LDC Top 50 2025

Q&A

Tell me about your international ambitions

Craig: We did 18 countries in 18 months with our first three customers. During 2020, we started talking to the biggest wine and spirits wholesaler in the US: a $25 billion behemoth. They made the crazy decision to leave their supplier of 16 years to work with a little company from Scotland and we kicked off across 47 states with 10,000 sales reps. I moved out here with my family three days after we signed that contract. Two of my kids now have American accents.

Ben: 70 per cent of our £16 million revenue now comes from the US. We may have the biggest customer base in the US but there’s the rest of the market to go after now.

What’s the hardest thing you have dealt with?

Craig: Because we have grown so fast, we faced 10 years’ worth of challenges in a single year. We were fighting multiple fires at once, mostly stuff outside our control. We made some bad hires, we had a bereavement in our C-suite, we were down to two weeks’ cash at one point, we were sued – unfairly. It was hell but I am a war-time leader. I don’t like it when everything is on fire, but I like putting them out.

What next for Hyble?

Ben: The next step will be to move into adjacent verticals like food service, soft drinks and desserts. We don’t have to change our product much to do that. Further in the future we have an eye on beauty, pharmaceuticals and hospitality. I have confidence in our ability and this company, and we like to challenge ourselves.

Craig: We now employ 130 people and hit profitability last year. The business is flying and we’ll hit £50m in the next few years.