Shorts Boy Distillery seeks £250,000

Tidal Rum maker Shorts Boy Distillery is looking to raise £250,000 (US$317,600) to help it expand globally.

The British startup, co-founded by Harry Coulthard and Ben Clyde-Smith in 2019, has seen an average year-on-year growth of 123%. It also doubled bottle sales year on year from July 2022 to July 2023.

In 2022, it expanded into cruise and travel retail, at major UK airports and P&O Cruises, and the company has also recently agreed a deal to supply its rum to Lord’s Cricket Ground in London for the summer of cricket.

Now Shorts Boy Distillery is looking to widen Tidal Rum’s presence beyond the UK – to France, Germany, and other European markets.

Coulthard said: “Our ambition for Tidal Rum is to become a globally recognised name in the ultra-premium rum category and own the craft rum space. We aim to bring our unique spirits to rum enthusiasts, elevating the category while expanding our footprint in key markets across Europe and beyond.”

The rum is a blend of four cask-matured rums from Jamaica, Barbados, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad. It is infused with pepper dulse seaweed, which is a botanical found on the shores of Jersey in the Channel Islands.

The distillery is based in Jersey.

Shorts Boy said it would use proceeds to enhance internal sales and marketing efforts; ensure operational stability and prevent inventory shortages; invest in expanding the distribution network within the EU; maintain presence in travel retail; and develop new products, which includes an upcoming Tidal Spiced variant.

More details on the investment opportunity can be found on Seedrs.

Previously, Shorts Boy Distillery launched a crowdfunding campaign to expand to the UK on-trade, where it reached its target of £150,000 (US$204,600) with seven days left.