North East Drinks Startup, Taste Club Sees Steady Growth Following Launch
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George Taylor
- 3rd August 2020
- 7 minute read
Taste Club, A North East drinks startup, has recently announced that they’ve achieved steady growth following their launch, in April.
Taste Club Limited, which sells gin, rum, and vodka boxes, was launched during the UK nationwide lock-down, as consumer habits became increasingly more home-based.
Valda and Paul Goodfellow, who also own Durham-based tableware and chef supplies business G&G Goodfellow, started the County Durham-based company with business partners Liam Goodfellow and Georga Spottiswood.
“We already had the plans to launch late summer but when Covid-19 hit it seemed like the perfect opportunity to hit the [consumer] market.”
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“The shift in consumer [behaviour] towards online shopping, particularly for high quality food and drink, was on the rise and this has continued even after lock-down restrictions have been relaxed. We’ve had sales from the North East, Wales, London, Manchester – all over the UK.“
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“A Taste Club box contains all of the elements to create happy memories, from great nights in, to family celebrations.“
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The ethos behind Taste Club is ‘food + drink = happiness.’ Simple!“
Valda Goodfellow, Taste Club Limited
They approached Georga Spottiswood, of Spotty Media Limited – who specialise in marketing food and drink brands and the hospitality industry – and brought her onboard, as well as investing in Spotty Media, to help scale it up.
“Having lived and worked in the North East our whole [lives], Paul and I felt it was hugely important that we invested in our local economy to help some of our region’s younger entrepreneurs during this time.“
Valda Goodfellow, Taste Club LimitedRelated Products
Georga also runs Gin and Spirit Schools at many of the UK’s leading food and drink festivals. Together, they’ve used their network of food and drink producers, chefs and mixologists to put together the premium boxes.
“Inside each box is a full bottle of carefully selected spirit. Nothing gets past our lips. We taste test everything and it is quality first and foremost.”
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“In our gin box is a full bottle of Hepple Gin, which is distilled on the hills of Hepple in Northumberland. It’s a cracking juniper-forward gin and we work with mixologists in the region to perfectly pair the spirits with mixers. We’ve already secured mixer giant Fever- Tree as a partner, who loved the concept,“
Georga Spottiswood, of Spotty Media Limited
As well as a bottle of Hepple Gin, Holy Island Spiced Rum, Cloven Hoof Rum, or Durham Vodka, customers also receive ready-to eat snacks.
“We found the most amazing brand called The Drinks Biscuits, and Andy [Murray] who’s originally from Sunderland has done a superb job at making savoury snacks that actually pair with spirits, wines and beers. It was a no brainer to put those in our boxes – and we have also set up an online shop so people can buy them time and time again.”
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“Our aim is to inspire the nation’s palates and engage them with the best craft producers out there. To help them have a great night in at home and to help them discover amazing food and drink.”
Valda Goodfellow, Taste Club Limited
Chefs such as Jason Atherton, Adam Handling and many more supply recipes for the boxes and the Taste Club team – who release a new box for sale every six weeks. Taste Club are also working with North East and Yorkshire chefs on releasing their own spirits.
You can get drink boxes, artisan products, cocktail ideas for mixologists and recipes from the top chefs here.
