Dina and Andrew Gregson had no intention of settling down when Dina gave birth to their daughter Grace in Andrew’s home-state of Tasmania. After a decade globetrotting, the family of three were on board a catamaran in the Greek Isles when Grace announced a desire to return to the Apple Isle.
“We opened up a bottle of gin,” explains Dina “And shed a few tears as we deliberated what to do.”
It was upon running out of tonic water that Dina had a lightbulb moment.
“Tasmania is the perfect place to start a business,” the Canadian-born Dina explains. “I realised that there are so many beautiful distilleries – micro distilleries - cropping up all over Tasmania and the mainland, but there are few, if any, boutique tonic companies.”
It has been two years since that brainstorm on the high seas, and The Tasmanian Tonic Company, based out of Hobart, is today a successful micro business. In fact, they’ve just opened 750-square-meters of commercial space.
Dina attributes the meteoric rise of their spectacular bottles of syrup to knowing from day one who they were and what they liked; testing it against a small market; and launching amidst the current boutique gin boom.
“We made a deliberate choice to form a complimentary business to an industry that was already on the rise,” explains Dina. “There are 36 gin producers in Tasmania and we’re the only business making tonic.”
Indeed, with the motto ‘Respect your Gin’ The Tasmanian Tonic Company was welcomed with open arms by the distilleries.
Purposely positioning themselves as the support act, their tonic is no diva. Instead, each 300ml bottle brings genuine quinine and Tasmanian botanicals to complement and highlight the taste of premium gin.
“Our flavour profiles are subtle, not too sweet and not overpowering,” adds Dina. “Our tonic tells the story of Tasmania.”
That story is poised to become a bestseller. Having just launched with Amazon Australia (“the first order went out last week!” says an excited Dina) the Gregsons are thrilled to extend their boutique offering off the island, and perhaps eventually off the continent.
Kicking off their journey with Amazon Australia as part of the Launchpad program, Dina will be utilizing the support offered by the Amazon team including a range of marketing support and opportunities.
“You would be remiss as a business in this day and age not to identify the strength in partnering with Amazon. The visibility, the reach, the breadth of experience, the understanding …. It is invaluable to us as a small business.
“If Covid-19 has taught businesses anything, it is to look at opportunities that not only allow you to keep your head above water – but to also grow.”
Indeed, at a time when travelling to Tasmania is not an option for the majority of us, the ability to taste it via a sophisticated, genuine product, is the next best thing.
“We’re excited to be able to bring a real taste of the state to consumers across the world. Teaming up with Amazon Australia will allow us to do this.”
Whether from a catamaran on the Aegean Sea, or their expanding warehouse in Hobart, it’s clear that the horizon is limitless for The Tasmanian Tonic Company.
The Tasmanina Tonic Company is one of the small local businesses featured on the Shop Tasmanian store: www.amazon.com.au/tasmania