How we started our own micro-brewery business

Many people start their own business because they dream of riches, while others simply want to earn a living from something they truly love. The latter is true of Liverpool-based Grateful Dead fan John Marsden and his wife Julie, who set up The Melwood Beer Company in 2013.

“For many years I’d dreamt of running a microbrewery business with my wife, Julie. I’m passionate about beer, but I don’t like the mass-produced, watery, gassy stuff you get in pubs and supermarkets.

“In March 2013 we opened The Melwood Beer Company. We make high-quality beers that taste great and are totally natural – we don’t use chemicals. To start the business, I used earnings from my work as a self-employed hospital operating theatre technician and Julie worked as an administrator at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

“Our premises are special. I’d mentioned to a patient that I was looking to open a microbrewery and she told me about an old dairy near her house” John Marsden

Ideal premises

“Our premises really are special. I’d mentioned to a patient that I was looking to open a microbrewery and she told me about an old dairy near her house, which until recently had been home to one of the North West’s first craft breweries.

“After seeing them, we just had to have them. They were perfect, and in such a beautiful setting near to Knowsley Safari Park – some days you can actually see the rhinos and zebras. Our offer was accepted and as a result we started the business sooner than anticipated. It all happened so quickly.

“We fitted the place out with all the necessary tanks and equipment and worked with a brilliant local welder. We also had to source supplies, create our website and develop our branding, as well as try to win our first customers, but come the end of March our first supply of beer was ready.

“We installed a five-barrel system, which enabled us to produce up to 800 litres per brew, which is 20 casks, each containing 72 pints. We had four fermenters, which gave us the capability to brew up to four times a week [ie 80 casks], providing the demand was there.”

In December 2015, John and Julie moved into The Kennels – a larger building which used to house the estate’s gun dogs. The extra space enabled John and Julie to finally do everything they were planning – with dedicated rooms for bottling, kegging, casking and tasting. In May 2016, they were visited in their new premises by the crew of Food Unwrapped who filmed the brewing of a special beer.

“All our beers are single malt varieties and their names are inspired mostly by bands, singers or songs” John Marsden

Grateful Dead

“Music is my other great passion and I play Hammond organ in a Grateful Dead tribute band. All our beers are single malt varieties and their names are inspired mostly by bands, singers or songs.

“We do an ‘Icons of Rock’ series and our first was Mojo Rising [The Doors/Jim Morrison], then there was Fools Gold [The Stone Roses]. Julie also developed an ale called Knowsley Blonde. A while ago, she made a beer called Father Ted, in honour of her late father. We also produce one called Citradelic, which is very popular.

“Our branding incorporates the famous Grateful Dead lightening bolt skull logo, which was originally created by the band’s soundman Owsley Stanley in the 1960s. Sadly, he died in 2011, but I emailed his family to ask permission to use the logo and they said yes.

“We plan to start selling branded clothing through our website, which will hopefully help to raise our profile. I used our home-based computer to create our website and branding and I produce all of our pump clips, stationery, labels, etc at home. As well as saving money, I enjoy doing it. I get a real buzz from seeing the pump clips in public.

“Brewing beer involves a lot of hard work, but it doesn’t feel like it because I love it so much” John Marsden

Labour of love

“The name of our business is inspired by Liverpool FC’s [former] training complex, which is close to our home. Brewing beer involves a lot of hard work, but it doesn’t feel like it because I love it so much. It’s not like a job. Our beers are very good – the reaction has been brilliant – and with our passion and commitment, I’m confident our business will do well. We’ve sell to wholesalers in Yorkshire and Greater Manchester and our sales in Merseyside continue to grow.

“I don’t know whether the business will make us rich, but I’d be happy if it generated a wage for us both. If it does make us rich, that would be the icing on the cake, but just to be able to walk into a pub and see people enjoying our beer means we’ve already achieved a long-held dream.” 

“Find a way to be special – that way people will buy your products rather than someone else’s” John Marsden

John’s three top tips

• “Base your business on something you love. That way it won’t seem like work and it will drive you on when the going gets tough”

• “Ask for help from other businesses. We’ve had some really useful free advice from other brewers on Merseyside – you really wouldn’t believe how helpful people have been.”

• “You must set yourself apart from your competitors. Find a way to be special – that way people will buy your products rather than someone else’s.”

• This profile appeared originally on the Start Up Donut website. John and Julie went on to open their own successful micropub, The Bard, in Prescot on Merseyside.

The Flip-Flop Philanthropist

Rob Forkan has been on an incredible journey. With younger brother Paul he runs Gandys, which uses some of its profits to help orphans in India – just one reason this fast-growing flip-flop brand continues to win admirers. Rob’s amazing story, which includes surviving the 2004 tsunami that claimed his parents’ lives, as told to Mark Williams, proves that some good can come out of the most terrible tragedy.

Rob Forkan (pictured above right) was born in 1987 in Carshalton and grew up in Croydon. “Our upbringing wasn’t unconventional,” he says, “but mum and dad always encouraged us to go outside and play. Being a couch potato wasn’t an option.”

Kevin and Sandra Forkan were compassionate, fun loving, generous parents

Kevin and Sandra Forkan were compassionate, fun loving, generous parents. “Mum was creative; dad was good at business. They met while working for a car dealership. Later, they ran their own business, selling end-of-line clothes via fashion shows at universities, schools and hospitals. They’d donate back money raised from ticket sales and raffles.”

Rob didn’t have any career ambitions as a child, but showed some entrepreneurial instinct. “I remember earning money from washing people’s cars,” he smiles.

Humanitarian projects

The Forkans had six children – Marie, Joanne, Rob, Paul, Matty and Rosie. They enjoyed travelling and wanted their children to experience other cultures, so, in 2001, after selling their house, Kevin and Sandra took their youngest children out of school and headed for India, a place they’d fallen in love with on a previous holiday. The plan was to volunteer for humanitarian projects. “I was 13, Paul was 11, Matty was nine and Rosie just five,” Rob remembers. “Marie and Joanne were older and stayed in the UK.”

Despite the extreme hardship they witnessed, the Forkans loved India and enjoyed mixing with local people. “We received a ‘social education’,” says Rob. “We were learning communication and negotiating skills and became very confident because we were mainly mixing with adults. There are many life skills that you’re not going to learn from a school text book or classroom in the UK.”

The full force of the tsunami hit Weligama, with a 20-foot wave devastating the hotel, sending water raging through every room

Asian tsunami

Shortly before Christmas 2004, the Forkans flew south to Sri Lanka, their destination, the Neptune Hotel in the small fishing village of Weligama. After a hugely enjoyable Christmas Day on the beach, horror followed on Boxing Day.

“Paul and I were sharing a room and it was just after 8.30am that I heard screams outside,” Rob recalls. On seeing water trickling under the door, he shouted to Paul. Then, the full force of the tsunami hit Weligama, with a 20-foot wave devastating the hotel, sending water raging through every room. “We had to fight for our lives,” says Rob.

He managed to get out of the room and onto the roof, dragging Paul with him. Nearby, while making sure Matty and Rosie got to safety, Rob’s parents were swept away by the water’s force. That was the last time he saw them alive. Kevin was 54 years old; his wife Sandra, just 40.

Mercifully, all four children survived. And while bruised, battered, hungry, exhausted, barefoot and traumatised by what had happened, they managed to hitchhike 120 miles to the international airport in Colombo. “Because we’d been out there doing what we were doing, we’d toughened up a lot,” reflects Rob.

Rob’s parents were swept away by the water’s force. That was the last time he saw them alive

Free spirits

Some time after flying back to the UK, eldest sister Marie (then 21) adopted her three youngest siblings (Rob was too old for adoption) and they went to live in Hampshire. Rob worked briefly as a lifeguard on Bournemouth Beach, before moving back to Farnborough and finding jobs in customer service and advertising/marketing account management.

Neither Rob nor Paul had lost their wanderlust and they explored many countries in South East Asia, as well India, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Most of the time they wore flip-flops – a symbol of their freedom. Having trained to be a plumber, Paul ended up in Australia, doing various jobs to get by. But inspired by their parents, Rob and Paul remained free spirits.

I wanted to start my own business and create a brand that reflected our upbringing and the outlook our parents gave us

“Despite everything, I still wanted to make a difference,” Rob explains. “I wanted to start my own business and create a brand that reflected our upbringing and the outlook our parents gave us. Many families were devastated by the Tsunami, and many children, like us, were left orphaned. They didn’t have the support we had. I wanted to help.”

After a heavy night at a music festival, Rob woke up with a terrible hangover. “I remember saying I had a ‘mouth like Gandhi’s flip-flop’… That was it! Not only did I have my business idea, but also the beginnings of a brand name. Later I rang Paul and he loved the idea. Soon he returned to the UK and in late 2011 we launched the business – Gandys – from my flat in Brixton. We changed the name because we didn’t want to cause any offence.”

Passion, change, hope and inspire are key words for us

Orphans for Orphans

From the start, the Forkan brothers decided to give a percentage of their profits over to building orphanages in India as part of their ‘Orphans for Orphans’ campaign. “The idea is to improve children’s health and access to education,” explains Rob. “Passion, change, hope and inspire are key words for us.”

2016 was a watershed year for Gandys. They collaborated with Liberty London, the V&A museum and the Rolling Stones on limited edition flip flops – which are now being worn by over 250,000 ‘brand ambassadors’. They also extended the brand further by launching their first clothing range – which included jumpers, jeans and swimwear – and they opened their first stores. The Forkan brothers have ambitious plans for the year ahead too! In addition to their Kids’ Campus in Sri Lanka, they will be building a second campus in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Final question: would mum and dad be proud? Rob replies: “I get asked that a lot and always struggle to answer… I feel like we’ve only just started, so I’m not ready to step back and assess things. We have great products and a great brand, and I’m very proud that our success will help to improve the lives of children who really need that help. Our parents remain a great inspiration for us, too…. Would they be proud of what we’re doing? Yes, I think they would…”

• This profile appeared originally on the Start Up Donut website. Since it was written, profits generated by Gandys sales have helped to build four kids campuses worldwide. The Forkans' good work continues.

Business ideas – the good, the bad and the crazy

One expert and three business owners discuss business ideas and how success can sometimes come from seemingly foolish thoughts.

Although a few businesses ideas are unique, many involve what Kevin Duncan describes as “conceptual blending”, which is taking an idea and applying it in a new context. “Add the delivery mechanism of a biro to stick deodorant and you invent roll-on deodorant,” he explains.

Duncan is a business adviser, marketing expert and author of more than 20 books for small businesses, including The Ideas Book: 50 Ways to Generate Ideas Visually. “Anyone can have a business idea,” he continues. “But if enough people aren’t willing to buy it to cover your costs and generate enough profit – you have no business.”

Asking potential customers as early as possible what they think of your business idea – and how much they would pay for it – is essential. “Before starting up, the founders of Innocent set up a stall at a jazz festival with ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bins. All people had to do was lob their empty smoothie container into one bin or the other. Easy, fast, reliable market research.”

“Many advisers say you should ‘always be in beta’, but I disagree. Get it right at the beginning and get on with it.”

Promising ideas can be refined, says Duncan, who believes you should test fast, then decide. “Many advisers say you should ‘always be in beta’, but I disagree. Get it right at the beginning and then get on with it.”

Duncan also believes in speaking to experts if you lack technical knowledge, because their input can make a big difference. “When testing business ideas you must be brutally honest,” Duncan stresses. “If it’s rubbish, start again. And again. If your ideas are never good enough, admit it and give up. It could save you a lot of time, money and grief.”

Recipe for success

“I came up with the idea while sitting at home thinking there had to be a better way to cook great meals without all the hard work,” recalls Timo Boldt. “Having to find recipes, go shopping, and weigh ingredients was painful, while inevitably you end up wasting food. I thought if someone could fix this for less than the supermarkets charge, it would be insanely amazing.”

Boldt started London-based Gousto in 2012 with friend James Carter. Customers can visit the website, pick recipes and then order pre-measured ingredients to ensure no waste, which soon arrive at their door. “We made many small changes before launching, but our first real customer feedback triggered much bigger changes,’ Schmidt confesses.

“Customer feedback is vital. We still obsess about listening to our customers – they drive our product roadmap.”

Soon they were testing their recipes from market stalls, where reaction was overwhelmingly positive, but they were still able to learn. Boldt says it’s essential to test a business idea thoroughly before committing time and money. “Customer feedback is vital. We still obsess about listening to our customers – they drive our entire product roadmap,” he says.

In less than four years Gousto has scaled to now support more than 200 jobs, selling millions of meals per year. It has attracted £20m of investment, while ex-LOVEFILM CEO, Simon Calver, now sits on the company’s board. Always seeking new ideas, Gousto has launched apps to make ordering even more convenient, while introducing more choice to the menu (which now features dishes created by Theo Randall and Mary Berry, as well as wine and desserts). “You must take time to develop ideas – but sometimes it does take a leap of faith,” Boldt smiles.

“While enjoying food and drink with friends, Kahana lifted up his feet. He wondered why most socks looked so boring.”

Socks appeal

Gil Kahana and Humberto De Sousa became friends while studying communication design at Central Saint Martins. One day they were enjoying food and drink with friends and as Kahana relaxed he lifted up his feet. He wondered why most socks looked so boring. Then he got around to thinking how much better socks could be if animated with characters (“almost like wearing sock puppets on your feet”).

“I suggested the idea to Humberto and asked if he would like to collaborate. Then we started to meet up once a week to progress the idea, because we both had full-time jobs,” he says. “We drew quirky faces onto white socks, to see what worked best. At first we didn’t really have any business ambitions, but it grew. We then asked people on the street in London for their views on personal expression through clothing. It confirmed our thinking: the characters on our socks should only become visible when shoes were taken off.”

Chatty Feet launched in 2012 and feedback was mostly positive, says Kahana. “One blog made a negative comment, but it didn’t stop us,” he adds. Now with such characters as Kate Middle-Toe, Prof Brian Sox, Andy Sock-Hole, they sell socks in 27 designs in nine countries. “Last year we doubled our unit sales and we’re currently looking to open up new overseas markets,” Kahana reveals.

When seeking feedback, Kahana recommends having a prototype. “Then people can see exactly what you’re talking about. Also carry out research to make sure someone hasn’t already got there. Discussing your ideas with others can be beneficial, but make sure you’re in a stimulating environment. You should feel able to express your thoughts. Some people see the world in strict paradigms; they struggle with new ideas. Don’t listen to them,” he advises.

“The Dragons abused me in their typical style – even saying that my product was dangerous. Afterwards I was angry, but determined to show them.”

Buoyant sales

Kevin Moseley was a swimming instructor in Lancashire in the late-1980s. For a fun way to end lessons he would pretend to be a shark and swim around the pool wearing a fin made from two polystyrene kickboards. One day a child asked if he could try the fin, because it looked fun. Moseley experienced his own eureka moment, realising the commercial potential.

“Over some years I created, tested and improved prototypes,” he remembers. “I’d taken out a trade mark and had patents pending when I was invited to appear on Dragons’ Den in 2006. The Dragons abused me in their typical style – even saying that my product was dangerous. Afterwards I was angry, but determined to show them.”

Kevin remortgaged his home, borrowed from the bank, cashed in his life savings and sold his swimming school business to raise start-up capital. “It was a huge gamble, risking everything on an idea seeking to change the way swimming is taught around the world. I could never have been 100 per cent sure it would succeed,’ he confesses.

Moseley modified his product, had it tested rigorously against international safety standards. “I spent 18 months on R&D. You can’t launch a swimming aid without thorough testing – parents must be able to trust your products.” Then he found a manufacturer and launched Northampton-based SwimFin in 2008, running the business from his garage.

“In our first year we sold about 70,000 units in 46 countries overseas – a promising start. Now we export to more than 100 countries, have 44 exclusive international distributors and in the next year we hope to sell our one millionth SwimFin. We have a range of products, but the pioneering SwimFin is still the bestseller. I’m very proud of my idea and the business.”

• Written for The Guardian Small Business Network by Dead Good Content founder, Mark Williams.