Soft drinks company Molly Rose Drinks was of cially launched last week, with products already being stocked in five locations and another ten deals in the pipeline.
And the limited company’s chief executive is Molly Rose McLean – who at eight years old is one of the UK’s youngest CEOs.
The journey to business success began when the Gretna Primary School pupil watched an online video about a duck visiting a lemonade stand.
She said her mum suggested having her own lemonade stand, and her homemade recipe proved to be a sell-out at its first outing.
Molly Rose then asked her mum “why can’t we put it in bottles mummy?” – and Molly Rose Drinks was born.
The family approached Scottish Enterprise, who awarded Molly Rose a By Design grant to help with recipe and brand development.
Six months later and the first batch was ready to go on sale, with production moving from the family home in Gretna to Glasgow-based artisan drinks company Start-Up Drinks Lab.
Molly Rose has been involved in the process from start to nish, helping to develop the recipe an giving feedback on the artwork for the bottles.
Another important aspect of her business model is that sales will benefit others, with ten per cent of profits over the next two years going to her charity of choice, Jigsaw Children’s Hospice in Carlisle.
Last week she hosted a launch party at The Spider and Fly in Carlisle, which was attended by more than 40 of Molly Rose’s supporters.
And chief among her fans are dad David and mum Claire, who said: “We just want to support her.
“We have a duty to support the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
Asked what advice she would have for anyone thinking of setting up their own business, Molly Rose said: “I would tell them to go for it— it’s fun.”
Picture courtesy of The Lanes.
