Honibe heading into the Dragons' Den

In October in Paris, Island Abbey Foods of P.E.I., scored the food industry equivalent of a Best Picture Oscar. Its Honibe pure dried honey product won the Global SIAL d'Or Award, signaling that Honibe had been judged the most innovative new product in the world.

Honibe will face another tough jury later this month when it is featured on Dragons' Den, the popular CBC show in which entrepreneurs pitch their products to a panel of Canadian business moguls, then try to convince at least one of them to buy a stake in their budding venture.

John Rowe, president of Island Abbey Foods, and his brother Justin, vice-president of sales (pictured above during shooting for the show) will appear on an episode airing Jan 19.

Going on the show is a great way to get national exposure for the Honibe product, says Graham Watts, marketing co-ordinator at Island Abbey Foods. But he added that it's also an opportunity to partner with one of the Dragons.

Dragons' Den draws nearly 2 million viewers a week, and panel members, such as Boston Pizza's Jim Treliving, ad agency executive Arlene Dickinson and mutual fund mogul Kevin O'Leary have become household names.

Honibe is pure honey in tablet form that can be dissolved in hot drinks such as tea or eaten as a lozenge. 

The episode featuring Honibe airs Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. on CBC. It was taped last May, before Honibe won the SIAL d'Or Award.

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