PillowShelf business is booming thanks to Dragons' Den appearance

A RINGWOOD couple who went on the Dragons’ Den TV show with their invention to make beds longer for taller people say it gave a “huge boost” to their business.

Martin and Kris Andrews were praised by 6ft 7in entrepreneur Peter Jones for creating the PillowShelf which he called “genius”.

Despite his enthusiasm for the bed, which he even tried out in the studio, the couple failed to secure any investment from their appearance.

However, they said business has been “booming” since the episode aired.

Kris said: “We’ve had huge interest which is fantastic. We are also offering a 15% Dragons’ Den discount at the moment.

“Going on the programme has certainly helped us.”

The couple “enjoyed every minute” of their appearance, with Kris saying: “It was such fun. Before we went on, we were absolutely terrified. We practised our pitch endlessly; it literally took over our lives.

“It was very daunting going up in the lift to the den – terrifying.”

Once there, though, the couple said they found the Dragons “warm and welcoming”.

Martin said: “They are actually human! They were very nice to us which helped with our nerves.

“When Peter was going on about having trouble with the bed in his hotel room, Deborah Meaden said, ‘He’s been whingeing about it all the time’.”

The couple said what they really need now is a “foot in the door” at a hotel group.

Martin explained: “If a hotel had, say, four PillowShelfs ready for taller guests, I think it would be good for their business.

“It would be somewhere taller people knew they could go and still get a good night’s sleep.

“It’s that introduction to a hotel chain that we were hoping for if a dragon had taken us on.”

More information about the PillowShelf, which costs from £135-£250, can be found at www.bedstretch.co.uk