A SALISBURY based chocolatier has put his low sugar, dairy free treats to the test, by competing in Dragons’ Den.

Business man Stephen Conway launched chocolate brand, Pure Heavenly, in 2017, as a healthy alternative to popular chocolate bars.

The founder challenged himself to create a sweet treat recipe that was 100 per cent vegan, plant-based, and free from dairy, gluten, wheat, soy, and GMO ingredients, all the while not damaging the environment.

The products also had to please his daughters with a sweet tooth, Sophie and Lucy.

“My children are intolerant to sugar and dairy, and every Easter and Christmas was a complete struggle to keep them happy, so I decided to find a healthy chocolate alternative for them,” explained Stephen.

“After spending a fortune trying to find this alternative I thought how hard can it be to make my own, and I became obsessed.

“It took me months to perfect the recipe and I had to consult with multiple chocolatiers and chefs to work out the secret combination, but we got there.”

Following the local success of his newest businesses, Stephen auditioned for BBC hit Dragons’ Den to seek investment into his product, competing against several other entrepreneurs.

After making it onto the show, filming for the series began in May and Stephen’s episode will be airing this weekend.

The chocolatier described his hour and a half in front of the dragons as “a bit of a ride”, adding: “It was a fantastic experience all round, getting to meet the dragons was amazing.

“It was nerve racking to start with, but one of the other entrepreneurs actually came up to me and said ‘I have a chocolate bar of yours’ which made me feel great.”

When asked what to expect, Stephen said:“Thrills and spills and challenging questions. It was really tough. I have no idea what the edit will look like but it will be entertaining I’m sure.”

The Dragons’ Den episode featuring Pure Heavenly will be on BBC 2 on Sunday, starting at 8pm.