MY WEXO Experience: Interning @ Sipsmith
From my first day at Sipsmith I could never have imagined that I would be involved in so many different roles and responsibilities in such a relatively short period of time. From consumer samplings in Selfridges, to travelling the length and breadth of the country promoting the brand and training staff, to watching the Kooks at a festival in Suffolk, there was never a dull moment in the three months I spent at Sipsmith.
Working for a small company could not have been more beneficial to me as an intern as it allowed to gain a huge amount of experience in a variety of different areas, and exposed me to the excitements of being part of a relatively new, independent venture. There really were far too many roles within Sipsmith to cover in this space, but here are just a few of the more important and enjoyable ones:
• Consumer samplings in stores across London to increase sales and increase consumer awareness of Sipsmith
• Visiting on-trade accounts at hotels, pubs and cocktail bars, and new venues to try and increase on-trade sales
• Researching foreign drinks markets to help Sipsmith make more informed decisions when exporting its products
• Delivering stock to accounts in London
• Visiting industry trade shows and festivals across the country
The energy and passion of the Sipsmith founders is infectious and unavoidable, and their genuine love for producing the finest hand-crafted spirits rubs off, not just on the other members of the team, but also on anyone who visits the distillery or is a guest on one of the legendary tours. Throughout my time at Sipsmith I really felt as though I was part of something, that the work I did was of some importance and that I was not there just to make the tea! It was hard work but incredibly rewarding, and I certainly have a lot to show for the three months I worked at the first copper distillery in London for almost 200 years.
This was a paid role and throughout this process WEXO were incredibly helpful, both at finding internship opportunities that suited my needs and interests, and also supporting me during the period I was actually working. I would certainly recommend them to anyone looking to find employment opportunities.
Ed Gillespie
