As we celebrate our 5th birthday, we look back on what was happening in 2018, the year we launched the business
BIBlings Beka, Alex, Tom and Ollie with co-founder Justin Howard-Sneyd
by Tiffany @ The BIB Wine Company
After years of pondering, followed by months of careful planning BIB Wine started trading in May 2018. We had twelve wines, a mix of red, white and rosé - selected by Head of Wine Justin Howard-Sneyd. Our range has evolved and developed over the years, but some of our first wines (Bee Pink and Château Couronneau Bordeaux) have developed such a cult following that we're still stocking them five years on.
By way of an anniversary celebration, we thought it would be fun to take a little trip down memory lane to 2018; remembering the headline news stories from that year, what we were buying, watching, fads and trends.
We all had to batten down the hatches as 'The Beast from the East' hit in February 2018. The meteorological phenomenon caused heavy snow and 100 mph winds leading to huge disruption to businesses, schools and travel. We then went on to have one of the hottest summers on record, with several heatwaves between June and August.
In March, Professor Stephen Hawking died aged 76. In a Twitter tribute to the late professor, Tim Peake said that “he inspired generations to look beyond our own blue planet and expand our understanding of the universe."
The Royal Family hit the news several times that year; with the introduction of Prince Louis in April, followed by the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May. Princess Eugenie then married Jack Brooksbank later that year.
In July, we watched in disbelief as 12 boys and their football coach were rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand. And in bizarre news stories, London student Hinay Lad discovered a truly gigantic Crunchy Nut Cornflake in his cereal box. Hinay was rewarded with £4 worth of vouchers from Kellogg’s.
Instagram saw dramatic growth in 2018, with the most used hashtags being #metoo and #timesup. TikTok had actually launched in the UK the year prior, but didn't gain widespread popularity until the COVID pandemic a few years later. And the marketing landscape changed significantly in May with the deadline of GDPR compliance.
Film releases of that year included Darkest Hour, with Gary Oldman starring as Winston Churchill in an Oscar-winning performance. We were glued to our screens as Richard Madden rescued Keeley Hawes in Bodyguard (released in August). Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Villanelle made her first appearance the following month, with Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh starring in the first series of Killing Eve.
Toy trends included the augmented reality Nerf Laser, LOL dolls, scooters, slime and i-Top spinners. Fidget spinners were still experiencing a hangover trend from their introduction the year before.
And on 3rd May 2018, we had our first ever order. The order was placed by Clare, who chose our Domaine Ortola, a biodynamic Languedoc red. Thanks Clare! We can't tell you how excited we were to officially start trading. In those days we were working from home, and juggling the various demands of family life whilst setting up the business. In many ways that hasn't really changed!
Thanks for following along on our journey. We can't wait to see what the next five years will hold.
Shop our current range here.
