A Salford company has seen a huge boost to sales after its product was recommended on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen Live at the weekend.

The Salford Rum Company’s spiced rum range was selected by the drinks expert Olly Smith during the most recent episode, something which the company had been trying to achieve for some time.

Simon Hayes, Operations Manager at The Salford Rum Company, recognised Smith’s industry-wide reputation and was very proud that he advocated on their behalf.

“We’ve been partnered with a local communications firm, Crate PR, who helped to contact him in the past and we were all thrilled to get the call last week asking if we could send a couple of our bottles to Olly and the studio for Saturday Kitchen.”

And Salford Rum Company have already seen a direct impact to their sales figures.

“We had already seen a boost online before the airing thanks to a Halloween promotion we are running but that bump quadrupled in size over the weekend,” Hayes began, “the warehouse staff were run off their feet come Monday morning with triple digit orders to fulfil.”

However it is not just online shoppers that have been rushing to get their hands on the product.

The day after the TV shoutout, the distillers were at Lymm Maker’s Market were they completely sold out their stock, with Hayes adding “I barely escaped to the car with just our sign and trolley left!”.

On the other hand, there is good news for Salford shoppers going to the Lowry Outlet Market this coming weekend as Hayes says they have prepared more stock for the event.

Many Salfordian viewers were left bemused, however, that the product was repeatedly referred to as being from Manchester. Hayes echoes those thoughts, though he says he can’t be too angry.

“It is sadly par for the course on national tv I think. We don’t get too het up about it ourselves but you would imagine with so many shows now shot on the quays here that there would be more awareness.

“Ultimately the people in the studio that made the slip up also loved the rum so we can’t be too cross!”

The company are also working hard for the future to get their new unit in the old railway arches on Viaduct Street ready. The ‘Dirty Old Town Distillery’ will have a working still behind a bar and shop space which will allow customers to see the behind the scenes of the business.

Credit: Google Maps

Hayes said: “All being well we’ll be welcoming patrons in the new year to enjoy a tot of the finest rum from Salford and to celebrate the great legacy of our docks and the people who worked them.”

Also on their mind this week is the Chancellor’s budget announcement. Hayes is looking for the Chancellor to support the UK spirits industry.

“The number of distilleries in the UK has grown to over 700 and the industry now supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the UK.

“We hope the Chancellor will support UK spirits by not increasing the duty burden or further increasing the disparity between alcohol categories.”

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