David Rowledge, described by Essential magazine as ‘a corkscrew wielding prop forward of a man’, has always had a passion for wine. His inexhaustible knowledge, creative expertise and international contacts have made his Suffolk-based company, Alchemy Wines, the chosen supplier for some of the most high profile outlets in the world.
From China and Japan to the USA, the Middle East, Russia, Africa and Europe, his distinctive selection of Alchemy Wines have become sought-after favourites. In 2010, 80% of sales were in the UK. But gone are the days of selling a million cases of wine to supermarkets at low margins. Now international sales have rocketed, while the home market accounts for only 3%.
This huge change has been driven by founder and managing director, David Rowledge. He has worked in wine since 1989, first with Greene King and Adnams, travelling internationally to learn first hand from top wine producers, before setting up Alchemy in 2002.
His close relationships with vineyard owners in France, Spain, Italy and Australia have developed into creative partnerships to produce world-leading wines such as a Carignan from the south of France from vines that are 100 years old. The bottles even have the GPS location so you can visit the vineyard and meet winemaker Boris Kovac! A Tempranillo, from a single vineyard in Spain, is also from 100-year-old vines.
“I want to give something back when I buy something as a consumer. This appeals to millennials (born between 1980 &1995) and younger consumers aged from 18 to 25. We developed zero-alcohol tea-infused wines for our Community.Co label that give 25p from each bottle to NHS charities. We work with the Vocation Brewery in Halifax to raise funds for The Drinks Trust and created a new Clarets’ Claret for Burnley FC, along with events locally, for Prostate Cancer UK.”
David Rowledge, managing director, Alchemy Wines
Taking classic grapes from 13 different growers and giving some a New World twist to create a distinctive drinking experience is part of what makes the Alchemy brand unique. Using oak barrels is one secret. A D&B Sauvignon Blanc was barrel fermented, a one-off that wowed the market. Curiosity, invention, flexibility and agility are all elements of the company’s success.
Alchemy Wines were of the first companies to move into the Masterlord Office Village. David bought his Beta unit because of its location close to the A14. He added storage locally for stock, now selling by the container load all over the world and through Virgin Wines in the UK.
Apart from creating consistently delicious wines for clients worldwide, there’s much more to Alchemy. It’s about ideas.
“Selling wine is about telling stories. Coming up with new ideas is always exciting. Whether it’s glamping wines in pouches for Japan, new cardboard wine bottles made locally in Wickham Market, a new Kure Oxygen bottled water product, or teaming up with a leading sports personality to create a new range of popular wines, I’m always looking for fresh opportunities.”
David Rowledge
David’s enthusiasm takes him on adventures like climbing Kilimanjaro for EACH. Working through the pandemic, the hotel and export business dried up as vineyards and hospitality closed down. So he turned to online sales from his warehouse of wines – a business lifesaver. “You learn as much on the back foot as you do on the front foot in business,” he adds.
A life changing moment in Sonny Cooper-Sutton’s career arrived in August 2017. He decided to leave his job in London, stop commuting and set up his own recruitment business in Suffolk. He also got married just 15 days before starting the new business, and now has three children!
Red Sector Recruitment was a totally new venture with Sonny’s wife, Yasmin.Now one of the fastest growing recruitment agencies in the UK, it has more than 15 consultants with over 50 years’ combined experience primarily in social care, nursing, veterinary and care work across the UK.
The move to larger offices at Masterlord Office Village was a step change in diversifying and developing the business.Specialist consultants in each market sector allow Red Sector to offer unique expertise for recruitment.
There’s a positive, collaborative feel to Red Sector’s smart open-plan offices on Delta Terrace, where team members enjoy the supportive environment – and the banter.They all headed off to Miami a couple of years ago on an annual trip in recognition of their achievements.
“We work hard for everyone, whether it’s an employer or an individual looking to develop their career. Long-term relationships are the key to our success, built on a solid reputation, transparency and honesty.Masterlord gives us room for expansion in a great business community, with everything on the doorstep.”
Sonny Cooper-Sutton, Red Sector Recruitment
As a family-run business, diversification and controlled growth are the other elements in Red Sector’s success, recently expanding into criminal justice to provide probation officers and substance misuse specialists.The company provides NHS and private nurses and mental health practitioners, social care, even vets heading to Australia.
Red Sector, as an ‘off-contract’ agency, is regularly called in when resources are over-stretched and additional support is needed at short notice.As with most businesses, the pandemic proved challenging, but remote working and out-of-hours access for clients and candidates saw them through. The team are now back in the office and working flat-out to cope with demand.
Behind each door at Masterlord Office Village is a story: of ambition, challenges, vision, expansion – and of course frustration, with all the demands of the last year beyond our control.
Putting the bounce back into Britain is MadFun, one of the UK’s largest independent online retailers of outdoor recreation products. With more people staying at home, this is a growth market, so Sales and Development Director Lizsie Connery took an office at Epsilon House in May to handle expansion, with a new assistant.
If you’ve considered having a trampoline in the garden, chances are it will come from MadFun. (The name comes from Madkins, the company’s owners). When the Independent newspaper ran a survey of garden trampolines this month, four of the top eight recommended trampolines for hours of happy jumping were from MadFun or their associate company, trampolines.co.uk.
Supplying everything from games tables, play houses, above-ground swimming pools and climbing frames, the company is now developing its own range of products.
‘I’ve worked in this market for more than 15 years, joining MadFun in November 2019. We are growing fast, extending our range. My role is to liaise with our factories to design and source our own branded products, take them through testing so they are certified to UK and EU safety standards and bring them to market. Selling direct to customers gives us a competitive edge and a personal relationship.’
Lizsie Connery, Sales and Development Director, MadFun Ltd
The company has designed and sells the largest rectangular trampoline in the world for garden use, measuring a spectacular 23ft by 10ft. The JumpPRO™ Giant is one of the highest specification garden trampolines in the UK. MadFun also offers a professional installation service. Enjoying a strong relationship with all their suppliers, the company sells exclusive brands in the UK shipped in from the Netherlands, and is a market leader in delivering products to the UK despite ever-increasing costs and production challenges.
‘Trampolines are not only fun for all the family, but can be a safe interactive experience for children with learning difficulties or disabilities, under careful supervision.
Bouncing has to be good for Britain!
Choosing and knowing Epsilon House, it was a natural choice when it came to expanding. MadFun.’