Rockstar Spirits signs first export deal with major Australian retailer
Manchester rum brand Rockstar Spirits is making its Australian debut after securing a major distribution deal with the country’s largest retail company.
The deal will see four Rockstar Spirits brands sold in Dan Murphy’s, an Australian liquor supermarket chain owned by the Woolworths Group, with 226 stores across the country.
It gives the Manchester company, founded by Tom Hurst, a presence in every major town and city in Australia.
The value of the first orders secured at Dan Murphy’s will deliver $220,000 Australian dollars’ worth of rum and the aim is to deliver $500,000 worth of rum in the first year.
The initial stock is currently being shipped to Australia to be in stores early May.
The Dan Murphy’s launch range will include the Captn Webb Two Swallows series, with Citrus & Salted Caramel, Cherry & Salted Caramel and Orange & Ginger, and the Banana Bomb.
Tom Hurst, founder and CEO of Rockstar Spirits, said: “I set a key goal every year for Rockstar, and in 2020 the goal was to deliver a national listing with a top supermarket in the UK, which I delivered with a Sainsburys listing in Q1.
“The goal for 2021 was to deliver our first major export deal and I believe that working with Woolworths has delivered this objective in Q1 again and puts us in a good place to continue our strong growth curve despite all the challenges we have seen from events of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Rockstar Spirit was launched in November 2018 by Tom, 43, who waved goodbye to a 20-year corporate career as a salesperson in the drinks industry to launch his own business selling mixer drinks.
In 2019, Rockstar Spirits launched the Two Swallows rum range, which was selected by Coca-Cola as the official partner for its Signature Premium Mixers range of flavours.
