Ecommerce Camp UK LiveTalk: The Story Behind Craft Gin Club

Sometimes growth doesn’t come from a major pivot.

It comes from one insight.

One conversation.

One idea that quietly shifts how you think about your business, your customers, or your strategy.

That’s exactly why eCommerce Camp LiveTalks exist — to create space for real conversations with real founders, not polished highlight reels.

Why Honest Founder Stories Matter

Most ecommerce content focuses on outcomes:

Revenue milestones.
Funding rounds.
Big numbers.

But those moments only make sense when you understand the journey behind them.

What worked.
What didn’t.
What almost failed.
What changed everything.

That’s what makes founder-led conversations valuable.

And it’s why this LiveTalk was such a good one.

The Story Behind Craft Gin Club

For this session, we were joined by John Burke, Co-Founder of Craft Gin Club, the UK’s leading gin subscription brand.

Craft Gin Club didn’t start as a perfectly planned business.

It started with curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to test ideas quickly.

Over time, that turned into:

• a multi-million-pound business

• a deeply loyal customer base

• a recognisable brand with a strong identity

• a community that feels more like a movement than a mailing list

Key Lessons from the LiveTalk

During the conversation, we explored several lessons that apply far beyond subscription brands.

1) The Journey from Idea to Scale Isn’t Linear

Craft Gin Club’s growth wasn’t a straight line.

There were pivots, dead ends, and experiments that didn’t work.

The takeaway for founders is simple:

Progress often looks messy while it’s happening.

That’s normal.

2) Product–Market Fit Comes from Listening, Not Guessing

One of the biggest reasons Craft Gin Club succeeded was their focus on understanding what customers actually wanted.

Not what looked good on a slide deck.

But what made people come back, engage, and talk about the brand.

That feedback loop shaped the product, the experience, and the community.

3) Community Is a Growth Channel, Not a Side Project

Craft Gin Club didn’t treat community as an add-on.

It was core to the business.

From content to engagement to shared rituals, community became a reason customers stayed — not just why they joined.

That kind of loyalty is difficult to replicate with paid ads alone.

4) Bootstrapping Teaches Discipline

We also talked about bootstrapping, growth pressure, and the discipline that comes from building without unlimited resources.

When every decision matters, clarity improves.

And that discipline shows up later when the business scales.

5) Learning from Dragon’s Den and High-Pressure Environments

John shared insights from Dragon’s Den and what it teaches founders about communication, clarity, and defending your idea under pressure.

Those lessons carry over into investor conversations, hiring, partnerships, and leadership.

The Value of Live Q&A

One of the strongest parts of the session was the live Q&A.

Founders could ask real questions and get direct answers from someone who has built and scaled a brand successfully.

That kind of access accelerates learning far more than reading generic advice.

Final Thought: Your Next Breakthrough Might Come from One Conversation

Not every insight changes everything.

But occasionally, one idea sticks.

And that idea reshapes how you approach your business.

That’s the goal of LiveTalks — to create those moments.

If you missed this one, keep an eye out for the next session.

Your next breakthrough might be closer than you think.