TGtB Meets...Crispin Shingler

Local business owner Crispin Shingler, was working as a mixologist when he realised that the way we serve good quality cocktails has never really changed, so it was about time for something new - below we chat to Crispin about his new alcoholic ice lolly venture, Coba Cocktails.

Where is home and why?

Without sounding too cliché, home is where the heart is. I had a very nomadic life living here and there when I was younger, mainly between Africa and South England.  Now I'm in Bath; my future will be in Bath, my soon-to-be wife and I will bring up our family in Bath, so like I said, home is where the heart is, very much in Bath.

What inspired you to set up your business in Bath?

It was the excitement and energy of people in Bath. The business community in Bath is very strong and highly supportive. They're open to new and fresh ideas, and are more than happy to offer their knowledge and contacts. 

What are your professional goals?

Cocktail ice lollies are a new and innovative way for people to enjoy cocktails and I would like Coba Cocktails to be the go-to brand for people in the South West.  I hope to build Coba Cocktails up over the next few years on the events and wedding scene in the South West, and also venture in to clubs and bars.

Did anyone try to discourage you from setting up your own business?

I'd learnt from past experience to talk to those in the know and by that I mean other small business owners. Rather than discourage me, the entrepreneurs I spoke to offered advice and the realities of going it alone. As daunting as it all sounded, I knew I had a good idea. Once things were up and running, I told my family and friends about my business, by which time it was too late to talk me out of it.  However, one friend's advice for me was ?Get a job? to which I just laughed.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to do the same?

Keep your ideas simple and approachable, if you're finding it hard to explain what it is you're going to do, you've already lost your market.  Have realistic and affordable goals, know what they are and how you're going to reach them.  Be open to advice and never burn your bridges as you never know what the future holds. Finally, keep an eye on your competitors as their failings could be your success.

What do you think attracts business people to Bath?

There are several reasons. Firstly, it has to be the beautiful city itself, there's no other city like it.  There's a pride telling people you are from Bath, everyone knows of the city, no matter where they are in the country.  Its location is great; it's far enough from anywhere to have its own identity but close enough to London, Bristol and Cardiff to build and secure better business relations, especially face to face.  The main reason though has to be its business network.  The wealth of knowledge in Bath is fantastic and the support and passion the network has for its small businesses is highly encouraging.

If you could do it all again, would you do anything differently?

I believe if you ask anyone that question the answer would be ?yes?.  Hindsight is both helpful and frustrating.  There are lots of small things I would have done differently, but the big one is to have acted when I had the initial idea three years ago.  However, I wasn't in Bath then, so I don't think Coba Cocktails would have had the momentum it has gathered due to being in Bath.

How do you spend your time off?

When I'm not thinking about new recipes for cocktail ice lollies and alternative ways to serve cocktails, I fall back to my other loves; films, coaching cricket and my family.  I love how you can lose yourself in a film and talk about it years after you first saw it.  With summer fast approaching, I know there will be two evenings where I will be at Bath Cricket Club coaching younger players the game, which I find highly rewarding.  And with family, nothing beats being in a room of laughter surrounded by the people closest to you.

Your phone must be full of business contacts, but who is the most famous person in there?

I've been very lucky to be around driven people. I went to school with Thomas Gandey and we text each other occasionally. Ritzy and Rhydian from The Joy Formidable are in there and the playwright Nick Grosso.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

Being in The Mousetrap in the West End and being part of the first cast to take the production on tour in Shanghai is an achievement I look back on fondly.  Biggest achievement?  I think that's still to come with Coba Cocktails.