Product Update

Is Tuk Tuk Chai Still in Business? (2026 Update)

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

Dragons' Den IndexUpdated 19 May 20266 min read

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Tuk Tuk Chai is a ready-brewed chai and iced milk tea brand with one of the more well-known crowdfunding stories to come out of Dragons' Den. It turned down its Den investment in favour of raising money from its own customers instead, and the evidence points to that gamble having paid off.

The Short Answer

Yes, Tuk Tuk Chai is still trading. The brand's ready-to-drink chai has been stocked in Sainsbury's and Harvey Nichols, sold through Ocado and Amazon, and exported as far as Saudi Arabia, where it has been listed in Danube supermarkets and WHSmith. That is a wide, active distribution footprint for a small drinks brand.

The most detailed reporting available dates to around 2024, and more recent day-to-day retail listings were not independently confirmed for 2026. Treat the current retailer count as the most recent verified figure rather than an up-to-the-minute count, though nothing in the available evidence points to the brand having stopped trading.

The Pitch

Tuk Tuk Chai pitched in series 16, episode 1, in the Food and Drink category, bringing the UK's first ready-brewed authentic chai and iced milk tea to the Den. The category itself was part of the pitch's appeal, chai as a genuine drinks category rather than a flavoured tea gimmick, aimed at a UK market that had not really seen it done properly at scale.

The founders asked for 100,000 pounds for 33.3 percent of the business, a substantial ask that reflected the capital needs of scaling a bottled drinks brand into national retail.

Turning Down the Deal

Tuk Tuk Chai secured a 100,000 pound offer from Peter Jones on air. After filming, though, the two sides mutually agreed to walk away from the arrangement rather than proceed to a completed investment.

Instead of chasing another Dragon or private investor, the founders turned to crowdfunding, launching a raise on Crowdcube. The campaign reportedly hit its 150,000 pound target within 24 hours, later reported as part of a wider 275,000 pound raise, a strong show of consumer demand that arguably validated the brand better than a single investor's cheque would have.

Why the Crowdfunding Route Worked

Crowdfunding a consumer drinks brand works best when there is already a fan base willing to put money behind the product, and Tuk Tuk Chai's rapid raise suggests it had that. It also meant the founders kept more control over the direction of the business than a single Dragon backing a third of the company might have allowed.

The subsequent retail wins, Sainsbury's, Harvey Nichols, and export listings, suggest the crowdfunded capital was put to reasonably effective use in building out distribution, which is the hardest part of scaling any drinks brand.

The Bigger Picture on Turning Down Dragons

Tuk Tuk Chai's story fits a pattern that shows up repeatedly among founders who walk away from an on-air Den offer, a strong enough existing customer base or social following that crowdfunding becomes a genuinely viable alternative to giving up equity to a single investor. It is not an option available to every founder, since it depends on already having built some level of brand trust before the crowdfunding pitch even goes live.

For a chai brand built around a clear point of difference in a crowded drinks aisle, that trust seems to have been there. Hitting a five-figure funding target within a single day is not a common outcome for consumer crowdfunding campaigns, and it suggests the Dragons' Den exposure did real work in building awareness even without a completed investment attached to it.

Where Things Stand Now

Tuk Tuk Chai pitched in series 16 for 100,000 pounds at 33.3 percent, secured an on-air offer from Peter Jones, then walked away from the deal after filming in favour of a fast, successful crowdfunding campaign. The brand went on to land listings with major UK retailers and push into export markets.

If you are looking for the chai brand from Dragons' Den, it has been available through mainstream UK supermarkets and online retailers, and there is no evidence pointing to the business having closed.

Where to buy Tuk Tuk Chai

Still selling as of 19 May 2026. Check today's price and availability.

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See the full Tuk Tuk Chai deal breakdown and term sheet →