Born out of a passion for hospitality and fantastic customer service, Martin and Rachel decided it was time for them to bite the bullet and “Go for it”!
Both Martin & Rachel started their careers in hospitality, Martin as a chef and Rachel front of house supervisor, in the restaurant and on the bar.

Their careers were leading to running their own business, when, whilst pregnant, complications occurred and their eldest Jake, was born 13 weeks early. Rachel decided to give up her career, as Jake was later diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and left confined to a wheelchair. The couple put their plans for a business on hold, and 2 more children later, Martin and Rachel have a fantastic family with 3 amazing children, Jake, Olivia and Isaac. Martin moved into Hospitality training and Rachel brought up the children and became Jakes full time carer.

Then, in the autumn of 2018, things were about to take a turn…………… After watching a section on “This Morning” Rachel came up with an idea to convert a vintage horsebox into a bar that specialises in Gin. With Martin still heavily involved in the hospitality industry as a hospitality trainer, he was up to date with current trends, legislation and with a backlog of contacts in the industry, the idea quickly developed into a passion and so Hilda was born! With their colossal knowledge of Gin, they decided this was the area they would like to specialise in.

After getting in touch with a few conversion companies, they decided to go with “Bespoke Conversions” in Widnes and after meeting Paula and Mark, they knew they had made the right choice. Bespoke Conversions sourced us a vintage “Rice Beaufort” horsebox, she was rescued from a field and at over 55 years old, she needed a little TLC. Rachel designed the trailer, from the colour, the layout, fixtures and fittings, wallpaper and accessories, Paula and Mark got to it and 5 months later, she was ready to roll. They decided to focus on local producers and suppliers, “We love the Ribble Valley” said the couple, “and being from Clitheroe, we have the best suppliers on our doorstep”.

They have travelled the UK and seen many establishments, bars, restaurants, pubs, etc… all serving Gin is various ways, from the perfect serve to personal preference, at the end of the day, it’s down to the customers taste when it comes to mixers and garnish. So, the bar carries a wide selection of Gins, over 40 from around the UK and afar and every flavour of mixer you can think of to accompany your preferred Gin. “We will always give our opinion and personal taste to Gin, but we make sure we tailor it to the customers preference, after all, the customer is always right!”

The Tipsy Truck Co are also passionate about the environment, so all their accessories are recyclable and environmentally friendly, from their cups, straws and stirrers, to the cardboard they receive their deliveries in, it’s all handled and disposed of safely and responsibly. The Tipsy Truck has a 5-star rating for Food Safety and Martin has his personal licence for the sale of alcohol, so you’re in good hands!

They have fabulous family and friends who have helped them out, their cousins keep Hilda safe and sound on their farm, their parents help with the accounts and maintenance, their close friends who have a Clitheroe pub and keep us informed of new stock lines. “We have our fantastic kids who help with setting up and serving”.

Their daughter Olivia has worked in restaurants and hotels, so she helps them at busy events whilst taking time out from her studies at University at Chester, Isaac helps them to set up for events and Jake keeps things organised at home, he also helps Rachel write the menu boards and corrects any spelling mistakes (he takes absolute pleasure in correcting her!). Jake enjoys books and literature and is hoping to become a famous author one day……watch this space!

Below is “Our story” taken from the website – www.tipsytruck.co.uk.
“We are The Tipsy Truck Co, passionately known as “Hilda” She is a vintage Rice trailer, lovingly converted bespoke to our specification. We can provide all your beverage requirements, served by our professional and qualified team from Hilda whatever the occasion.

We are really happy to attend any event, weddings, festivals, Christmas markets, etc… anywhere we can park up, we will attend and provide and excellent service and quality beverages.

We are fully licensed and H&S/Food safety qualified and we have both worked in Hospitality for over 30 years combined. We are a husband and wife team, both passionate about the industry and providing excellent customer service and with a good dose of humour, you won’t be disappointed with our service and products. Our Hilda is stylish, trendy and will fit any occasion, whether it’s a large festival, or a family gathering, a wedding or a corporate event, we will tailor it to fit your preference.
We will even personalise Hilda with your colour scheme or we will add your favourite “Tipple” on our bar menu, we can be as bespoke as Hilda is, nothing is too much trouble!”

As a business, we can offer so much more than just a bar, our tariffs below can be made to suit your needs and whatever your budget, we can work around this o make your event magical!

The options are.
Cash Bar – We turn up fully stocked, staffed, and ready to go. Guests pay for their drinks as they would at any event or bar.

Dry Bar – Hire the “Tipsy Truck” and bar staff, fill her up with your drinks, accompaniments, etc… and we’ll do the rest! Or we can source the drink supplies for you, a small fee will be charged to cover this additional service.

Complimentary bar – We will serve your guests up to the arranged limit, once it’s gone, you can either top up the amount or we will revert to a cash bar where guests buy their own.

The couple have a wealth of contacts from the industry, from chefs to mixologists, wine experts to BBQ Kings (or Queens!), whatever you need, we can source it for you!

Additional services.
Glass hire
Arrival drinks for wedding receptions, etc…
Canape service
Food caterers sourced
Additional staff for your event.
Indoor “Pop-up-Bar” new for summer 2020!
Nothing is impossible………….

Their recent Christmas events have been amazing, “We have made some amazing trader friends and met some fantastic people along the way, plus a huge variety of dogs, so we are always on hand with a bowl of water and bucket full of doggy treats!” Their own special recipe for “Mulled Gin” was warmly received, with a choice of flavours, they can even “pimp” up your winter warmer to and kept the Christmas shoppers in the festive spirit. Rachel also developed the Tipsy “Gin-Secco” which has been very popular at their events.

So, what’s new for 2020! “We are gearing up to move into the wedding trade, we have already had interest from Marquee and Tipi wedding companies around the North West and will be involved with a local company with their marketing campaign, so that will be exciting”.
“We feel Hilda will be a fabulous addition to any wedding day, she can be decorated in the brides and grooms colour scheme, we can have arrival drinks and canapes, full bar option and we can even make up a drinks menu of all the happy couples favourite drinks, nothing is too much trouble for us to make their day that little bit more special.

We have plans for an indoor “Pop-up–Bar” option, this will mean that we can bring all our service indoors for smaller events or customers who are unable to have Hilda at their event. It will be the same service, same quality drinks, but all indoors, so the weather will have no effect on the event or special occasion. We can even place the bar under cover outdoors, this way we can supply a bar for any situation, occasion and event to our customers needs”.

They are also looking to expand to another horsebox bar, “We haven’t yet decided on the service we will provide yet, but I’m sure it will be fantastic and we can’t wait for what the future holds for the Tipsy Truck Co!”
If you would like “Hilda” to attend your event, help you to plan your big day and bring a little “Hilda magic” to your special occasion, then give us a call and we can create a bespoke package for you.

“We look forward to joining you on your special day or at your fabulous event!”
Martin & Rachel Houghton
The Tipsy Truck Co
Clitheroe
Lancashire
07368692633/07590477626
enquiries@tipsytruck.co.uk
www.tipsytruck.co.uk
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Twitter – @TruckTipsy