Raise a toast: mobile bar company Sloe Drinks flourishes with support from the CHART project

Serving a curated range of artisan drinks made with produce from small and local distilleries, breweries and vineyards, mobile bar company Sloe Drinks Co and its iconic vintage converted-caravan and woodsided bar has become a hit with local events and parties since the launch of the business in 2018.

Based in Hastings, East Sussex, Sloe Drinks is the brainchild of Marie Ashton. She combined her love of vintage caravans with her passion for mixing cocktails and serving top quality drinks, and created a mobile bar service that can cater to events from a small group to numbers up to 4000 people.

Prior to setting up Sloe Drinks Co, Marie worked for a charity in Brighton before her move over to Hastings. After losing her father to cancer in 2014, she took the plunge on buying her first vintage caravan, and fell in love with taking it camping with her young son. Finding that it helped tremendously with the grieving process, Marie dreamed of centering her career around vintage caravans and their charm.

Marie then got in touch with South East Business Boost to get information about potential grants for new businesses. She was able to secure funding for 30% of her £10,000 start up costs, and in the process of applying she was able to do more research into what goes into starting her own business, and how viable it would be to afford.

“It made me really look at everything and what it was going to cost to run the business, if it was viable, and what was involved in setting it up. The SEBB funding paid for a third of my start up costs, and without that I wouldn’t have been able to do it. I just built from there, and found a business model that worked.”

- Marie Ashton, owner of Sloe Drinks Co

Having had previous experience working in hospitality as a student, Marie explored the idea of creating a mobile bar and going it alone. She established Sloe Drinks in 2018, converting a vintage 1970’s Spirit Alpine which she had purchased for £1500 into the mobile bar, which is fondly named after her mother, Elizabeth-Jayne, who she lost to cancer shortly after setting up the business. Fast forward to today, Elizabeth-Jayne takes centre stage at the events Sloe Drinks serves, offering a full bar service with a rustic chic look, decorated with accessories like fairy lights and flowers. Alongside Elizabeth-Jayne, Marie also has an industrial wooden bar to cater to indoor parties and cocktail making classes.

Sloe Drinks Co caters to events of all shapes and sizes, from hen and stag do’s, birthdays, corporate events, beer and wine festivals, to weddings big and small. With a small team led by Marie, Sloe Drinks customises the bar service to its clients; creating personalised drink menus from favourite alcohols and drinks to help create an event to remember.

To tie in with the vintage and homely feel, Marie handpicks the alcohol she serves, from local producers like Three Legs, Brewing Brothers, Gun Brewery, Hastings Gin and more to boot, setting her apart from the competition.

“My USP is supporting local producers. I’m working with local gin distilleries, wineries and breweries - there’s a lot of really good local produce in Sussex, and it’s good to support that. People want that more and more these days too; they want to know where things are produced.”

In the few short years since launching, and even despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Marie has secured bookings for Sloe Drinks Co at local food & drinks festivals including Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival, The Sussex Gin Festival, Sanctuary Festival for Hastings Supports Refugees, Downsfest, as well as at the My Christmas Light Trails in Bedgebury Pinetum, and the Sussex Gin Train for the Bluebell Railway to name a few.

“I love people and serving customers. You get to know people - especially when you’re working weddings - its very personal, so that’s really nice. Working on events is really fun, having a laugh and making it fun behind the bar. Learning about new cocktails and getting to know local producers is really nice too.”

- Marie Ashton, owner of Sloe Drinks Co

Fast forward to 2022, Marie thought that her business might benefit from some advice and tips on how to better run things. Under the CHART* programme, Marie received free support from business manager Rupert Kirby at Let’s Do Business Group; where she was able to benefit from free advice and support in the day to day running of her business Sloe Drinks Co, and get practical pointers on her operations. From the support she received, she was able to acquire a new accountant to take some pressure off, and she was able to focus on what she did best.

She also took part in the free social media workshop ran by Let’s Do Business Group and got in touch with Mark from Fresh Online, which helped form a strategic approach towards her marketing and the messages she wanted to put out on social media and her website. Already advertising her business on various wedding and event directories, the guidance she received was able to help her to form a more cohesive approach to her marketing.

“It’s been reassuring to get tips as I’m still growing. As the business grows, things change - so having a good accountant is really important. Talking through that whole process made me realise how important it is.”

As for the future for Sloe Drinks Co, Marie says that the business is booming. With a backlog of weddings and events from COVID-19 still playing out, she’s riding the crest of the wave, fully booked for the summer and taking bookings for up to 2024. Her busy period is set to continue past Christmas time, with a 37 day event booked for November and December.

For more information on Sloe Drinks Co, visit https://www.sloedrinks.co.uk/