Birmingham-based barbecue seasoning and sauce company Lumberjaxe has secured £100,000 in funding from BCRS Business Loans and Community Investment Enterprise Fund (CIEF) to support the delivery of a major contract with supermarket giant Aldi.

The funding has enabled brothers Brendon and Jaydon Manders to supply 80,000 units of their Backyard BBQ and Moonshine Mango sauces as a Specialbuy to 1,050 Aldi stores across the UK.

Founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown with just £100 each, Lumberjaxe has grown rapidly from humble beginnings in their mother’s council house kitchen in Quinton, Birmingham. The company creates all-natural seasonings and sauces with no preservatives, designed for use in ovens, air fryers, and traditional BBQ grills.

The Birmingham-born entrepreneurs gained national recognition when they appeared on BBC One’s Dragons’ Den in February 2025, securing a £90,000 investment from guest Dragon Emma Grede in exchange for 20 percent equity. Since the television appearance, the brand has gone viral on social media, helping to drive demand for their products.

Today, Lumberjaxe products are stocked in more than 250 UK retailers, including Selfridges, Ocado, and now Aldi. The company supplies over 70 garden centres, butcheries, and farm shops across the country, with products available through their official website to customers across the UK and internationally.

Jaydon Manders, co-founder and director of Lumberjaxe, said:

“BCRS Business Loans gave us the opportunity we needed to take our business to the next level. The funding they have provided us with allows us to fulfil our first major supermarket contract with Aldi which is a huge milestone for us. We are excited about the potential this deal brings, both with sales and attracting other major retailers. BCRS took the time to listen to our plans for the future, believed in our vision and we are grateful for their support”

BCRS Business Loans senior business development manager Louise Armstrong added:

“Brendon and Jaydon epitomise the entrepreneurial spirit that drives success in the West Midlands. Their journey from a startup to securing major retail contracts demonstrates the power of determination and quality products. We’re proud to support Lumberjaxe as they scale their business and bring their all-natural seasonings and sauces to customers across the UK through major retailers like Aldi.”

Brendon and Jaydon will be the guest speakers when BCRS Business Loans holds its popular Black Country Diners Club event on Wednesday September 24. The brothers will speak about their progress and share practical insights into how they transformed their business from their mother’s kitchen into a thriving brand. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1420718590549?aff=oddtdtcreator

Funded by Lloyds Bank, along with social impact investor Better Society Capital (BSC) and contributions from the three participating CDFIs, BCRS Business Loans, Business Enterprise Fund and Finance for Enterprise, the new £62m CIEF aims to invest in 800 small businesses nationally and support 10,500 jobs. The capital provided will be available to SME’s who are unable to access the finance they need from traditional sources.

BCRS Business Loans provides funding between £25,000 and £250,000 to SMEs across the West Midlands and Wales who are unable to access the finance they need from traditional sources. The organisation is committed to lending to viable businesses making a positive contribution to the social, environmental or economic wellbeing of their communities.

BCRS Business Loans recently celebrated delivering £6.2m in loans to 75 companies in total, creating 208 jobs and protecting a further 730 roles while generating £32m in added economic value for the West Midlands and Wales. With BCRS Business Loans focussing on firms under-represented in traditional lending, 31 per cent of the SMEs were female-led.

In the last financial year, lending through BCRS Business Loans resulted in the safeguarding of 889 jobs and creation of 317 roles while adding £51.2m to the economy of the West Midlands, surrounding region and Wales. Of the funding, 34.6 per cent went to the UK’s most disadvantaged areas.