Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
What duty changes on spirits are expected in the upcoming HMRC budget announcement?
Members anticipate a spirits duty increase of 30–35p per 70cl bottle of 40% ABV (roughly £0.20–£0.29 per litre), with the announcement expected on 27 October. However, there is uncertainty: if the government states "no change to government policy" on spirits duty, this will in effect trigger an automatic 4.9% rise in line with RPI. The government is expected to simplify the duty structure by targeting growth categories (pre-mixed drinks, seltzer) while being gentler on UK beer—the most vocal complainants. Members also highlight ongoing industry lobbying through the BDA and WSTA to scrap the duty stamp scheme, which was introduced post-Brexit to prevent cross-border duty arbitrage but is now seen as unnecessary bureaucracy. There is frustration that craft-producer relief schemes (similar to the US Craft Beverage Modernisation and Tax Reform Act model) remain blocked by lobbying from large spirits producers, despite years of campaigning.
What is a reasonable budget for Shopify website development?
A £10k quote for Shopify development is considered high by the community. Typical costs depend heavily on complexity and whether you're using an existing theme vs. bespoke coding. **Pricing benchmarks:** - **Theme-based builds (no custom coding):** £1,500–£3,000. Members report paying around this range when a designer provides the design and a developer simply implements it on a Shopify theme. - **Hourly rates:** £30–£50/hour is typical. One member suggests calculating whether the quoted hours are realistic—a £10k quote at £50/hour implies 200 hours of work; consider whether that's justified for a theme build. - **Negotiation expected:** One member received a £10k quote that dropped to £6k within an hour of feedback, suggesting initial quotes are often inflated and should be challenged. - **Bespoke/custom coding:** Half the theme price or slightly more, depending on complexity. **Recommended developers:** - **Simon (Simongreenbox@gmail.com):** South African-based developer who has worked for multiple members. Charged £1,500 for a full build five years ago; now around £50/hour. - **Valley Gal (Sarah at valleygal.co.uk):** Email marketing and e-commerce optimization specialist; members recommend checking they provide a fully editable site and clarity on ongoing support needs. **Key considerations:** - Ensure the final build is fully editable by you and doesn't lock you into ongoing development costs unless necessary. - If e-commerce is a core revenue channel, budget for continuous improvement and conversion-rate work (one member invests ~£2,000/month on this). - Get multiple quotes and don't accept the first price.
What are typical salary ranges and costs for hiring marketing managers, production managers, and marketing agencies for a growing drinks brand?
Members report the following ranges for key hires and services: **Marketing & Brand Management:** - **Brand Manager (in-house)** — £40–45k for decent candidates; £50–60k+ for strong performers. **Marketing & PR Services:** - **PR Agency** — Starting around £3–5k for passable service, though members note this is often not worth the investment. - **Freelance PR Expert** — £1–2k per month, often preferred over agencies as they offer flexibility and can be highly effective. - **Social Media Agency** — Around £4–5k, though members note these struggle to combine strategy, copywriting, and design well. - **Freelance Social Media Specialists** — More difficult to find as a single person rarely combines all required skills (strategy, copywriting, design); members suggest dissecting your priorities and finding specialists in those specific areas rather than expecting one person to do it all. **Key Caveat:** Members emphasise that "cheap" agencies (£1–2k) will be "pointless" — quality work requires appropriate investment. The fractional/freelancer route is often more cost-effective than full-service agencies, provided you can clearly define what you need.
What are the key changes to alcohol duty rates under the new budget, and how do different spirit categories and ABV levels affect duty liability?
The new budget restructures alcohol duty around five bands based primarily on alcohol strength (ABV), with the same duty rate per litre of pure alcohol applied across all product types within each band—with limited exceptions. **Structure and key features:** - Duty is levied per litre of pure alcohol, standardised within each of the five bands - The 3.5–8.4% ABV band applies the same rate for wine, made-wine and spirits, with a slightly reduced rate for beer and a much reduced rate for "plain" cider (fruit ciders remain taxed as made-wine) - Spirits at standard spirits strength (typically 40% ABV and above, e.g. whisky) fall into the highest duty band and will face the steepest tax - Lower-strength products (below 8.5% ABV) are treated equivalently regardless of whether they are wine, made-wine, beer, cider or spirits **Winners and losers:** - **Sparkling wine** and lower-strength products benefit from reduced rates - **High-strength table wines** will see increased duty - **RTDs and spirits-based drinks below 8.5% ABV** qualify for "craft" producer reduced rates if produced by eligible small producers - **Craft spirits producers at full strength** are notably excluded from reduced-rate eligibility, despite the artisan sector's comparable claims to support **Industry context:** - The Scotch Whisky Association has already flagged the changes as negative for the sector - Some producers of fortified made-wines and spirits-based flavoured drinks may switch to spirits classification, as ethyl alcohol offers cost advantages over fermented alcohol as a base ingredient - This represents a shift from the "cooler" regime (1988–2002), which previously applied flat duty bands for lower-strength products across all categories **Caveat:** The duty structure lacks explicit justification for excluding full-strength craft spirits from reduced-rate support.