What began as a kitchen table side hustle for Exmouth couple Tim and Ria Ball is now making waves in supermarket aisles across Devon. Bar Buoy Cocktails, the nautical cocktail brand born on the beach, has just secured a regional listing with Co-op, with two of their ready-to-drink cocktails now available in 26 stores across the county.
Founded at the end of 2020 during the thick of home schooling and lockdowns, Bar Buoy was initially a mail-order business, with cocktails being mixed by hand in the evenings after the children had gone to bed.
In 2021, local hospitality venues began to take notice, asking if Bar Buoy could supply larger format bottles to help speed up service without compromising on taste. The brand quickly pivoted from direct-to-consumer to also serve the hospitality trade, all while Tim and Ria juggled day jobs and parenting.
“Bar Buoy started off as a side hustle,” says co-founder Tim Ball. “I had a tongue-in-cheek New Year’s resolution to make the perfect Margarita and when lockdown hit I got a lot of practice! As soon as we were allowed to meet friends outside again I started taking thermos flasks of my cocktail to the beach. Everyone loved it and the question was soon asked “Why don’t you bottle it?” So we did. After a while it became clear that there was a real business opportunity, so we took a leap of faith, moved away from the kitchen table into a nearby studio and started to lay down some solid foundations for the business to grow.”
By the end of 2022, they made the bold decision to go all in – quitting their jobs to run Bar Buoy full-time. The team grew with the addition of Toby Smith, who now helps oversee production and events, and in 2023, the business moved into a 2,000 sq ft commercial premises complete with production facilities, warehousing, office space, and a tasting room for private events.
In 2024, Bar Buoy achieved SALSA accreditation, a key milestone that enables them to supply larger hospitality chains and national supermarkets. But even with the growth, their core values haven’t changed.
“Sustainability and provenance have always been at the heart of the business. Every Bar Buoy cocktail is mixed using premium spirits and high-quality ingredients, sourced locally wherever possible.” says Ria Ball. “Our latest range of canned cocktails have been months in the making because we wanted to produce cocktails that we’re proud of, that taste authentic and that our customers will enjoy drinking at every sip.”
Now available in Co-op are two of Bar Buoy’s cocktails, including the best-loved zesty Margarita and a brand new Pineapple Daiquiri made with Salcombe Rum. Both come in 125ml recyclable cans, with a 14% and 12.8% ABV respectively.
“We’re absolutely delighted that Co-op recognises the importance of buying local. Through our membership with Taste of the West, we were invited to a meeting with the regional buyers and we were thrilled that they loved our products and their provenance, and agreed to list two of them in Devon stores. Particularly because one of the products chosen was our award-winning Margarita – so it turns out that Tim achieved his New Year’s resolution after all!” continues Ria.
You can now find Bar Buoy Cocktails in the seasonal/local aisle at 26 Co-op stores in Devon – or visit barbuoy.co.uk to order direct and learn more.
