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Rum and cricket are two of the first things that will spring to many people’s mind when they think of the Caribbean – hence the delight of the founders of a Jersey rum brand on securing a deal to serve their spirit at a test match between England and the West Indies next month.
Shorts Boy Distillery, which makes Tidal Rum by blending aged Caribbean spirits with the rare seaweed Pepper Dulse, harvested around the Jersey coastline, secured the pouring deal at Lord’s Cricket Ground on the back of a successful crowdfunding initiative to finance the expansion of the brand.
Spectators at the England v West Indies match at the 'Home of Cricket', as well as those attending a match against the touring Sri Lankan team in September, will be able to buy a range of cocktails using Tidal Run and mixers including ginger ale, cola and lime soda.
Harry Coulthard, who started the venture with his Jersey-born business partner Ben Clyde-Smith while the duo were students at Manchester University, said: "We are immensely proud to have been invited to serve our rum to cricket fans at one of the world’s most iconic cricket grounds.
"It's a massive boost for us and should pave the way to further expansion through building relationships with some of the bigger retailers."
Pictured: Tidal Rum will be served at Lord's this summer, including for the test match between England, captained by Ben Stokes, and the West Indies
Having already secured around 60% of its goal of £250,000 in investment to expand the business, the company went beyond 90% of the target within two days of the public launch, and Mr Coulthard said there was potential to "overfund" the investment drive, enabling the company to step up the expansion of the brand.
Tidal Rum was launched in 2019, and the founders have ambitions to increase annual sales by 200% to 100,000 bottles in 2024 – and to double again in 2025.
The brand is stocked by several local retailers as well as a growing number of bars and restaurants, and has attracted a following in coastal areas of England such as Cornwall and Brighton, as well as in London.
Mr Coulthard said: "Our investors include a significant proportion of people based in Jersey, with a mix of previous backers and those who've heard about our rum and wanted to get involved, which is exciting."
As part of the online “prospectus” being used to attract investors, the founders outline the brand’s popularity with both male and female consumers, its versatility as a base for cocktails or as a sipping rum, and the potential to expand further into European markets, notably France, Germany and Greece.
In addition to Tidal Rum, the business – which trades as Shorts Boy Distillery – set up a unique venture in partnership with P&O Cruises last year. This involves the manufacture of the spiced rum Golden Tide, made with Bajan rum and flavoured with six botanicals, in a still on board P&O’s cruise ship Arvia.
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Pictured - top: spectators at Lord's will be able to enjoy rum cocktails at the 'Home of Cricket'.
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