By Beverly Rademacher
Copyright expressandstar
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 per cent equity. Since the TV 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 more than 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 start up 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 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 online on the Eventbrite website.
