A Blackburn based company, launched only 17 months ago with just two employees, has announced a turnover of a cool £12 million pounds – all thanks to the nostalgic tastes and smells of traditional school puddings.
The business is Vape Dinner Lady, established in June 2016 by entrepreneur, Mo Patel, whose company, GM Group, is now cooking up a storm in the burgeoning e-liquid market, with its unique range of products inspired by classic old-school puddings. Flavours such as Lemon Tart, Strawberry Custard and Rice Pudding have fast-become cult favourites among its global fanbase.
Today, the company employs over 50 staff (within a larger Group structure), and is forecasting rapid growth over the next 18 – 24 months, with a projected annual turnover of £15-£18 million by its second birthday. Supplying its range of products to e-liquid retailers in over 50 countries across Europe, Australia and America, Vape Dinner Lady has shown its ambitions for world domination are far from Pie in the Sky.
A commitment to investing in the use of premium quality ingredients manufactured in the UK, coupled with a more customer-focused approach, has paid dividends for Vape Diner Lady.
Since launching, the company has scooped 11 international awards, including ‘Best E-liquid’ for “Lemon Tart” at the Hall of Vape Expo in Stuttgart Germany, which attracts over 1200 E-liquid brands.
Vape Dinner Lady beat businesses from all global shows to win the coveted “Best Overall Exhibitor” award at the second annual Vapouround Awards ceremony held in Birmingham. As if that wasn’t enough, Dinner Lady also showcased its follow-up Summer Holidays range, with hit flavours such as “Flip Flop Lychee” and “Cola Shades.”
At this year’s Vaper Expo in Birmingham, the Vape Dinner Lady hysteria reached new heights as crowds gathered to get on its stand and take part in a 30 minute giveaway. They also scored a starring role on BBC The One Show, which aired last week.
Commenting on the rise and rise of Vape Dinner Lady, Patel, said:
“In everything we do, we want to make people smile..We stay focused on the customer. Our underlying business – and life – principle is based on taking ordinary people and doing extraordinary things. I think we’ve achieved that with Vape Dinner Lady.
According to Patel, the use of inferior, cheap ingredients commonly used left the vaping experience wanting – prompting a determined search for a liquid formulation that truly made the grade.
“I was captivated by the booming business of vaping as an alternative to smoking, but the real motivator to set up the brand was driven by my own experience of using e-liquids. Despite the myriad of products and flavours available, the selection on offer simply weren’t up to much, in my opinion. The experience was disappointing, and the flavours tasted synthetic.”
Future plans for Vape Dinner Lady include an imminent move to a state of the art HQ in Blackburn to accommodate its fast-growing team.
