Where it began
An idea spotted at Heathrow Airport
Before creating Sparkling Direct, Jason and Paul were duty-free wine and spirits retail managers at Heathrow Airport. After duty-free sales for travel within the EU ended, they managed the domestic arrivals shops and noticed how many business travellers bought Champagne on their way into the UK.
In 2001, ordering online still meant dial-up internet and ecommerce websites had to be coded from scratch. National hamper companies largely relied on printed catalogues and postal order forms, while Interflora was one of the few established ways to send a gift nationwide.
Jason and Paul saw the opportunity: what if someone could choose a bottle of Champagne online, add a message and have it delivered anywhere in the UK the next day? Sparkling Direct launched in 2002 to make that idea a reality.