6am
I don’t need to set an alarm, as one of our three dependents – two kids under two-years-old and a crazy cockapoo – will usually wake us up. That’s when we begin running the morning gauntlet of showers, bottles of milk, packed lunches and multiple nappy changes. The round trip then begins to drop all three off individually to grandparents, nursery and doggy day care. I then make my way over to our manufacturing facility in Port Glasgow - going via the bakery for a much-needed latte and bacon roll.
9am
I dial into a status call. Team Lilo is spread across the UK with the majority based in either Glasgow, Brighton or London. The big challenge we face as a start-up is how to stand out against the big boys who have deep pockets, so much of the call focuses on how we can grab the attention of the likes of Waitrose, Tesco and Booths.
11am
I catch up with our distilling partner who is based on the East Coast of Scotland to do a virtual tasting of our botanical spirits. He is an award-winning flavour genius who can literally distill magic.
1pm
I have two pitches to potential customers. The first is a boutique German distributor and the second, a large UK luxury supermarket. We have been given a pitch slot due to our ‘occasion strategy’ as Lilo is offering an alternative to wine. Each can offers fewer calories and lower alcohol compared to a glass of wine, which interests buyers as shoppers start opting for lighter and lower alcoholic beverages (that’s where our name Lilo originated). I unintentionally skip lunch, as a consequence of how busy the day gets. If only my waistline reflected this.
3pm
We have just won a listing with a large upmarket pub group who are trialing us in their newest outlets. We have developed a ‘perfect serve’ for Lilo. The natural flavours in each of our cans are inspired by wine flavours, including White Grape & Elderflower and Cranberry & Rosehip so they lend themselves perfectly to a spritz. Both will feature on their menu so they want all their bartenders trained on how to make these.
4pm
We receive word that we’ve won a design award for our packaging. Our cans feature exclusive artwork by Maria Rivans. That’s so important as shoppers buy with their eyes. It's one of the reasons that we’re the only hard seltzer to be listed in Harrods.
6pm
I retrace my steps from this morning as we all bundle in the front door, tripping over toy cars. I dish out milk bottles and run the bath. When everyone else is fed, washed and asleep. it’s time for me to listen to Desert Island Discs and decide on which meal to cook from my home delivered recipe box. I order this as it means I can experiment with new meals and eat healthy home cooked food without thinking too hard about it.
For more information, see www.lilodrinks.com
