Nikki Welch
COMPANY NAME
Tube Map Ltd /
WineTubeMap
COURSE
MSc Gastronomy
YEAR OF STUDY OR YEAR OF GRADUATION
2013
WEBSITE OR LINK TO FURTHER INFORMATION
www.winetubemap.co.uk
My company uses flavour maps to help people explore food
and drink categories with complex flavours more easily using
visual cues. By taking a different approach to the conventional,
consumers find exploration less daunting and more
accessible. This is used as the basis for an app, website, book
and for events and training.
I spent 10 years working for a dynamic and interesting wine business and
had a series of challenging and creative roles. In hindsight, the roles were
entrepreneurial but with a safety net. When it was time for a change I realised
that there was a gap in how people talk about wine compared to how people
drink it and I really wanted to address that. I did some marketing consultancy
but also started playing with flavour maps and visual guides and created the
WineTubeMap. Two years later I based my whole business on the flavour maps
and am developing more. It isn’t a natural trajectory and the business grows
organically which makes it both very rewarding and a bit daunting at times!
“I love the flexibility
and freedom that being
entrepreneurial brings,
I can choose who I work
with (and don’t) and
get to do things that
I really care about. I
also get to take risks
that other businesses
won’t or don’t and can
respond quickly. I have
a more flexible working
lifestyle, which is a
blessing and a curse!”