with Vapouround,” Ash said. “We’ll get
together for a meeting to discuss their
idea and they’ll be able to visit the
facility where it’ll get made. One thousand
pounds of the sales of their liquid will be
donated to their charity of choice.”
There are currently ten flavours in the
Vape Duty Free range but even if they
were to only stick with one flavour per
country, that’s another potential 185
e-liquids. But it’s not just about vapers’
sense of national identity.
“People form emotional connections with
different countries,” he said. “Maybe
they’ve been on holiday somewhere
or had a significant life experience t h a t
stuck with them. Our liquids reconnect
them w it h t hos e pla c e s
and experiences.”
While the journey so far has been
rewarding, it has not been without its
challenges. Since starting the company
in September, Ash hasn’t taken a wage
and has had to survive on his personal
savings. Plus, he has another business
to take into account – award-winning
fast-food restaurant, Love Jimbo’s.
Work is so all-consuming that he had
a kidney stone removed one morning
a n d w a s back i n the offi ce by the
afternoon. But thankfully, the hard work
is already paying off.
“We made an impact in the UK straight
away. And while there are only four of us
at the moment, we are expanding and will
soon be moving into a new 2,200 square
feet site.”
It’s fair to say that the industry is flooded
with e-liquids of varying quality. They
are, for obvious reasons, the easiest
entry-point for those looking to capitalise
on the success of vaping. But there
is a finite number of vapers. One way
to stand out is through innovation, as
we’ve seen with salt-based nicotine and
short-fills.
Ash and the team are diversifying by
introducing a revolutionary flavour
additive called Mixrz, enabling vapers
to change the flavour of any e-liquid on
the market by adding a shot of lemon,
biscuit, sour, ice or fizz flavouring.
“As vapers, we try liquids all the time
and think: ‘this is great – if only it had a
little lemon or menthol flavour to it’. We
realised that we accessorise mods so
why not accessorise e-liquid?”
It can take time for innovation to spread,
so the goal now is to get vapers on board
with the Mixrz concept. There will also
soon be some tantalising new flavours
added to the range.
“These e-liquids have never been tried in
the UK and they’re all tied to the countries
they represent. So #watchthisspace!”
Speaking of hashtags, the additional
hands on-deck will free up time to push
the social media side of the business.
Again, this is rife with opportunity. The
social media buzz generated by national
holidays and sporting events provides
the perfect platform to promote Vape Duty
Free’s range.
The next 12 months are guaranteed to
present more opportunities to embrace
and challenges to overcome. But for Ash,
there would be no other way.
“Ultimately it’s all about taking care of our
families and giving them the best quality
of life we can.”
ASH MEHMOOD | MANAGING DIRECTOR of Vape Duty Free
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