Family cocktail firm eyes global growth as it shakes up market

Two brothers, who launched a cocktail business in the year prior to the covid pandemic, are hoping their impending move to a new purpose-built Norfolk warehouse will send trade rocketing.

Tom, 35, and Paul Mayes, 34, started Edmunds Cocktails from the kitchen of Tom’s home in 2019.

As demand grew, the pair, who grew up in Bury St Edmunds, turned Paul’s double garage at his home in Attleborough into a warehouse.

Five years and several warehouses later, the duo will move the business into a new 8,000 square foot headquarters at Snetterton Business Park next month.

The company has also begun an investment round, aiming to raise £1 million to expand the business and its team further.

“It’s growing bigger than we ever anticipated,” said Tom. “We didn’t think we’d need anything bigger than the first place but we kept growing and running out of space pretty quickly.

“Now we can hold more stock – which will make our lives easier – and we won’t have to create smaller batches, so we can grow even further.

“We’re growing 150 per cent year on year – this will allow us to increase our team and get to a point where we can export internationally.”

The business, which is half made up of the pair’s family and friends, creates a range of different cocktails, including old fashioned, elderflower collins and strawberry daiquiri among others.

They use no artificial ingredients in their products, which means the cocktails retain their proper strength.

Tom said Edmunds filled a gap in the market due to a number of pre-made cocktails using artificial components.

Spirits used by the firm include Adnams Copper House Gin and whisky, and Suffolk Distillery Rum, as well as other well-known brands, such as Chambord and Cointreau.

It currently produces around 5,000 cocktails a day, including both single-serve 100 ml bottles and larger multi-cocktail bottles.

To find out more information about its products, go online to edmundscocktails.co.uk