Gareth Whittle

I have been an entrepreneur and angel investor for 20 years and I’ve enjoyed many ups, weathered many downs, and learned a lot along the way. I co-founded Chilli Marketing in 2004, along with my business partners and friends, Kieron and Christian Barton, with a vision to build brands that consumers would love. Our first venture was importing the Peruvian beer, Cusqueña to the UK. Our strategic approach to positioning the brand as a premium import amongst a highly competitive market was successful and the brand became a much-loved drink for beer enthusiasts across the country. Our next venture was a global partnership with Rekorderlig Cider from Sweden in 2008. We launched initially in the UK and then expanded to 10 other countries, including Australia, NZ, South Africa, China, and the United States. Through our innovative branding and relationships with top retailers and bars worldwide, we transformed Rekorderlig into one of the top selling cider brands globally ($1bn RSV). Chilli Marketing has now had several successful exits in the drinks industry to respectable players worldwide, such as Molson Coors, Coca-Cola Amatil, Heineken and others. In 2024, we launched NOOT - a range of non-alcoholic cocktails infused with Nootropics to enhance the drinking experience. Noot is a revolutionary beverage crafted by an expert mixologist and a world-renowned ethnobotanist. It replicates the essence of alcoholic counterparts while providing cognitive enhancers that are clinically proven for their efficacy. Noot has been called "The Holy Grail" for the beverage industry. From our very modest beginnings, working out of a spare bedroom in Manchester, to where we are today, I am immensely proud of our accomplishments and firmly believe amazing things can be achieved if you surround yourself with great people and truly commit to a vision.