Women Who Innovate

Drinks Trolley: Good wines in time of isolation

COVID 2021 UPDATE: Drinks Trolley will continue to support its cherished industry through; supporting family owned wineries - so you get to know them and their stories, discover how resilient they are and why they need your support;  support and collaborate with events and venues who have been hit hard by lockdown; and charity donations to the industry people who need it most.

A way to help everyone involved in hospitality from owners, staff and suppliers.

Mairead Jarrett has been in the liquor industry for 25 years, primarily marketing wine and spirits with a focus on creating innovation and new brands. She is the sister of WOB member, Shauna Jarrett, who brought her to our attention as a great example of a woman who has seen their livelihood impacted by COVID and pivoted to stay afloat during the crisis.

With pubs, bars and bottle shops closing, Mairead was out of a job, a divorced single mother sharing accommodation with a woman in a similar situation and under significant pressure to pay the bills.

Mairead and Jono Jenkins (who had seen the bottom fall out of his wine importing business when his clients were shut down) saw a whole distribution channel had been lost for wine and there was a lot of excess stock in the closed venues.  What if this stock could get out to consumers who could then enjoy restaurant only wines in their homes?   This would help the venue, keep Mairead and Jono in touch with people and make sure there was something for them to come back to when everything is back up and running.

So The Drinks Trolley was born - a business that accesses restaurant only wines and sells them at a very reduced rate to consumers.  The selection is constantly changing as The Drinks Trolley works with different venues and wineries to keep the variety.

So we see two things out of this, a shift in the way wine is wholesaled and an amazing option for people to drink great wine at incredible  prices.

Visit The Drinks Trolley - https://www.drinkstrolley.com.au/
Read more at https://www.moneymag.com.au/making-it-work-drinks-trolley