By Sharon Van Geens and Madison Burgess
12:39 December 23, 2023 Updated 12:39 December 23, 2023
The rising star of the tequila world isn’t a hacienda owner in Mexico, but a working mum from Essex.
Gina Duke, 35, started her family drinks company planning to offer luxury alcohol to appeal to local women, but her small brand went global in just five years.
It now sells hundreds of thousands of liters of Mis Amigos tequila, as well as vodka and gin around the world.
She revealed that her business G&I Spirit Group has gone “from nothing to now turning over £4m a year and growing”.
Her cream-based tequilas are in such demand that she has shipped 120,000 liters of tequila to Miami, most of which is loaded aboard cruise ships bound for the Caribbean and Mexico, the spiritual homeland of the blue agave plant from which tequila is made.
After venturing out on her own to international trade fairs in Mumbai and Shanghai, she had one Chinese client place an initial order of one hundred thousand bottles of premium gin.
Meanwhile, more than 12 tons of tequila (equivalent to 2,000 liters) has just been shipped to India.
Her firm is also negotiating with distributors in Peru, Chile and Japan, and Gina has also broken into the US market, starting trade with 20 countries in 2024.
What makes them different is that the tequila is cream based with its Mis Amigos range consisting of chocolate and strawberry cream tequila, plus chocolate, coffee and chocolate and lime flavours.
On the back of its success, Gina recently appointed celebrity chef Aldo Zilli as its tequila brand ambassador and total group sales are expected to jump to £4m this financial year.
It all started when Gina, who is mum to three children Maisie, 16, Etta, 10, and six-year-old son Reggie, set up G&I Spirit Group Ltd to supply spirits to bars and restaurants owned by her family in Essex.
Interest grew quickly through word of mouth.
“I have a passion for being a dedicated mother but also a successful executive,” says Gina, from Benfleet.
“We are small and based in Essex in an industry dominated by some very large players and brands. But what we do have is a unique combination of extremely high quality ingredients, a “can do” spirit and the belief that our drinks are the best in the world.
“This is my baby and my ideas, but we are a huge family and we work together as a collective. We are very supportive of each other and that has helped us grow. As my grandfather said, “great things never come from comfort zones.”
Gina left school at 16 as she said it was “not for her”.
She explained: “Coming from a family full of entrepreneurs mixed with a strong military background, I shared their passion and drive. I had a brain for creativity and I wanted to get out there and get my hands dirty.
“I felt that the big international brands, run by people in suits, didn’t have the personal expertise to really serve the end user.
“I saw an opportunity to work with master distillers and create a range of spirits that fit my vision.
“After nearly two years of research and development, we developed a range of super premium vodkas and gins and then entered the fast-growing tequila market.
“I discussed this idea with my family members and after weighing the risks and strengths of the venture, I decided to open G&I Spirit Group Ltd in the UK.
“The company was aptly named after my heroes, my own grandparents, George and Ida.
“We initially started producing for our own venues and word spread to other bars and pub groups who were interested in our products.
“We expanded slowly, making sure we didn’t grow too fast and I stayed within my cash flow constraints. About two years ago, we decided to explore the overseas export market.
Together with her father Simon and uncle Rupert, they started their own import and distribution company, first in the US. They also set up and registered an EU division to better sell in the 27 EU countries.
Simon says: “We didn’t want to be on the sidelines and be manipulated by big multinationals. So we can say we have our own distribution network and our own import company so we can do it our way.
“I have always told Gina since she was a little girl to never be afraid of anything and to achieve her goals. I’m very proud of her.
Chef Aldo Zilli signed up in November. He said: “When I met the guys at Mis Amigos and they showed me what they had created, I immediately saw lots of different ways to use it in my cooking and that it would be a great addition to Casa Zilli.
“Tequila is such a unique and subtle spirit that pairs beautifully with chocolate, and the coffee flavor makes the best tiramisu and espresso martinis, and I can’t wait to make strawberry-flavored summer desserts.”
“I love the product, so I was honored when they invited me to join the Mis Amigos family as their brand ambassador.”
The range also includes ’88’ brand vodka and gin and Jillion gin, named after the Duke family’s aunt who worked as a code breaker at Bletchley Park during the Second World War – all of which are available in the UK on the website G&I Spirit group.
