Created over Cocktails
Welcome to the very first 52North blog! Here, we’ll be sharing our journey – the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Expect insights on industry trends, behind the scenes updates and a glimpse of what’s next for 52North.
Your voice matters, so don’t hesitate to get in touch if there’s something you’d like us to cover or simply to share your thoughts.
How 52North Was Born
Let’s rewind to the beginning: the origin story of 52North.
It all started when I met my person during my corporate career. You know that rare feeling when you meet someone and just know they’ll be in your life for the long haul? Someone who’s got your back, challenges you in the best way, and makes collaboration effortless — whether you agree or disagree.
That’s exactly what it was like with Gemma and me.
The Idea Sparked Over Cocktails
After a decade in sales and marketing, we found ourselves one evening (over several cocktails, naturally) deciding we wanted more. A new challenge, the chance to work for ourselves, and the opportunity to create something with real longevity.
In true corporate style, we set up a “pitch meeting” with each other, Dragons’ Den style, to throw around business ideas. There were some strong contenders, but the one that stood out was in the drinks industry. We’d seen the gin boom, and research showed rum and tequila were tipped to be the next big thing.
Rum won outright — partly thanks to Gemma’s love for it, and partly thanks to my hatred (yes you read that right).
Our simple hypothesis: if we could craft a rum that even I enjoyed, we might just attract new people to the category and carve out a real point of difference.
And The Rest, As They Say, Is History
It felt achievable, too. Between us, we had years of experience launching consumer products and bringing ideas to market. Those skills, we hoped, would transfer into something new and exciting. And so we took the leap, and here we are.
Join us on the Journey
This blog is just the beginning, We’ll be sharing our experiences,m insights & lessons learned as we grow 52North.
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