Just as the world recently celebrated the International Women’s Day, brandafriq.com caught up with one of Nigeria’s fast growing cocktail brand, Blessing Edet Ukpong. Blessing is the CEO of Cocktails By Bliz, and she has been able to entertain many with her brand of cocktails and she keeps reinventing her mixture.
Well, she decided to reveal her journey so far with us and her future plans about her brand.
Read excerpts below;
Your brand Cocktails By Bliz is fast becoming a known brand, how were you able to come up with such idea?
Cocktails By Bliz is a birth name from Blessing. I wanted a brand name that will relate with my identity that’s my name I wanted people to hear my brand name and say “yeah I see why she is cocktailsbybliz.” I also experimented the name Bliz cuisines should in case I decide to expand then we can have other expansion under one umbrella cocktailsbybliz.
How well will you rate the patronage so far knowing how competitive the cocktail industry is?
the patronage so far has been very encouraging. It’s been God all the way because i remember when I started and today we are thanking God more and more for family who have patronize friends, even co cocktails vendors lol the referrals have been helpful.
Research about you shows you are a final year student at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), how are you able to combine business and full time academics?
Aaah this question I knew it will come. It has not been easy, but what has worked for me or for the brand is that most of my jobs are always on weekends at least weekends are more than week days so I have time for lectures during the week and business weekends I will say I manage both steadily with patients no rush.
How profitable is this cocktail business and in a month, how much do you approximately make?
Cocktails business is very lucrative especially in Nigeria here lots of people are appreciating the craft. Every event a client wants a cocktail stand and now that we have even added after party Jinja. People just want to relief themselves of stress through many various drinks. I will say in a month depending on the event we make about fifty to one hundred thousand depending on event.
Have you ever had wrong mixture for a client?
(Laughs), yes, I have and they always like it after giving it a trial.
How did you get to learn about cocktail mixture and the right amount to mix to get desired result?
My sister paid for me to learn this. I learnt it for two days for fifty thousand naira
The right amount for me is do not over do and do not under do.
With your cocktail business, do you see yourself working for anyone after school?
Yes, along side business
Where do you see yourself in the next 3-5years?
In the next 3-5 years I want to see my self owning a standard restaurant with a bar
About Blessing Edet Ukpong
Blessing Edet Ukpong, CEO of Cocktails By Bliz
Blessing Edet Ukpong is the CEO of Cocktails By Bliz, who has been able to register her brand name on the lips of many at various events in Lagos. She is not depending on her business alone as she is also investing in her academics as she is currently a final year student at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), ogba, Lagos.
