How ThinK Wine Group's Kath Jones created a low-sugar wine

My first hospitality job was as a glass collector in Liverpool. I was too young to serve drinks so I just collected dirty glasses and washed them all night – nothing exciting, but at 16 I couldn't get anything else. The skills I learned were invaluable though. I always worked long hours and I learned how to handle customers, especially those who'd had a bit too much to drink.

What initially attracted you to working in the industry?

To be honest it was the easiest job I could get at a young age, but I've always loved talking to people. It was my job at the Marriott hotel in Kentucky in the US, which I did when I was 19, that truly made me fall in love with hospitality. I worked in all departments, and I loved meeting new people and hearing about their different walks of life.

How did you decide on your career direction? Were there any influences, or experiences that encouraged you to take the route you have taken?

I naturally fell into the sales side of hospitality. I was always the one who would upsell the most bedrooms or the most bottles of wine or the most tours or weddings, so sales became my forte. I think learning this in the US was great for me too. It seems in the UK we are naturally self-deprecating, while in the US people tend to be more confident. I naturally became that way too, so when I returned to the UK, I was able to progress a lot faster. I launched ThinK Wine Group in 2020 after spending two years creating a reduced-calorie and reduced sugar prosecco and Pinot Grigio sparkling rosé.

What industry networks have you been part of that have supported you in your career progression?

I do a lot of networking, but not necessarily industry-specific. Some of my networks have been Leading Ladies in Business, the Chamber of Commerce and Move Networking. Most of my jobs have been male-dominated and I would always form part of a women's group to help attract more women into the business.

What are the biggest challenges you've faced working in the industry?

Being taken seriously as a young woman has been a real challenge. Often people cannot believe I have created non-white-label wine that is our own recipe and is distributed nationally and internationally. Many brands are white labelled, which is when a winery creates a wine and lets multiple businesses put their own label on it. Our wine is made for us and can't be found anywhere else.

Our product is a low-sugar wine and I am often faced with distributors telling me their customers don't care about their health, which I do not believe to be true. I feel it is hard to come to that conclusion when, very often, they haven't offered anything health-conscious before and I know from my own research that there is a real demand for healthier alternatives.

We also come up against retros, which is basically a commission to encourage bars to order more of a brand. For example, companies will pay 50p back for every bottle sold. As a small, independent business, we can't compete with some of the bigger players that are paying out large retros on their products. It's such a shame as the hospitality industry often tells you to support local but it can be quite contradictory when you're coming at it from the point of view of a small local business. We're very determined though – we won't let any of these challenges stand in our way.

What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?

Be ready to work hard, because it's a great career but it isn't for the faint of heart.

Would you recommend a career in hospitality to your friends and family?

Yes, I would, but it would depend on their temperament and personal circumstances. It's not for everyone, but I love it!

Who inspires you in the industry?

Andrea Edwards, a business coach who was previously the marketing manager for McDonald's EU and Steven Hesketh of the Hospitality Hero. They inspire me because they have both faced lots of adversity and have come back stronger while remaining really good people at their core. They are both massively resilient and I believe resilience is the key to success.