From festival lemonade to national brand

What started as a simple lemonade stand at a Somerset food festival has grown into Hullabaloos, a successful soft drinks brand led by husband-and-wife team Randa and Leigh Abdullah-Hucker, known for its playful branding, natural ingredients and zingy, feel-good flavours.

Supporting them behind the scenes has been The Food WorksSW, a specialist centre that has provided tailored technical support and industry expertise. Crucially, this business support programme is funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, enabling Hullabaloos to access everything from accreditation advice to brand visibility and valuable industry connections. It’s a shining example of how regional investment can help turn a great product into a thriving business.

We spoke to Randa about the growth of her business.

What inspired you to take Hullabaloos further?

"We were asked by a local farm shop to bottle our lemonade - and while we thought it would be simple, we quickly realised how much we didn’t know. That’s when the idea for a fully fledged business took hold."

What was your first big break?

"Our first major event was the Glastonbury Extravaganza. I booked it completely on a whim – no experience, no gazebo, nothing! It was chaotic but such a brilliant learning curve. It gave us the confidence to keep saying yes and figure it out as we went."

Crafting new flavours

It’s very instinctive – we come up with ideas ourselves and then test them at festivals to see what people like. Raspberry was our first after classic lemonade and now we’ve got eight flavours in total, including Elderflower Presse and Wild Berry. All made with real fruit juice and no sweeteners, of course.

What other services have you accessed?

We’ve had help with professional photography, technical advice and ongoing support. They also sell our drinks on-site and feature our products in their marketing – that kind of exposure really helps build brand recognition.

What’s the broader value of being part of The Food WorksSW community?

Running a small business can feel isolating, but The Food Works creates a sense of shared support. You realise you’re not the only one navigating these challenges and that’s a huge morale boost.

What’s next for Hullabaloos?

It’s been a non-stop year, so we’re planning to take stock and focus on expanding sustainably. We want to grow our presence with independent retailers and continue exploring international markets – while staying true to our ethos. No supermarkets for us – we want to stay special.

From festival fields to national distribution, Hullabaloos has grown through creativity, grit and strong partnerships. With Food WorksSW support at key points – from compliance to brand building – the business has scaled with both heart and professionalism. For other drink makers with big dreams, Hullabaloos proves that regional support can fuel national success.