Sales of Banbury firm’s DIY wine kits soar by 650% in lockdown

Sandy Leaf Farm, based in Thorpe Place, sells unique do-it-yourself kits for cheese, wine and gin makers.

Its services seem to have been a dream come true for many people stuck at home during the enforced lockdown to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since the Government’s stay-at-home order in March, sales of Sandy Leaf’s wine kits have ballooned by 650 per cent.

Across the company’s range of products, sales have soared by 400 per cent.

Dr Scott MacDonald, managing director, said: “Our busiest time is usually over Christmas, but the trend in making your own products from home is proving extremely popular at the moment.

“Since the start of lockdown, our sales have shot up by 400 per cent.

“The DIY wine and gin making kits have sold far more than they usually would, with sales of the wine making kits up by 650 per cent since this time last year.

He said: “To keep up with this demand, selling on Amazon has been helpful during this time, especially when it’s been difficult to meet orders, as they deal with fulfilment, logistics and dispatch which speeds things up and is one less thing to worry about.

“It gives us more time to research, create and manufacture new products, tapping into popular consumer trends such as make-your-own bubble tea or colour changing gin and means we can make a product from start to finish in just four weeks.

“It also means we can continue selling to our customers outside the UK, as people everywhere are looking for things to do at home.

“It’s great to hear that our DIY craft kits are providing entertainment to so many households who are trying to cope with social distancing, receiving positive feedback from our customers makes it all worth it.”

Dr MacDonald and Gabriel Yao set up Sandy Leaf Farm five years ago.

They were inspired by Scott’s grandmother’s homemade ginger beer and decided they wanted to share their love of creating exciting products from the comfort of your own home.

The company’s sales success is not confined to the UK.

Its products sell across Europe, USA, Australia and Singapore.

Dr MacDonald added: “With the world now in lockdown, people are wanting to discover fun things to do at home, and our DIY wine and gin kits are proving particularly popular.”

Last year, the business was shortlisted at the first Amazon Small Business Awards for the Innovative Small Business of the Year Award category.

Dr MacDonald said: “Having our efforts recognised by Amazon was a fantastic achievement and we were honoured to be on the shortlist with some of the leading small businesses in the UK.”