularity: “As consumers continue to grow more adventurous with their choice of spirit, we predict a Moonshine boom in the next three years, much like the gin boom. Moonshine really is the new gin!”
Feature image – O’Donnell Moonshine
News
More than £2 million in compensation received by underpaid workers in the North West
Danny Jones
More than £2 million is said to have been dished out in compensation to workers in the North West alone, as the UK government is continuing to crack down on employers underpaying their staff.
Employees from nearly 500 different companies across the region have received the money they owed following a raft of fines in excess of £2.7 million.
Covering the likes of Greater Manchester and beyond, the companies responsible have been revealed by the government as part of the new Fair Work Agency (FWA), which is tasked with shoring up workers’ rights moving forward.
The FWA is part of Labour’s wider ‘Plan For Change’, and hopes not only to correctly reimburse those short-changed but also, with the clear threat of swift action, deter others from trying to do the same in the future.
Matthew Taylor CBE has been appointed Chair of the Fair Work Agency, a new body that will transform how employment rights are enforced across the UK.
How? By tackling exploitation, supporting businesses doing the right thing, and helping to build a fairer labour market. pic.twitter.com/duEeNlwDHr
— Department for Business and Trade (@biztradegovuk) October 14, 2025
Released publicly last Friday, 17 October, 80 companies that failed to properly pay approximately 19,000 workers in and around the North West have now been repaid by their employers.
Perhaps most concerningly is that the fines sweep across multiple sectors and sizes, from local independents and SME to well-known high street brands.
From April 2026 onwards, the updated Employment Rights Bill (which also includes the FWA) grants more powers to tackle employers underpaying workers and failing to fulfil both holiday and sick pay.
This announcement also comes after the National Minimum Wage rate was increased earlier this year, with millions getting a pay rise and those working full-time on the National Living Wage seeing their families supported by an extra £1,400 per year.
Under the ‘Make Work Pay’ initiative set out by the Labour Party, more than 15 million Brits are expected to benefit from the new measures.
Overall, roughly £6 million has been put back into the pockets of underpaid workers up and down the country following these fines, which are said to have totalled roughly £10.2m. The full list of companies in question can be seen HERE.
Speaking on the news, Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden said: “This government is taking direct action to ensure workers get every penny they’ve earned, and to put an end to bad businesses undercutting good ones.
“We’re proud to have delivered a strong minimum wage, and enforcing it thoroughly is crucial in our mission to put pounds back in your pocket. I know this news will be welcomed by brilliant businesses across the country, those who know that happy, well-paid staff are at the heart of building a successful company.
“With our new Fair Work Agency and the coming Employment Rights Bill, this government is keeping our promise to Britain to make work pay again.”
If you fear you might be suffering from underpayment by your employer, you can check that your wages are correct online; alternatively, you can call the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 or contact their website for more information right HERE.
342 arrests made in Piccadilly Gardens since start of GMP’s pledge to ‘improve’ public safety
Emily Sergeant
More than 300 people have been arrested in Piccadilly Gardens since the police pledged to ‘improve’ the perception of the area.
A dedicated neighbourhood policing team that was set up by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) back in March to tackle issues and concerns in Piccadilly Gardens, and ultimately improve the public’s sense of safety, has seen a total of 342 arrests since its inception.
The City Centre Piccadilly Gardens neighbourhood policing team – which is led by Chief Inspector Michael Tachauer – works together with partners, including Manchester City Council, to tackle these problems with long-term solutions.
Following the team’s success since it started, GMP will now continue to build on the foundations of its problem-solving approach to address some of the most prevalent issues.
According to police, Piccadilly Gardens has seen ‘real progress’ being made in terms of safeguarding, enforcement, and GMP’s wider understanding of the issues and concerns communities are facing this past year.
342 arrests have been made in Piccadilly Gardens since the start of GMP’s pledge to ‘improve’ public safety / Credit: GMP
Since March, GMP has seen a total of 342 arrests resulting in 279 charges / cautions, 511 stop searches, 37 weapons seized, and large amounts of Class A and Class B drugs seized too.
“We remain committed to improving both the perception of Piccadilly Gardens and the public’s sense of safety in the area,” commented Chief Superintendent David Meeney, who is the City of Manchester District Commander.
“However, this is not something we can achieve alone. We will continue to work closely with our partners and deploy additional police resources whenever intelligence or demand indicates a need for increased presence.
“We also rely heavily on information from our community, from those who work in the area to residents living nearby. Your reports are vital in helping us develop targeted plans that our neighbourhood officers can act on, so please continue to share any concerns or incidents with us.”
Got any concerns about Piccadilly Gardens? You can continue to report those to GMP by calling 101 or online via gmp.uk.com. Always dial 999 in an emergency.