AN entrepreneur hoping to break into the big time is to make his pitch on BBC's Dragon's Den next week.

Sunderland-born David Mlynski has ten minutes to persuade five millionaires to back his product, the Yakibox - a Japanese table-top cookery set.

The businessman, a fluent Japanese speaker, came up with the idea while working in the Far East, where table-top cookery is popular.

The main food preparation is done beforehand, but is then cooked at the table, with thinly-sliced food heated on a stone hot-plate, then eaten with dips. TV celebrity Jonathan Ross recently bought one of the company's latest products - the Okonomiyaki set, to prepare Japanese deep-filled pancakes.

Mr Mlynski, a former pupil of Durham Johnston School, worked as a designer for Morphy Richards and Dyson before setting up his small business, based in Cheltenham.

Speaking after filming the show, he said: "It was a very nerve-wracking experience. I was confident, but when you're up in front of them it's a completely different matter.

"You have to completely believe in your product and risk having your dreams shattered.

"They are being extra mean for the cameras and try to make you crack, but I took it on the chin, came back at them with some good answers and I even cooked them some Japanese food which they really enjoyed."

* Dragon's Den is screened at 8pm on Tuesday, on BBC2.