A little background to A TOAST IN THE POST
David and Jane Charnley are a husband and wife team who have worked together in the events industry for more than 20 years. The couple launched A Toast in the Post in November 2020, when realising the extended long-term impact COVID-19 would have on their exhibitions and wedding businesses – creating a much-needed lifeline and focus for them in difficult times.
A Toast in the Post allows people to celebrate the special moments in life when they can’t be together in person, by sending a drink along with a personalised photo message card in a stylish 100% recyclable gift box.
The couple won Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis’ national Small Business Sunday (#SBS) award just six weeks into starting to trade as well as winning the national Women of Wednesday (WOW) award, set up by Jaqueline Gold of Ann Summers two weeks later! ‘A Toast in the Post’ has also had other celebrity endorsements, with Britain’s Got Talent start Amanda Holden praising their venture when being sent a toast for her 50th birthday.
David and Jane met at university and launched straight into their exhibitions business, LoveExpo, in 1997 building bespoke stands for national and international clients at large trade shows. At the time the pandemic struck in February 2020 the couple were in the middle of building premises for their exhibition business but managed to finish a store room in the build which ‘A Toast in the Post’ operated from for 9 months before the main offices were ready.
Jane thought of ‘A Toast in the Post’ a couple of years ago when she was unable to attend a close relative’s funeral and thought it would be nice to send the family his favourite drink with a message and a treasured photo of him, to celebrate his life when she couldn’t be there in person.
“The idea has been with us ever since,” Jane adds. “But with our exhibition stand business and my wedding table plan business, the time was never right. Neither of our industries are back on their feet yet (August 2021), so we are so pleased we took the plunge and turned the pandemic into something more positive.
We have extended our range of drinks in the 9 months we have been trading, and are constantly looking at introducing new gift ideas to compliment our range of ‘toasts’ which include:
Prosecco and champagne, whiskies, vodka, wine, beer, rum, liqueurs, moonshine as well as whole range of lovely little extras such as mini candles, shot glasses, enamel badges, coasters and keyrings.
Coming out of lockdown, online sales are very much here to stay and it’s lovely seeing a rise in engagement and wedding greetings returning. Companies are enquiring for corporate gifts, sending hundreds of colleagues A Toast in the Post to celebrate the successes of their workforce or to send a personalised thank you gift to customers. As the couple come to the close of their first year they have big plans for the brand for 2022 keeping you connected with friends and family when you can’t be there in person…
…watch this space!
