The CHOW.com video on Galcos inspired me to talk to some of the people who are making the UK soda industry tick. First up is one of the people who make the enjoyment of US soda drinks that little bit more attainable and that is Dave for American Soda.
For those of you not in the know American Soda (http://www.americansoda.co.uk/uk/American-Soda/Home/default.aspx) is arguably the biggest name in the import game here in the UK. They make available not only great sodas but also candy and other goods such as baking implements and ceral (Apple Jacks are tempting me). Not only is it one of the biggest online dealers in the UK but also has a shop. Yes an actual slice of American shop! If you are nearby you owe it to yourself to visit
So I dropped Dave a line with a few questions about what makes him tick and what's next for American Soda. The 1st part is below
US: What started this journey for you?
American Soda :Love root beer, decided to get some over in a shipping container and it kind of grew from there.
What is it you love so much about soda?
America gives you authentic flavours, our cherry-aid and boring colas just don't hit the spot.
And what drove the decision behind the shop?
As you can see on our Facebook page we ave over 12000 fans and over 100,000 customers on our mailing list, we have been inundated with requests for a physical store where they could come and touch feel & see the product in the flesh so to speak. The shop has been a great addition to our business and we have customers that travel over 300 miles in some cases to come to our shop.
Any thoughts on opening another in another part of the country?
Funnily enough we have been talking about that over the past few months, but it's hard to manage staff etc. At a distance, we may consider some kind of Franchise model, but for now it's just the shop here in Ashton under Lyne (East Manchester)
Is there any product you havent been able to get yet that you're keen on?
Yes, Jelly Belly Gourmet Soda's, we have just got a new supplier that stocks them so I guess they will be here in about 4 weeks
Whats the oddest request you've had from a customer?
I think I mentioned this in one of my newsletters, we had one customer that must have thought we were some kind of personal shopping company, she emailed me a list of what she wanted, which included, items from Bed Bath & Beyond, jeans from Old Navy and a waffle maker!
What's your favourite soda?
A&W Root Beer
What's your favourite candy?
That's a hard one, can I have 2, they would be Milk Duds & Peanut Butter Twix at the moment
So there you have it. Exciting times afoot. We are hoping to get our hands on some Jelly Belly soda and also the very exciting Jolly Rancher Sodas to give a review of which Candy cross over hits hardest. I need to get my hands on some of Pear flavoured Jelly Belly. The thoughts of Marshmallow as well is pushing me over the edge!
Part 2 will be up tommorow when we talk to Dave about what he would bring to the US from the UK and his least favourite soda.
See you then
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