Artisan gin specialist boosts growth thanks to university

A Northumberland based spirits company has boosted its business development activities through Northumbria University’s Business Clinic.

Established in 2016, Northumberland Spirit Company began in the potting shed of founder Neil Osborne, and has since gone on to generate an average annual turnover of £300k.

Neil Osborne, Northumberland Spirit Company founder and director, explained: “From the outset the business has grown organically but we know there is huge untapped potential in the heritage gin market.

“We needed a practical approach to capitalise on it, but most importantly, a plan that would allow us to build the business in a manageable and sustainable way.”

The Alnwick-based firm approached the university’s business school to improve its marketing strategy and look at new ways of maximising brand awareness outside of the region.

As part of the Business Clinic initiative, four Northumbria University marketing students were assigned to the firm to research a strategy and support its growth plans.

Speaking about the project, Neil continued: “We have already begun to implement elements of their strategy, particularly in relation to Firestorm, which we launched in January.

“They addressed the brief well and gave us a lot to think about.”

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