Dylan Watkins, the dog food manufacturer who turned down the Dragon's Den investors for a better deal elsewhere, was among the guests who attended the bi monthly business lunch sponsored by the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Swindon.

Mr Watkins was offered a £60,000 investment for 15 per cent for his company by Dragon Deborah Meaden, but a Malaysian investor stepped him and offered him £225,000 for a five per cent stake instead. Mr Watkins went east for the better deal.

The Double Tree Hilton has a lunch every other month to support local businesses and as well as Mr Watkins there were four other senior business leaders: - Christina Briggs, the CEO of New World Insight; Jamie Francis, director of Capital Land; Stephanie Hobbs, director of Venues Covered and Sarah Irving, head of marketing and communications of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The general manager of the Double Tree Hilton is Adam Flint, who has been in post for just over a year and prior to the Hilton he was the GM at the Marriott Hotel in Swindon.

"It is essential that we are at the centre of business in Swindon," he said.

" As well as our bi-monthly business lunches we support Barclays Bank and their events when the three local MPs give us a state of the nation report, And of course we have a number of events here which are sponsored by the Swindon Chamber of Commerce and the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce as well."