A Derry woman has told of how social media helped her launch a successful wellness shot business which now features on the shelves of more than 80 stores across the north and south – complete with a ‘Free Derry Corner’ inspired logo.
Elaine Maxwell and her husband Paul launched their ‘Wee Derry Shot’ wellness business two years ago after they started to gain a following on TikTok.
The couple had been making the shots for themselves in their home for years prior, featuring natural ingredients including ginger, turmeric and garlic.
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However, after Elaine started to build up followers on the video-sharing platform and she showed her husband making his health “concoctions”, she said that they were inundated with requests from people wanting to buy the product.
The couple’s original shot that they used to make in their kitchen has expanded into a full range PICTURE: WEE DERRY SHOTS
It is now stocked in 83 stores, from greengrocers in the heart of east Belfast to filling stations in border towns, and is shipped twice-weekly to customers across Ireland as well as in England, Scotland and Wales.
“People asked me to make it for them,” Ms Maxwell told The Irish News.
“I’d never seen anything like it, it was like a phenomenon.
“People asked then, ‘Could you make one with no garlic?’ and ‘Could you make one like this?’ – so that’s how all the different bottles came about, to try and please everybody.
“I think there’s nine different bottles now,” she said.
Elaine and Paul started making their health shots at home before demand on social media helped them launch a successful business PICTURE: ELAINE MAXWELL
The business began in their home kitchen before they eventually had to build a separate kitchen unit at the back of their house.
Ms Maxwell said production has since moved into a unit with an industrial kitchen.
“We had to move out of the kitchen within four months,” she said.
“We were only in our unit, we got it built, and we were only in there eight or nine months. It was no good, we couldn’t keep up with demand.
“Back then, we were doing everything by hand; I was hand-peeling big bags of garlic and everything – my hands were burning.
“It’s just amazing how far it’s come. Everybody knows the Wee Derry Shots.”
Ms Maxwell said that they now rely on family and friends to help them out with making their products.
The business’ success has seen Derry’s iconic ‘Free Derry Corner’ gable wall, which features on their product’s logo, travel to places it wouldn’t normally have before – including the US.
“We even had an American tourist here; they took it home with them, and they loved it,” she said.
“Free Derry Corner is a symbol of Derry, and we’ve done the Wee Derry Shot – it just came into our mind straight away, because it’s for everybody.”
She added that the rapid success of their business would “never” have been possible without TikTok, where she has over 90,000 followers and almost three million likes.
“I can’t believe it. I still don’t know how I even got there,” she said.
“Since our business has become successful, I’ve had crazy trolls.
“It is hard and you have to put on a brave face all the time.
“But for every bad troll you have, you’re going to find some good ones – and there’s just lovely, lovely people out there.”