Balham resident Lisa Grannell, founder of the London Wine Tasting, shares how a love of wine prompted her to leave her day job to follow her passion.
Describe your business in one sentence?
London Wine Tasting offers wine tastings across southwest London and aims to make learning about/tasting wine engaging, fun, accessible and enjoyable.
When did you launch and who is behind it?
I launched the business in February 2021 after deciding that it was time to move away from my career in professional regulation and pursue my passion for wine.
When did your ‘lightbulb happen’?
It was during a trip to New Zealand around six years ago. I was astounded by the quality of wine, beautiful scenery, backdrop and the history behind the wineries, which were often small, family run businesses. I started to develop a more serious passion for wine around four years ago and began attending lots of tasting events, wine exhibitions and travelling to winemaking regions around the world. Once I began my studies at the Wine Spirit and Education Trust, I decided that I wanted to make this my new career path.
What did you do prior to starting your business?
Prior to the business launch, I had a background in law at University and spent almost ten years working in professional regulation with organisations such as The Nursing and Midwifery Council, The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the Police and Crime Commissioner of Essex. These were varied, demanding yet rewarding roles but a passion for the wine industry called and the rest is now history!.
What type of support have you received since starting your business?
I’ve had a lot of support from various local community groups who have helped in the promotion of the business. I also have a number of contacts in the wine trade who have been excellent in providing me with their time and advice.
What would you say were three of the most challenging aspects of setting up the business?
- The financial aspects in trying to attain enough capital or investment to get the business running.
- Setting up a business as a solo entrepreneur can be a lonely and daunting challenge without having a sounding board of a team or manager to bounce ideas off.
- The amount of administrative work involved as a lot of it can be quite time consuming
If you had the opportunity to do it all again, what would you do differently?
I would probably have done this all sooner in hindsight! My passion for wine was apparent to those around me long before I decided to take the leap and change careers. I should have listened to my family and friends earlier and followed my passion much sooner!
What three tips would you offer to aspiring entrepreneurs?
- Be bold! Get your message out there from an early stage, either on social media, by word of mouth or printing out leaflets to put in other local businesses etc. Whatever methods you can think of, utilise them all!
- Don’t underestimate how long the bureaucratic elements of setting up a new business take
- You really don’t need a big investment budget behind you to get started, focus on what necessities you need to purchase at the beginning and start from there. The biggest outlay in starting a new business will be your own time!
What personal development have you completed which has help you and your business?
In September 2022 I undertook the Academy of Cheese Level 1 Associate certification. This focuses on how cheese is made, how to assess quality, and understand the provenance and range of cheese available.
In April 2024 I successfully completed and attained the Italian Wine Scholar (IWS) qualification. This is provided by an international body, the Wine Scholar Guild and is the most detailed and comprehensive certification program in the industry devoted entirely to the wines of Italy.
Finish this sentence. I like being based in Wandsworth because…
It has a wonderful sense of community, local independent businesses and a variety of well-maintained open green spaces which are more important now than ever before.
How can people find you?
www.londonwinetasting.com
Instagram: @londonwinetasting
