Find out how Snowshock began 15 Years ago

From humble beginnings to the UK’s most profitable, multi award winning slush

Snowshock was started in 2003 by Peter Campbell. Peter had worked within the trade for a number of other large slush companies, but became disheartened with the bad business practices they employed and the “any old” slush will do attitude to their drinks. Being used to selling high quality products for some of the UK’s biggest brands Peter thought he could do better. So with his wife & 3 children to feed, a mortgage pay and little money in the bank, Peter was faithfully loaned the equity in his parents house in Newcastle and got started.

The family car was sold and transit van was bought, with a bench seat bolted inside so he could still ferry the family around, a small home office was set up and the garage filled with stock.

The pressure was on to make this work and he worked out that he need to turnover £63k in his first 12 months to break even and pay his parents re-mortgage too. He hit £64k in the last few weeks of 2003 and the tricky first year was out of the way. Peter remembers at one point looking in his wallet at his last fiver and realising he had to draw his first wage, he checked his cashflow and thankfully he could draw a wage and the mortgage didn’t have to go unpaid.

The first nine years saw steady growth and eventually the reputation for his great products and excellent service got around. Then in 2011 things really started to get going.

Four premises moves later, staff growth from 1 to 15 and constant product development, the £64k turnover has grown and is now on the cusp of £5m, with over 3000 customers proudly selling Snowshock.

Peter’s entrepreneurial spirit continues and his latest product Frappino iced coffee is proving to be a huge hit. He Trademarked the brand 10 years earlier as he had a strong feeling that the iced coffee market in the UK would grow. Waiting patiently for 10 years and working on development of the product, it is finally here and its early success has been phenomenal and left Snowshock struggling to satisfy demand.

What does Peter think the key is to the success of Snowshock?

“With only an average education and no history of business in my family to learn from, I had no option but to put my faith in my hard working ethic, I unswervingly believed that with determination and hard work, success would follow. I’ve had some disappointments and learned some harsh lessons, but eventually it all came together.

I have always stuck firm to my values; respect and treat everyone with fairness – customers, suppliers, delivery drivers, the cleaner, the postman, everyone involved, they all effect your business in some way. I have seen too many businesses with bad leadership, owners or managers at the top with the wrong outlook. This always cascades down from the top and can make a business rotten from the inside. Such businesses struggle to grow.

I expect my staff to do the same, in Newcastle this is easy though, were all nice people up here!

Picking up 4 national awards in recent years, 2 for Supplier of the Year and 2 for Best Product, is all the validation I need that we are doing a good job”.