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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Hordes of people dressed as giant poos run through Manchester for bowel cancer awareness
Danny Jones
If you happened to be in town on Thursday and noticed a bunch of people dressed as giant poos running through the city centre and wondered, ‘What the hell is going on?’, it was this…
We know Manchester has a serious case of the runs, what with the annual Marathon and Great Manchester race, both just around the corner (one literally just next week), but this takes the cake.
On a more heartfelt note, although there is an obvious and innate silliness to this now annual get-together, it’s all for a very important and worthwhile cause.
Uniting for a fourth time, the Pall Mall Medical team (along with a couple of us here at The Manc) are hoping to flush out the stigma and silence surrounding bowel cancer awareness.
Credit: The Manc Group
Starting from the recently refurbished and prettier than ever Pall Mall building, more than 105 runners laced up their shoes and popped on emoji suits, toilet costumes, daft poo hats and more for a 5k jog around the city centre alongside local run club, Blaze.
They even tried to make the route in the shape of a poo, too.
Why such a specific number, you ask? Well, that’s the exact number of people who are sadly diagnosed with bowel cancer across the North West every single week.
It’s an alarming statistic, but once you pair it with the fact that they make up the rising number of new cases being reported in the country – more than a whopping 41,000 each year – you can see why they’re desperate to get more people talking about the disease.
Moreover, the rate among under 50s has also seen a concerning rise since the 90s, but this also means that the earlier it’s caught, the better people like Pall Mall can help with treatment.
The sooner it’s spotted, the greater the chance of survival, with 90% of those diagnosed at the earliest possible stage surviving for five years or more; that’s why these lot are hoping to better the discourse around bowel-related issues.
Besides offering important scans and blood tests for numerous health conditions, they also boast the dedicated and revolutionary ColoAlert® testing service, which is a German import that’s more accurate (around 85%) and effective than most others here in the UK.
It has quite literally proved to be a life-changing bit of kit for so many, and for Pall Mall’s Dr Chun Tang, this whole initiative has a deep personal connection.
Having sadly lost his father to the illness, as well as his brother being diagnosed with bowel cancer, he knows all too well how important increasing the conversation is – bowel cancer being the second biggest killer in the UK after lung conditions.
Even before you book in a check-up, Dr Tang says it’s simple to spot noteworthy signs at home: “Any blood in the stools, streaks in your poo, on the pan or on the paper; any changes in your digestion such as diarrhoea, constipation and [continued] fatigue, then see your GP or come visit us at Pall Mall.”
Best of all, the money raised with the latest ‘Poo Protest’ all goes towards Bowel Cancer UK, so well done to everyone involved.
For once, we couldn’t be happier to hear so many people talking sh**.
Throughout April, Pall Mall are offering £75 off the ColoAlert® Bowel Cancer stool test, and 20% off the Virtual Colonoscopy in Aprilo. To find out more about the event and book an appointment, you can click right HERE.
Beyond The Music reveals first wave of lineup ahead of inaugural Salford edition
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester arts festival and conference Beyond The Music is back for 2026, but this time it will be heading to MediaCity for a Salford debut.
The long weekender is still a relative newcomer when it comes to the Manc events calendar, but it’s quickly gathered plenty of repute not just in the North West but within the industry as a whole.
Holding just its third edition later this year, Beyond The Music ’26 is set to be the most ambitious yet, spread across the three days and promising an impressive lineup both in terms of live performers, but also speakers, industry experts and wider activities.
With MediaCity and dock10 hosting their inaugural Beyond The Music, it’s another big win for the second city, with Sports Personality of the Year sticking over Salford way for the foreseeable future, along with other events like the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Awards moving to the Quayside.
Much of the BBC’s World Cup coverage is also being hosted at their Salfordian studios and main Northern base this summer, too.
Given that so many big annual dates have now made the switch to central Manchester – the BRITs and the MOBOs, just to name two recent examples – you could say it only makes sense to spread things out across the surrounding boroughs and their equally rich heritage.
Not that you should need reminding, but Salford isn’t just part of the region: it’s a city all of its own right that boasts an immense amount of pride over what is nothing short of a sterling musical history.
As for the 2026 Beyond The Music programme, besides both the local artists and more international creatives than ever, there’ll be keynote conversations, industry showcases, and wider networking opportunities for anyone looking to immerse themselves deeper in this world.
Having now dropped the initial wave of this year’s lineup, we know the first 22 artists set to play BTM ’26, including Kofi Stone, our very own Loose Articles, fellow Manchester-based singer-songwriter Ewan Sim and plenty more to get excited about.
Sarah Pearson, Co-founder of Beyond The Music, said in an official statement: “Beyond The Music’s mission is to seize this moment, to come together and drive meaningful and lasting change in the music and content industry.
“It’s undeniable that the impact and importance of music and content are stronger than ever, but this is not reflected in their perceived value.
“The ethical and economic infrastructure of the music and content industries demands urgent attention and bold reform… It is our responsibility to protect creativity in order to ensure it doesn’t just survive but thrives. Things may feel difficult, but they are still possible.”
Mayor Burnham added: “Greater Manchester has always been at the forefront of cultural innovation, and Beyond The Music is a vital opportunity for the sector to come together and address the challenges and opportunities facing music and content creation…
“With its move to MediaCity and a bigger-than-ever programme, Beyond The Music is helping to cement our city region’s place at the centre of the creative economy.” Taking place between 7-9 October 2026, you can register for early bird tickets right HERE.
Mayor Andy Burnham and friends help launch Beyond the Music at MediaCityUK (Credit: Mark Waugh)
Georgina Pellant -
25th February 2022 
