The High’s and Low’s of running a start up in the age of…

After a lockdown-ed November, I certainly felt a relief as we entered December! Pubs opening and the excitement of a Dusty Knuckle Christmas sandwich.... Ahh, sweet memories.

Some highlights from December...

Swapping 2020 year-end notes with friends

The month started with as much socially distant socialising as possible.. Catching up with friends in real life and swapping highs and lows of the year.

There was definitely a sense of comradeship of ‘we made it through’.

The common themes emerging from what got us through the year..

• Elizabeth Day’s ‘How To Fail’ Podcast (and book!)
• Cliche but true: a lot of baking, walking and some sort of mat based exercise in one's kitchen.
• Louis Theroux. Louis Theroux. Louis Theroux.
• Comparing notes on the best ‘loungewear’ finds. My friend Ali won with her 100% cashmere Sweaty Betty one piece - jammy AF.
• Buckets of wine. Most importantly, on Monday’s.

An evening to remember at The Connaught

Without a doubt one of the highlights of the month for me (if not year!) was an evening at the Connaught. 

We have worked with The Connaught team since Fix8’s early days, it’s safe to say they feel like family to us. I don’t think anything will beat arriving at the bar on a Saturday evening, and being greeted with kombucha and champagne simultaneously poured into a flute (Thank you Giorgio and Paolo). An arrival to remember!

We then tried a host of exquisite cocktails and of course, a classic martini from Ago (who needs the theatre when you can watch Ago make a martini - a work of magic and art in and of itself!).

We’ve been working on a bespoke flavour of kombucha for Ago, inspired by the bitters on his famous martini trolley. It was a real moment to finally sit there and enjoy it, one I will cherish for a while! 

One of my favourite cocktail’s on the menu was the Ellipses made of: Banks Rum, Patrón Reposado Tequila, Darroze 8 Armagnac, Martini Ambrato Vermouth, Fino Sherry, Chablis , Fix8 x Dr.Ago Ginseng and Bergamot Kombucha. (Just let that sink in!). 

If there’s one place you put on your list for a drink this year - It’s The Connaught!
From Boozing to Booching - a turn full circle. Thank you to each and every one of the team who made the evening to special for us - you know who you are!

Drying up for January 

After a rather wet 2020, it felt intuitive to steady the booze for a bit. I didn’t plan to wait until Jan 1st (just another day really!) and decided Boxing Day was ripe for the taking. Ah, trusty kombucha, how thankful I am for thee! I’ve been replacing a glass of wine with a glass of Fix8 every evening since. 

I always joke that setting up Fix8 was a purely selfish motivation... I wanted something interesting (and satisfying but good for me) to drink when I didn’t want alcohol. I like drinking kombucha best from a wine glass, in the evening - it hits the spot for me with a fermented funk but sans the booze. Quite magical really. 

It’s been about 12 days or so since I had a drink and it feels nice to give the system a break to be honest. Dry January or not, it feels nice to wake up with a clear head, get good sleep and feel energised. I see now why a ‘moderating’ audience is growing...

So, New Year was a quiet celebration in the Twigden household, and the only fizz I was sipping in true style, was a Fix8. 

I hope everyone is having a brighter start to the New Year. 

Let’s have you 2021… 

Freya