Product Update

Is Creative Nature Still in Business? (2026 Update)

Is Creative Nature from Dragons’ Den still around in 2026? The deal it made, the dragons who invested, and where to buy Creative Nature today.

Dragons' Den IndexUpdated 14 May 20266 min read

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Creative Nature makes allergy-friendly snack bars, superfoods, and organic baking mixes, built by founder Julianne Ponan around her own severe food allergies. She pitched the business at just 28 years old, and what happened after the offer is one of the more interesting turns in the show's history, because she said no.

The Short Answer

Creative Nature is still in business, and it has grown considerably since its Den appearance, but not because of a Dragon's money. Julianne Ponan turned down the on-air offer and built the company independently instead. Years later, Creative Nature's allergen-free snacks are stocked across major retailers and sold on several international airlines, a strong result for a business that walked away from its television investor.

The Pitch

Creative Nature appeared in series 15, episode 1, in the Food & Drink category. Ponan asked for £75,000 in exchange for 25 percent of the business, pitching to a panel that on this episode included Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Jenny Campbell, Tej Lalvani, and Touker Suleyman.

Deborah Meaden made an offer during the pitch, £75,000 for 20 percent, a slightly better equity term than the original ask. It looked, in the moment, like exactly the kind of deal the show is built around.

Why She Turned It Down

After the cameras stopped, Ponan declined the offer. In her own words, she felt the valuation given in the Den undersold the business, and rather than accept less than she believed the company was worth, she walked away and looked for funding elsewhere.

That is a rarer outcome than most viewers assume. Turning down a Dragon on principle, rather than losing the deal in due diligence, requires real conviction in your own numbers, and it only looks smart in hindsight if the business goes on to prove the higher valuation right.

What Happened Next

It did. Within about a year of the episode airing, Creative Nature raised more than £500,000 in seed funding at a post-money valuation of around £6 million, well above the £5 million implied by the offer she turned down in the Den. That single data point retroactively validates the decision to walk away.

Since then, the company has kept expanding. Its allergy-safe snacks have been launched across multiple major airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, Iberia, Norwegian, and Austrian Air, putting the brand in front of a genuinely global audience without needing a single television investor to get there.

Airline catering in particular is a demanding channel to break into, with strict allergen and safety certification requirements that a smaller, undercapitalised brand would struggle to meet. Landing several airline contracts is a meaningful signal that Creative Nature built the operational rigour to match its ambitions, not just the product idea.

The decision to walk away from Deborah Meaden's offer also fits a broader pattern worth noting for anyone studying the show closely. Founders with a strong existing customer base and a clear sense of their own numbers are the ones most likely to say no and be proven right, while founders with a good idea but limited traction are the ones who most need the Dragon's money and market access to survive the years that follow.

Common Questions

Is Creative Nature still in business? Yes, and it has grown considerably, raising seed funding at a higher valuation than the one implied by the Dragons' Den offer it turned down.

Did Creative Nature get a deal on Dragons' Den? Deborah Meaden made an offer during the pitch, but founder Julianne Ponan declined it afterwards, choosing to raise funding independently instead.

Where can you buy Creative Nature products? The allergy-friendly snack bars and superfoods are stocked across major UK retailers and sold on several international airlines.

Why did Julianne Ponan start Creative Nature? She built the business around her own severe food allergies, aiming to make genuinely allergen-free snacks that did not compromise on taste.

Where Things Stand Now

To recap: Creative Nature pitched in series 15 asking for £75,000 for 25 percent, received an on-air offer from Deborah Meaden, and then declined it, choosing to raise independently instead at a considerably higher valuation.

Today the company is still trading, still growing, and selling through both retail and airline channels internationally. If you are looking for a Dragons' Den story where turning down the deal turned out to be the better move, Creative Nature is a strong example.

Where to buy Creative Nature

Still selling as of 14 May 2026. Check today's price and availability.

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See the full Creative Nature deal breakdown and term sheet →