A NEW father who has spent the last five years working on his passion project, was featured on BBC’s Dragons' Den last night.

Simon Bourne, who lives in Langley Park, launched The Hand Dyed Shoe Co in 2014, in the hopes of providing a bespoke luxury retail experience for customers by providing ‘world class shoes, with a world class retail experience and world class customer service’ – from the historic 200-year-old Ushaw Estate on the outskirts of Durham.

While he was working for a small furniture manufacturing business in Gateshead, the 35-year-old found a love for working with leather, and identified an opportunity to honour an artisan craft, as he started to explore what could be made with the offcuts left on the factory floor.

His entrepreneurism saw him create small bags, wallets and belts from leather scraps.

Now the businessman sells shoes at The Hand Dyed Shoe Co retailing between £270 and £500.

The Northern Echo:

Mr Bourne entered to be on Dragons' Den driven by his love for the show, his ambition to showcase the business and his mission to make his family proud.

He said: “I’ve watched the show for years and always loved sitting with my wife, dissecting other people’s pitches and ideas. Even before I had conceived the business, I would always say that I would love to go on there and have a stab at it. When it came to it I was scared, anxious, nervous, excited, apprehensive, and worried – but just made a promise that I would remain true to myself, which I did."

Appearing on the show last night, he asked for £70,000 in return for a 10 per cent equity stake.

Unfortunately the entrepreneur walked away empty handed.

The 'dragons' struggled to understand his supply chain and despite praising the quality of the shoes and the brand questioned the fact the shoes were made in Europe when it felt like a very British craftsmanship artisan brand.

Mr Bourne has now been able to bring all manufacturing into the UK back under his more direct control.

The shoemaker said: "Obviously the investment would have been a bonus but my business is about so much more than making money or even creating a brand. It is my platform to inspire my children, my wife, my family and friends that you can do anything you want if you work for it –and I am proud to have taken the stage. ”