FROM MY MUM’S GRANOLA RECIPE TO DRAGONS’ DEN
Chester Robinson, RAISE Snacks Founder
August 2026
LET'S REWIND.
I’m one of four kids, so our house was never exactly quiet growing up. We were always on the go… school, sports, friends, you name it. With a busy family to keep fuelled, my mum wanted to make something tasty and nutritious, but without the usual “healthy but boring” situation.
Something we could grab, chuck in a bag and get on with the day. So she started making her own granola, and that recipe soon became a family favourite. Years later, that same childhood recipe became the starting point for RAISE.
TIRED OF BORING SNACKS? SO WERE WE.
We love snacks, we just didn't love the choice. So RAISE is all about elevated snacking… taking naturally nutritious ingredients like nuts and seeds and making them genuinely delicious. Simple recipes, big flavours and plenty of crunch. Inspired by the same kind of snacks I was raised on, just with a little more going on.
AND THEN... DRAGONS' DEN.
You wouldn't have guessed it, but we filmed our episode back in April 2025. So for the last 16 months, I've had to keep one of the biggest moments of my journey completely under wraps.
After everything that had gone into building RAISE, getting to pitch our brand to five Dragons felt pretty surreal. From developing recipes with my mum in our family kitchen to sharing the brand on national TV, it's pretty mad to think how far we've come.
THE BUILD UP.
The nerves started kicking in weeks before I walked into the Den. I barely slept the month before and spent plenty of time pacing around rooms, practicing my pitch to anyone who would listen (and talking to the mirror more than I'd like to admit). But by the time I stepped out of that lift, the nerves had turned into excitement. I knew how lucky I was to be there.
THE DAY OF.
Then it was time to drive up to Manchester and actually do the thing. Somewhere on the journey, it started to feel real. There wasn't much else to do but back myself and go for it. You spend so long imagining what it will be like, then suddenly you're there. The cameras are rolling, and the Dragons are staring at you.
Five offers later, we’re feeling more convinced than ever that there’s a real appetite for properly delicious, better-for-you snacks. And, if anything, it’s made us even more ambitious about what we can build next.
WHY THE NAME RAISE?
RAISE captures the essence of the brand. The snacks I was raised on, the boost they give you, and our ambition to elevate others too. So it felt like one word that captured all three things perfectly.
WOULD YOU DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN?
100%, it’s one of those opportunities that only comes around once. Although if I could go back, I’d definitely bring someone with me… trekking up to Manchester solo to shoot the show was a lonely trip amongst all the ‘I can’t believe this is happening’ moments.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE ABOUT DRAGONS’ DEN?
Probably finding out Gary Neville was on the panel, not exactly what I expected when I signed up for this. As a football fan, the nerves suddenly felt very justified.
WHOSE OFFER DID YOU ACCEPT IN THE END?
We accepted Steven Bartlett and Gary Neville’s offer on the show – £50k for 10% of RAISE. Safe to say, it felt like the right move on the day!
WHAT DID THE EXPERIENCE TEACH YOU AS A FOUNDER?
Be brave and back yourself. I think those qualities are innate in a lot of founders… you have to be a little bit crazy to launch a business in the first place. I’ve learnt to carry that lunacy into almost every challenge, especially the ones that feel the scariest.
