A designer and mother of two will appear on a new “Dragon’s Den” style television programme to pitch her healthy alternative product to an audience for purchase.

Rifat Jan, 47, from Pinner will showcase her Nutripouch product on May 1 on the Buy It Now programme on Channel 4.

The new series, hosted by comedian Brian Conley, aired its first show last night at 5.30pm and will run every day for six weeks.

The concept is inventors and sellers have just 90 seconds to pitch their new products in the hope of securing a potentially life-changing order with a national retailer.

Rifat’s Nutripouch is a portable, pocketsize reusable pouch making it easy to transport homemade drinks such as smoothies, energy drinks and even water.

Rifat, whose background is in retail buying, said her product is primarily aimed at athletes and sportsmen and women, and was born from an earlier invention for babies and toddlers called “Fill n Squeeze”. 

She said: “It started five years ago when I was struggling to feed my daughter homemade meals. Zara was ten months old when she stopped eating my meals and ate commercial products instead.

“I cut the bottom of the commercial pouch and filled it with my homemade food and gave it back to her. She ate it and couldn’t tell the difference.”

Rifat said she wants her children to eat healthy home cooked food because the alternative for children is “too expensive” and lacks nutrition. 

She added: “They’re not as nutritious as you think, they stay on shelves for months and then they end up in a landfill.” 

She said her products are washable, reusable more environmentally friendly.

When her second daughter, Sofia was born Rifat approached a factory with her design and went into production. To date she has sold around 2 million pouches and 100,000 related kits. 

She said this whole enterprise is for her children. 

So far, she has products in Poland, Sweden, Monte Negro, Mexico, Chile, Spain, France, America, Africa and Norway. 

In 2015, Rifat developed the new Nutripouch product which will be pitched to a Buy It Now audience in May, who will press a green light if they are interested. The product may then be bought by a major retailer.

Rifat said of the show: “It’s an opportunity to showcase what a local person can invent and that dreams can come true. 

“It started in my head, then my hands and then my heart. It’s for my children.”

Rifat will appear on Buy It Now on May 1 at 5.30pm on Channel 4. 

For more information go to https://www.nutripouch.co.uk/