Amanda Thomson is the founder and CEO of Skinny Prosecco and Skinny Champagne, a range of reduced sugar bubbly.
Based in Winchester, a little outside London, she is a former television and radio broadcaster with the BBC.
Amanda was inspired to develop her brand after spending time at numerous media events, where plenty of junk food and lashings of sweet wines were rife.
And so, eight years ago she packed up everything – moving to Paris with her husband, Ian, and two young children in order to hone her new-found trade.
Skinny Prosecco and Skinny Champagne arrived in Ireland last year and is now available in Brown Thomas and online via the Wines Of The World website.
“When I announced that I was packing up and moving to France to learn how to source and develop a range of low-sugar sparkling wines – most people thought I was pretty crazy," she tells SHEmazing! when she sits down for an exclusive chat.
"Firstly, I had a good job as an arts journalist in the BBC – not to mention two small kids and a husband to consider. But I was passionate about making it all work," she explains.
"That and I didn’t have a choice," Amanda laughs. "I’m not from a mega-wealthy background and I didn’t have an unlimited cash-pile to draw on."
"For me, Skinny Prosecco and Skinny Champagne was always very much a business decision, albeit one with lots of passion behind it and one that I feel was destined somewhat: my mother, who raised me by herself, was a trailblazing health food entrepreneur."
"Long before it became fashionable, she was singing about the benefits of healthy fats and the dangers of excess sugar," Amanda tells us.
Reflecting on the concerns raised by those close to her at the time of her career change, Amanda insists she knew their fears had little grounding in reality.
“I have a real galvanized spirit too; it sounds like something you’d hear on The Apprentice, but failure wasn’t an option for me when it came to the Thomson & Scott Skinny wines."
"And certainly, I put a lot of pressure on myself to get it all right from the very beginning. I was fearless too; I went into plenty of meetings and was the person asking stupid questions. But you learn and you keep going.”
Like any entrepreneur, however, Amanda came up against her fair share of obstacles before hitting it big.
“It's not always been easy. Because the Champagne region, for example, is so strict about what is and isn’t classified as a Champagne, we had to get numerous elements signed off on before releasing our Skinny version."
"Little things can really hold-up a business. We initially did a soft launch in London; it’s an incredibly tough market – but if you can make your product work there, you’re probably on to a winner."
With numerous teething problems behind her, Amanda eventually saw the fruit of her labour when her brand made it into two of the best-known department stores in the UK and Ireland last year.
"The turning point came in April when Skinny Champagne and Skinny Prosecco landed in Selfridges and it quickly sold out. We haven’t looked back since. We’ve now officially launched in Ireland and have arrived in Brown Thomas too."
There is a juxtaposition at work in Amanda's business – an element of her journey which she ultimately considers a strength.
"A big part of our success is definitely our start-up mentality that we’ve transferred into a very traditional arena; we listen to our customers and respond fast to their demands."
"The wine-industry is very time-honoured and prestigious. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s full of older men in suits, but it can certainly have that appearance when you’re trying to break into it.”
Walking the line between wine aficionada and everyday consumer, Amanda adds: “I know the industry now – and at the end of the day, I also really love wine and appreciate it. But I know what it’s like to feel totally overwhelmed by the choices on offer in a supermarket, or to be confused by a long wine list in a restaurant.”
“On one hand, you acknowledge that sommeliers are incredibly talented people, but on the other, they don’t necessarily seem like they’re going to get the party started when they pop over to your table at a fancy restaurant," she laughs.
Honing in on a failing in the traditional market, Amanda sought to fill the gap, saying: “It’s not difficult to see that much of the wine businesses has lost touch – it’s not appealing to younger people for one."
"Ironically, however, Thomson & Scott discovered that that traditional approach really helped our brand and the concept of a lower-sugar wine. Because we are being really upfront about our produce – stating clearly that it’s low-sugar, vegan and organic. There is no cloak-and-daggers approach with Skinny wines.”
“And that approach is all backed up by what it fundamentally a great, delicious, product that we’ve wriggled into a great price-bracket. That gets word-of-mouth recommendations going and keeps people who try it coming back for more.”
Turning her attention to the future, Amanda plans to bring Skinny Prosecco and Skinny Wine to an international audience.
“From now on, we’re going to be spending a lot more time in Dublin and Ireland in general. Otherwise, going forward, we do have some deals internationally in the offing – the US being one area in particular we’re looking at closely.”
