Husband and wife team Gavin and Lotta Whyte have brought an enticing new contender to New Zealand’s online drinks world. Their mission with COVE 27 is to provide a trusted destination for curious drinkers to explore their tastes in a place that has already curated extraordinary drinks from the most dedicated and visionary producers. Here they share the story of their inspiration…
Talk us through the motivation behind COVE 27 and how it all began?
Gavin: We like a drink, but not just any drink. This concept drove the idea for COVE 27 because we couldn’t see anyone else encompassing everything we wanted to see: a trusted range of choices with the chance to mix and match, combining familiar favourites with lesser-known, small-batch, local distillers, brewers and wineries. All at attainable prices.
Lotta: We came up with the idea and the name on a wedding anniversary trip. A combination of a stunning beach and our room number led us to the name and COVE 27 was born.
If someone wants to learn more about certain drinks or producers, where do they start?
Lotta: With us! We want to give people the confidence to learn more about what they like, knowing we have worked with professional industry buyers to source an extraordinary selection to inspire them. On our site customers can learn about boutique spirits and small-batch producers and read detailed descriptions about all our drinks to see if they spark their interest.
Gavin: We want people to feel confident trying new drinks in the same style that they already like – then as they experience our collection, they will learn to trust us as a ‘safe space’ to discover new, extraordinary drinks.
How would you encourage those who are stuck in a drinks rut to try something new?
Gavin: It’s about building assurance through recognisable mainstream brands and then branching out to try something different. We support the most talented local Kiwi producers as well as importing exceptional international selections to ensure appealing variety. But our list is small enough that we don’t overwhelm people with choice.
What else is in the pipeline for COVE 27?
Gavin: We’re working on subscription packages and gift boxes that will showcase the best of certain drink styles or regions. So, you like medium-bodied reds? Let us choose a selection of less-travelled varieties that will blow your mind. If gin is your thing, we can introduce you to a stunning small-batch bottle that will tantalise your tastebuds, with mixers thrown in to add that extra zing. We also want to continue to grow our list of sustainably-conscious producers.
Lotta: We have a feature-rich app in the making to allow people to fine-tune their preferences even more. As we receive more feedback and ratings, we’ll increasingly personalise our offers. Watch this space.
