We wanted to learn about the ins and outs of starting your own mobile bar business, so we spoke to the lovely Carolyn, owner of Fabulously Fizzy, a boutique Prosecco van which serves chilled Prosecco on tap. How can a tiny Piaggio Ape serve cold Prosecco you might ask? Well, the answer is a double dispensing and flash cooling system with four serving taps and a wine fridge! If you think this charming little bar could be the perfect answer for your wedding or party, then keep reading…

“There have been many highlights so far, but I would say taking on a brand new challenge and learning so much in such a short space of time has been incredible!”

Carolyn is based in Twickenham, West London, where she has lived all her life. The Fabulously Fizzy Prosecco Van was initially a pipedream, until April last year when she turned her dream into a spectacular little reality. The van itself is a Piaggio Ape Classic, lovingly converted for all Carolyn’s prosecco-dispensing needs by Tukxi, the UK’s number one convertor of this specific type of vehicle. The idea to start her business was a very simple one, made up of a love for Prosecco and a love for organising events. Carolyn combined the two and Fabulously Fizzy was born!

“The team behind Fabulously Fizzy is myself (Owner & Prosecco Lover) and the integral patience and support of my husband, Paul (Co-Owner & Tuk-Tuk Driver).”

Carolyn has always worked in PR and events and established her career within the media industry. She previously worked for many TV networks including Discovery Networks, where she worked for 10 years. We asked Carolyn about how easy it was to create her lovely brand…

“Well, I can’t say I found it easy! I spent several months researching (thank goodness for Pinterest!), but I always knew I wanted something eye-catching and chic. When it came to choosing our company name, I spent weeks writing out lists of potential options, but nothing seemed to fit. One day I was chatting to a friend and said it’s going to be fabulous and it’s going to be everything fizzy, and there I had it - Fabulously Fizzy!”

We often find that the crucial values of a caterer or mobile bar transcend into the events they work at, so we asked Carolyn what the three most important Fabulously Fizzy values were…

“Values are important to me - I’ve been to hundreds of events where I’ve queued up for a glass of fizz, only to be presented with a tiny, warm and unnecessarily expensive drink. I knew I didn’t want that to be us!”

Quality - this is Fabulously Fizzy’s fundamental value. They use a good product and decent sized flutes.

Adaptability - Carolyn and Paul know what it’s like to organise an event where you want to please everybody, so they will always aim to work with their clients to meet their individual needs.

Empathy - as anyone in the events industry knows, it’s a tough place to be and so it’s vital for Carolyn that she understands the challenges and always work in partnership with her clients.
## “The first step to creating Fabulously Fizzy was getting my husband Paul on board! After that, it was finding the funding to set up the business and the final step was biting the bullet and commissioning Tukxi to create our delightful little Prosecco van.”

Working in the event catering industry is not always easy, so we asked Carolyn if there had been any bumps in the road…

“Yes, at the beginning we had a financial issue getting a loan. We had already paid our deposit to Tukxi, so there was no backing out. We had several anxious weeks working out how we would fund the remainder of the Prosecco van build, but it all worked out in the end. I believe fate played its part - if we had been refused the loan before we committed the deposit, then we probably wouldn’t have gone ahead with it.”

Thinking of hiring Fabulously Fizzy for your next event? No matter what kind of event it is and how many guests are attending, Carolyn and her van are up to the challenge…

“We pride ourselves on our adaptability, which makes us perfect for all types of events! We have two bars and 4 taps on the van, so we can offer variety for the more bespoke event. We can also cater for huge crowds by offering free flowing fizz from all 4 taps. At an event a few weeks ago we served 1,200 flutes of Prosecco in one day!”

Fabulously Fizzy dispenses a high quality Prosecco called Glera Frizzante, provided by The Sparkling Wine Co. It consists of 95% glera (prosecco grape) and 5% verduzzo grapes, a local Veneto dry grape that creates a delightful sparkling wine that her customers love. They can also add delicious fruit gin liqueurs to their fizz and currently use 3 Edinburgh Gin varieties - Rhubarb & Ginger, Pomegranate & Rose and Raspberry. Have guests coming that don’t like Prosecco? No problem, Fabulously Fizzy can also offer a selection of beers or cocktails on tap!

“My personal favourite is a crisp flute of Prosecco pimped with the Rhubarb & Ginger gin liqueur!”

Finally, we asked Carolyn what was her favourite thing to cook and eat…

“This is a tricky one as I absolutely love food - can I say everything? Joking aside, when I have the time, I love to find a new recipe and try it out. Cooking Asian food, whilst sipping a chilled glass of fizz, is a big favourite of mine.”

Fabulously Fizzy is based in West London but can be found at a variety of events around Greater London and even further afield. As well as their mobile Prosecco Van, Fabulously FIzzy also have a branded gazebo, so they can offer a pop-up bar experience too. For more information visit www.fabulouslyfizzy.com or book them through Feast It by visiting their profile!