Bottled cocktail company BarBuoy has moved into new commercial premises in Exmouth. Eight times larger than their previous unit, it enables the team to increase production and run ad-hoc tasting events.
Now located in Units 4 & 5 Enterprise Row on Victoria Way in Exmouth, the new premises includes ‘goods in’ and ‘goods out’ warehouse space, a secure production area and a separate office / tasting room. It’s a big change for the business which was started around the kitchen table by husband and wife team Ria and Tim Ball in 2021.
“We were incredibly lucky to have found and secured these units which allows the business to grow, yet also remain in the heart of Exmouth and just a stone’s throw from the sea.” says co-founder Ria Ball. “When we launched, we got our house licensed and for the first six months ran everything from there. Our front room looked like a mini Amazon warehouse with all the boxes! We soon moved into a corner unit on St Andrews Road which consisted of a small production space with a storeroom / packing room on the side. But within a year we’d outgrown this too and so began renting shipping containers to store raw materials such as glass bottles and packaging whilst we searched for our next premises. As soon as we saw the units on Enterprise Row we knew the location was perfect and we also knew that, with a bit of tlc, the units themselves would be perfect too. We’ve worked hard all summer on the refit and we were delighted to have got it ready in time for our first ever BarBuoy HQ tasting event that we ran as part of the Taste East Devon festival. It felt like quite a milestone being able to invite guests to our own place to show off the BarBuoy brand along with our cocktails.”
Co-founder Tim continues: “We sell our bottled cocktails to a number of retailers and hospitality venues all across the South West as well direct to consumers via our online store. We wanted a space that could accommodate production and order packing as well as give us an area that could be used as a ‘tasting room’. Bottled cocktails are relatively new products in the drinks market and one of our challenges is to convey their quality along with how easy it is to serve them. This tasting space will enable us to invite new and potential customers to visit so we can demonstrate exactly this.”
As well as the premises move, BarBuoy has also taken on a fourth team member, Nigel Hough to assist with production and deliveries.
Tim concludes “This year has been all about knuckling down and laying foundations for growth. We’ve got ourselves into a really fantastic position and we’re excited for 2024 and the potential we now have.”
The full range of BarBuoy Cocktails are available to buy at www.barbuoy.co.uk and select lines are available in retailers across Devon. Hospitality venues interested in serving BarBuoy cocktails should contact tim@barbuoy.co.uk.
