Former Dragon’s Den innovation scoops Bottlemakers Award

A product that has formerly won investment on BBC’s Dragon’s Den programme has achieved further success after winning the Worshipful Company of Horners Bottlemakers’ Award.

The ‘Boot Buddy’, a novel plastic innovation designed for cleaning mud from football boots and other shoes, scooped the Bottlemakers prize for its technical manufacturing process.

Using just 300ml of water, the Boot Buddy features a brush for cleaning and provides an easy-grip suitable for all ages and hand sizes, controlling water flow via the bottle to the boot.

The bottle is made using a novel technique – using two calibration pins to mould the special shape of the neck.

Chairman of the Worshipful Company of Horners Awards Committee, David Williams, said: “The winners of the Horners Bottlemakers’ Award, Boot Buddy, demonstrate how plastic bottle design can be used to solve everyday problems – the Boot Buddy is an efficient way to clean mud off shoes; something all of us has needed at some point.”

The ‘highly commended’ place went to Garçon Wines’ rPET Flat Bottle, manufactured by RPC M&H Plastics.

Dubbed “wine for the Amazon generation”, the bottle’s flat shape allows it to be posted through a letterbox. Each rPET Flat Bottle is 87 per cent lighter than traditional glass bottles, whilst also able to withstand the rigorous mail order process.

“We were very impressed with the rPET Flat Bottle for its technical achievement producing such a narrow bottle that it fits through a letterbox,” continued Williams. “The light weight of this bottle means it has sustainability advantages compared to heavier, traditional glass wine bottles.”