02 December 2023 , 12:00
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A Cheltenham business owner is set to make millions of pounds thanks to a special hangover cure recipe left behind by his great-great-grandfather.
Natural hangover salve, Overhang, was founded in 2014 by father and son duo, William and Stephen Wilkinson - but its story dates back decades.
The old Italian family recipe is a century old and the drink is a preservative-free, natural blend of ginger, orange and lime, with added milk thistle, burdock, raspberry leaf and vitamins.
There are no additives, e-numbers or sweeteners, just the same as when the drink was originally made. "We like to keep the liquid as close to the original recipe as possible," co-founder William explained.
It all started with an idea seven generations ago (Overhang)The drink's recipe dates back to the turn of the last century, when businessman Antonio Vacarra, the great-great-grandfather of William, emigrated from Genoa, Italy to Cheltenham.
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To combat his hectic lifestyle, Antonio came up with a secret concoction, now known as Overhang, to feel refreshed and revitalised.
The same drink was then kept in the family for seven generations, often turned to when members were feeling run down, tired or had "overdone it".
But the idea to make it global came decades later on a boat in Bristol, when his grandson William Wilkinson was on tour with his band.
Having checked out of his hotel, nearly 200 miles from home, William said he wasn't feeling his complete self.
Overhang says it can help give you the boost you need (Overhang)He was surrounded with a sea of sugar filled carbonates and cheap-to-make, expensive-to-buy energy drinks that didn't exactly have the best health credentials - and he needed something to build his strength back up.
He phoned his dad for the family recipe, and in that moment decided it should be available on supermarket shelves. Overhang is now stocked in Holland and Barrett and on Amazon UK.
The company launched a partnership in the UAE in 2019 with the Department for International Trade (DIT) after William approached the organisation for financial help. The firm reported an annual turnover of £200,00 in 2019, and was predicted to hit £4.29million in the next five years as it landed in 500 stores across the UAE.
Stephen Wilkinson and son William [pictured, right] (Overhang)In a previous interview speaking about the UAE expansion, Williams said: "By teaming up with the DIT, we received a digital marketing bursary support to help us 'internationalise' our website, which included an Arabic translation once the deal was done. We also had support surrounding legislation, local authority registration, due diligence checks and structuring the deal."
"The prospect of our treasured family recipe being shipped abroad and enjoyed by people in the UAE for the first time is really exciting. If you are considering exporting, setting up overseas or even importing for that matter, I would recommend giving DIT a call, because help is precisely what they're there for!"