I dropped out of school at 16 but now I’m making £4million

The rising star in the world of tequila production is not the owner of a hacienda in Mexico – but a working mum from Essex.

Gina Duke, 35, launched her family-run drinks firm planning to offer a luxury liquor that appealed to women locally – but her small brand has gone global in just five years.

She is now selling hundreds of thousands of litres of Mis Amigos Tequila, as well as vodka and gin all over the world.

She revealed that her business G&I Spirit Group went ‘from nothing to now turning over £4m annually and rising’.

Her cream-based tequilas are in such demand that she has shipped 120,000 litres of tequila to Miami, most of which was loaded aboard cruise liners bound for the Caribbean, and Mexico the spiritual home of the blue agave plant from which tequila is made.

After jetting off solo to international trade fairs in Mumbai and Shanghai she had one Chinese customer who placed an initial order of hundred thousand bottles of premium gin. 

Meanwhile, more than 12 tonnes of tequila (equivalent to 2,000 litres) have just been shipped to India.

Her firm is also in negotiations with distributors in Peru, Chile, and Japan and Gina has also broken the USA market, beginning trade with 20 States in 2024.

What makes them different is that the tequila is cream based with her Mis Amigos range consisting of chocolate and strawberry cream tequilas, plus chocolate, coffee and chocolate and lime flavours.

On the back of her success Gina recently signed up Celebrity Chef Aldo ZiIli as brand ambassador for her tequila brand and total group sales are set to soar to £4 million this financial year.

It all started when Gina, who is a mother to three children Macey, 16, Etta, 10, and six-year-old son Reggie, formed G&I Spirit Group Ltd to supply spirits to bars and restaurants owned by her family in Essex. 

Interest grew rapidly through sheer word of mouth.

‘I am passionate about being a devoted mother but also a successful CEO,’ says Gina from Benfleet. 

‘We are small and based in Essex in an industry dominated by some very huge players and brands. But what we have is a unique blend of extremely high-quality ingredients, a ‘can do’ spirit and the belief our drinks are the best in the world.

‘It is my baby and my ideas but we are a massive family and work together as a collective. We are very supportive of each other and that has helped with our growth. As my grandfather said, “great things never come from comfort zones”.

Gina left school at 16, as she said it ‘wasn’t for her’.

She explained: ‘Coming from a family full of entrepreneurs mixed with a strong military background, I shared their passion and drive. I had a brain for creativity and wanted to get out there get my hands dirty.

‘I felt big international brands, run by people in suits, lacked the personable experience to truly serve the end consumer.

‘I saw an opportunity to work with master distillers and create a range of alcoholic spirits that aligned with my vision. 

‘After nearly two years of research and development, we developed a range of super premium Vodka and Gins, and then ventured into the rapidly growing Tequila market.

‘I discussed this idea with my family members and after assessing the risks and strengths of the venture, I decided to open G&I Spirit Group Ltd in the UK. 

‘The company was aptly named after my heroes, my very own grandparents, George and Ida.

‘We initially started producing for our own venues, and word spread to other bars and pub groups who were interested in our products. 

‘We expanded slowly, ensuring that we didn’t grow too fast and I stayed within my cash flow limitations. Around two years ago, we decided to explore the overseas export market.’

Together with her father Simon and uncle Rupert they launched their own importation and distribution company, first in the USA. They have also set up and registered an EU division to better sell to the 27 EU states.

Simon says: ‘We did not want to be at the beck and call and able to be manipulated by big multinationals. This way we could say we have our own distribution network and own import company so we could do it our way.

‘I have always said to Gina, since she was a little girl, to never fear anything and achieve your goals. I am very proud of her.’

Chef Aldo Zilli signed up in November. He said: ‘When I met the Mis Amigos guys and they showed me what they had created I could immediately see lots of different ways to use it in my cooking, and that it would be a great addition to Casa Zilli.

‘Tequila is such a unique and subtle spirit that combines beautifully with chocolate, and the coffee flavour makes the best tiramisu and espresso martinis, and I can’t wait to make summer desserts with the strawberry flavour.

‘I love the product, so I was honoured when they asked me to join the Mis Amigos family as their brand ambassador.’

The range also includes ’88’ brand vodka and gin, and Jillion’s gin, named after the Duke family’s Aunt, who worked as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park during WW2 – all of which are available in the UK on the G&I Spirit group website.