‘While doing some work for a canned wine brand, I started to explore the world of alternative packaging formats. Wine boxes have obvious appeal to those who want to drink more sustainably, generating 90% less carbon emissions than the equivalent amount in bottles, but I had a long-held assumption that boxed wine means lower quality. If I had that misconception, working in the trade, most members of the general public certainly wouldn’t realise that boxed wine doesn’t need to be a poor experience.
‘During the Covid lockdown, I had the idea of premiumising that category, launching a boxed wine to challenge customer preconceptions about the format. Something you would feel proud taking to a dinner party – luxury everday wine priced at the equivalent of £12-15 a bottle. Laura Rosenberger, the former COO at Naked Wines, had the same idea about a boxed wine launch, and we joined forces [Rosenberger has since left the business].
‘The name Laylo comes from “lay low”, referring to lockdown – we were trying to capture a moment. We didn’t want to restrict ourselves by having “box” in the company name, which is a good thing, as we’ve now branched out into cans.
‘Our first ever boxed wine was a Tempranillo. The winemakers behind it needed to empty their tank for a new vintage, and we got it at an amazing price. We boxed 2,000 litres, and stored it in the cellar of my local wine shop. We set up a Shopify website, and put
