The Glasgow based booze company featured on Dragons Den in 2022.
The Scots booze firm that featured on Dragon’s Den has gone bust.(Image: BBC)
A Scots booze firm that featured on Dragon’s Den has gone bust.
Glasgow-based Panther M*lk was founded by Paul Crawford, who appeared on BBC’s Dragons’ Den in 2022 pitching for £50,000 in exchange for 7.5% of his business.
While Deborah Meaden initially offered a deal for 25% of the company, the investment ultimately did not go through. The product is inspired by the 1920s Spanish cocktail “Leche de Pantera” and uses oat milk to create a plant-based, ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage for a young, vegan audience.
But the Glasgow-based company has now gone into liquidation with all seven jobs at the firm lost.
Speaking about the events leading up to the liquidation, Mr Crawford said: “We had invested in the production of stock in advance with the intention of supplying to Tesco and Sainsbury’s, but both arrangements fell through, leaving us with too much stock, the cost of production to account for, and, ultimately, cashflow difficulties as we sought to offset the stock, resulting in this unfortunate liquidation.”
Beastly Brews, the company behind Panther M*lk, announced on August 26 it has appointed a liquidator with all employees made redundant.
After problems with their website began in July, an automated email generated at the time stated: “It is with a heavy heart that Panther M*lk has ceased trading on Friday 18th July due to financial difficulties.”
The firm has now confirmed the news, with Donald McKinnon of Wbg, one of Scotland’s leading independent specialist full-service accountancy firms, being appointed as provisional liquidator.
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The pioneering alcoholic milk drink, which was first launched in 2015 by local owner Paul Crawford, was inspired by a trip to a hidden gem bar in Barcelona and the ‘Leche De Pantera’, a potent cocktail that has its origins in Spain in the 1920s.
The brand had just had a recent refresh, with a new bottle design and the launch of a new range of flavours, according to the liquidators, it had generated a turnover of circa £175k from October 2024 to May 2025.
A recipe change saw it move to using oat milk, which was a bid to further create a drink with sustainability and the environment in mind, but “at no cost to quality, flavour, and pleasure”.
The extended range of flavours featured Panther M*lk Crema, Rosa, Cafe, and Menta in a bid to further cement its appeal amongst young drinkers but according to Mr Crawford when two big supermarket deals fell through they were left with an overwhelming surplus of stock.
The company has now ceased trading, and all seven employees made redundant prior to the provisional liquidator’s appointment.
Mr McKinnon added: “It is sad to see the demise of such an innovative drinks company with such great potential. The company still holds stock, amounting to around 17,400 of bottles of varying flavours and we are currently exploring opportunities to dispose of this stock to interested parties.”
Anyone interested in acquiring Beastly Brews stock should contact Craig Allison at Wbg on 0141 566 7000.