Gin producer raises a glass to international expansion

About the business

Based in Perth and Kinross, and inspired by the famous song, ‘The Gael’ by Dougie Maclean, The Gael Spirit Company was launched by industry veteran Nigel Large in 2019 in partnership with his wife Beverley and good friends Jamie Maclean and Tanya Brown.

How Business Gateway has helped

Following a bespoke package of support from Business Gateway, The Gael Spirit Company has recently started exporting into Denmark, with plans to target France and Canada in 2021.

Business Gateway provided support as the gin-producer finalised its business plans and growth strategy, including a strategy planning workshop covering sales projections, marketing strategy, product development and routes to funding.

Nigel, on behalf of The Gael Spirit Company, said, “I was aware of Business Gateway and the support it could potentially provide, so I wanted to engage with the team early to ensure we were in the strongest possible position. Our adviser was helpful and supportive, pointing us in the right direction on a number of occasions, and was able to evaluate our growth strategy and identify what we should be looking at in certain markets so that we could achieve our export goals.

Their adviser also signposted the team towards further support from Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International, who were able to assist with potential international trade obstacles and ensured the expansion strategy was robust.

Andrew Webster, adviser, Business Gateway, said, “Many businesses may be wary about how to expand into new markets, particularly given ongoing uncertainty because of the pandemic and the UK’s exit from the EU. However, our team is on hand to provide a strategic review of business plans and point you in the right direction so you have all the information and support you need before taking that leap so you can make the most of the huge potential offered by new markets.”

What’s next?

Despite COVID-19 disrupting plans, The Gael Spirit Company remains on track to achieve their growth objectives in 2021 and continue to expand into key global markets, with the potential of taking on more employees further down the line.