Introducing Tyne Tipples: A Rather Cheeky Newcomer Looking To Make Its Mark In The Wine And Spirits Industry
7 minutes read
Introduction by: Peter Marshall
One year ago, Graeme Stewart -a well-known and much-respected sustainability advocate and CEO of Enviro-Point, Business Development Director of Luggage Point and Founder of Gaming Point – underwent extremely difficult surgery on his spine.
He’d been troubled for years by constant pain and caught in a health system which provided little or no support. Known as a man who does things his way, Graeme took matters into his own hands, did his research and eventually found the medical team and support he needed for a successful double disc replacement. I know Graeme and, other than being a thoroughly likeable guy who is clearly passionate about his businesses as well as being an industry voice on sustainability, the one adjective that I think best describes his attitude for all he has undergone is this – perseverance – something I much admire.
Back on his feet now, the pain and brutality of the past 12 months may no longer be visible to many. But it’s still there, as are issues with disability discrimination within the travel industry and the realisation that support is never guaranteed. Graeme is coping – again in his own way – using the experience to take a fresh look at his professional life….. with a little help from the intriguingly named #TyneTipples.
So, for this blog, we find Trunblocked.com’s Contributing Editor Colleen Morgan in conversation with Graeme Stewart on: two guys, one corkscrew, “30-something wisdom” and their take on the wine and spirits market. A different story from us, but one we felt good about sharing.
Colleen Morgan (CM): Graeme, firstly I want to wish you a speedy and full recovery. What prompted that surgery and how are you feeling now?
Graeme Stewart (GS): I’d lived with back pain for over two decades, but I always just got on with it. That changed after my daughter was born. One day, I bent down to pick her up and something went in my back – the pain was like nothing I’d felt before. I was sure I’d slipped a disc, but no painkillers touched it.
I paid for private physio for almost a year, with little progress. My physio pushed for an MRI, but the NHS refused, twice. Frustrated, I paid for the scan myself and it confirmed the worst: severe spondylosis and almost no discs left at L4/L5.
I saw a consultant privately and was eventually transferred back to NHS care. Steroid injections didn’t work, and I was told spinal fusion was the only option, but it came with a lifetime of follow-up surgeries. To me that wasn’t good enough.
So, I did my own research and found total disc replacement, a more modern option, like a hip or knee replacement, but for the spine. I had both discs replaced in Montpellier, France. Physically, I’m still recovering, but I feel like a different person compared to before the surgery.
CM: On a LinkedIn post, you described the past year as possibly the hardest of your life and yet filled with some of the best memories. Can you expand on that a little?
GS: The first few weeks after surgery were brutal, easily the worst pain I have ever felt. I’m not a crier – my wife jokes that I am broken in that regard – but that first day I was in tears. There was no escape, no position that felt comfortable. Thankfully, over the following weeks and months, it started to ease.
I’m naturally impatient, so being told recovery would take two years was hard to accept. I wanted to be up and moving far quicker. I invested in private physio and a personal trainer to build a tailored rehab programme, and in my boredom stuck in bed, I even started learning Italian.
The frustration came when my recovery limited how much I could physically influence things in my business. Gaming Point, which I launched just before surgery, delivered strong dwell time in the airport, but I couldn’t step in when key decisions needed to be made.
For example, the VR escape room performed poorly partly because it was hidden behind a dividing wall. Common sense said take the wall down, but my partners refused, citing high costs. I later learned it would have been under £3,000 and, had I been healthy, I would have intervened.
The F1 simulator showed real potential. I could see clear ways to grow revenue further, like introducing a second simulator and linking it with retail through incentives, for example discounts on F1 merchandise for top lap times, but again I could not push it through at the time.
It was a tough period, but I learned a lot from it, and I am in a much stronger position now, both physically and mentally.
CM: Would you describe the past 12 months as life-changing? Eye-opening?
GS: Absolutely. I have pushed ahead of my recovery schedule and while I do still have a couple of complications from the surgery, overall, my health is better than it has been for years.
The biggest change is being able to be a proper father to my daughter again, which was a real challenge before surgery. It has also been eye-opening to see who truly supported me during this time. Some people I expected to be there were not, and it was clear that my health meant nothing to them, while others stepped up in ways I will never forget.
You can’t help but see things differently, especially when you are physically unable to keep your usual pace. The biggest thing I have realised is the true power of relationships and collaboration.
It’s also been a reminder that it is okay not to be everything for everyone, and sometimes stepping back gives you the clarity to focus on what and who really matters.
CM: “Disability discrimination”: Can you elaborate there?
GS: This is something I have wanted to talk about for some time.
My experience of disability discrimination began almost immediately after surgery, on my return journey from Montpellier. At British Airways check-in, staff ignored passenger assistance protocols and made me stand in a queue despite my request for a wheelchair, something I had already pre-arranged.
At Gatwick Airport, a Govia staff member actually laughed in my face, assuming I was not disabled, and initially tried to send me away. After I challenged them, they agreed to assist, but the staff member then crashed my wheelchair into another elderly passenger who also required assistance, as they were texting on their phone while pushing me.
You couldn’t make it up. Govia later refused to apologise or offer any compensation, saying the service had been “completed” because I got from A to B.
The final straw was with LNER, where a train manager left me on the platform, as people were sat in my pax assistance seats and moving them was too inconvenient to the trains timetable.
What angered me most in all of this was the complete lack of respect and empathy. Mistakes happen, but to dismiss people who genuinely need support, or treat them as an inconvenience, is unacceptable, particularly in an industry that should be built on service and care.
CM: There is, however, a very positive element in your recovery, isn’t there? Tell us about #TyneTipples.
GS: Tyne Tipples started as a bit of fun but has developed into something brilliant.
With the amount of travel I do in this industry, I’ve been lucky enough to visit some incredible wine-producing countries, and whenever possible I try to visit a winery. I’d followed a few wine accounts online and admit they have influenced some of my own purchases.
So, I started thinking “I could do this, maybe even better,” and the idea for a TyneTipples Instagram account took flight. Honestly, at first it was just a laugh.
I asked a friend, Liam Arrowsmith who is also into wine and spirits, to join me, and that dynamic really worked because we could play off each other. What began as a bit of a joke has grown far quicker than we expected, with almost 7,000 followers in under seven months. We are now invited to press tastings for Majestic Wines, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, and we were recently selected as Aldi’s wine influencers.
We don’t see ourselves as influencers, more as content creators. We like to keep things light and a little witty. For example, I recently filmed a parody video from my bath, poking fun at some creators who try to be overly seductive on camera just to get likes.
It’s all about keeping it fun and approachable, and I think that’s why people enjoy it.
CM: How did the two “Geordie lads” become wine experts and Instagrammers?
GS: Ha, good question. We are both self-taught and have learnt so much in the last 6/7 months since launching the page. We are considering obtaining our WSET’s in the coming months though.
I think I had one too many drinks after a site visit to Schiphol last December and messaged Liam, who had probably also had a few too many that evening.
Naturally, in that moment, we thought it was the best idea ever. What started as a tipsy idea has turned into something we both really enjoy, and it has grown far beyond what we imagined.
CM: Could a TyneTipples Point be your next move in travel retail?
GS: It’s very much on my radar. I’d like to use some of my industry contacts to explore wine tastings within airport lounges, or even duty free. This could be offered as a chargeable perk but also linked directly to the duty free operator by showcasing wines available for purchase. It is a great opportunity for a trinity-style partnership that benefits the lounge, the retailer and the brand.
Looking further ahead, once TyneTipples has grown a stronger following, I would love to create our own wine and spirits label and distribute it directly into duty free.
Newcastle International, being my local airport, would be the perfect place to trial that first.
CM: Watch this space. TyneTipples is looking to claim its niche in the wine industry. It’s already making waves on the domestic market, so maybe it’s not just a tipsy idea after all.
Click here to access another TRunblocked.com interview with Graeme on travel retail getting real on sustainability.
