Hospitality commerce platform, Toggle, has partnered with Solovey Vodka in a bid to raise £1million to help Ukrainian kids.
All proceeds from bottles of Solovey sold will be donated to the charity War Child, which protects, educates, and stands up for the rights of children impacted by war. The brand was created specifically for this purpose by Yasha Estraikh, associate partner at hospitality sector investment specialist, Piper.
Toggle will be distributing the vodka. New customers will be able to sign up to the Toggle platform free-of-charge and sell the vodka direct to their customers and existing Toggle customers will be able to add the vodka to their pages for free as well. The Toggle team will manage the order from the point of purchase to delivery, to ease the burden on operators wanting to take part.
Operators that have already signed up to support include Little Door Group, Incipio and McManus Pubs. A series of themed cocktails has also been created, including a ‘Kyiv Mule’ or a ‘White Ukrainian’, in order to encourage venues to stock the vodka and donate the profits.
Mr Estraikh: “When the war broke out, as someone who is of Ukrainian heritage and still has family in Eastern Ukraine, I asked myself what I could do with my contacts and experience in building brands that would have a disproportionate impact in helping people in Ukraine.
“I wanted to create a purpose-led brand that would stand on its own two feet and would help child refugees in perpetuity well after the media headlines have disappeared by creating a brand loved by consumers and barmen alike. The goodwill that this project has generated has been unbelievable and allowed the brand to launch in just two months.
“Hospitality is filled with incredibly generous and supportive people so we can’t think of a better way to raise this money for charity. Toggle has been an incredible supporter of the campaign and our partnership will help us reach our target quicker, delivering vital help to Ukrainian children suffering from the effects of war.”
Chief Executive at Toggle, Dan Brookman, added: “Supporting Yasha’s campaign was an absolute no brainer. We were determined to support in any way possible and we are really pleased with what we have achieved so far. There is still a long way to go, but we are confident that we will be able to work with operators in the industry to hit our target. Please do visit our website if you are interested in getting involved.”
Operators that get involved will not be charged any commission on the sale of the vodka or digital gift card.
Solovey means Nightingale in Ukrainian and is the Ukrainian national animal and steeped in Ukrainian folklore. The logo has been designed by celebrated Ukrainian illustrator Anna Sarvira. Solovey is being supported by East London Liquor Co, which is distilling and bottling the vodka
