Ellie is the creator and founder of Caleño, a tropical non-alcoholic free spirit. On a night out dancing a couple of years ago, she became frustrated with the lack of adventurous non-alcoholic options. After talking with friends, she realised there was an opportunity to make those options more joyful. She flew to Colombia where she visited family and was inspired by the vibrant, colourful culture, and tropical flavours. Two months after launching, Ellie landed a listing with major UK retailer, Sainsbury’s and Caleño is now stocked in around 500 of their stores.
Before launching Caleño, Ellie had a background in drinks, working for the UK’s largest drinks distributor. This taught her about the spirits making process and the hospitality industry where she was able to work closely with pubs, bars and restaurants. She also spent time at a Shopper Marketing agency, where she worked on exciting activations for brands such as Nestlé, GSK, and Estee Lauder.