LDC Top 50 2019

While at university, 28-year-old Dutch twins Raissa and Joyce de Haas would serve their own homemade mixers at house parties.

Years later, in 2014, the artisan spirit boom was in full swing and they decided to turn these homemade concoctions into a mixer brand. Today, Double Dutch’s bestselling product is a cucumber and watermelon tonic, and the London-based company is selling 750,000 bottles a month into 25 countries. When asked about the twins’ entrepreneurial endeavour, Joyce de Haas said: “We have always been entrepreneurial. When we were young, we used to sell flowers locally, and at university we had a clothing business.” The twins manufacture their drinks locally, where possible, and the company is 100pc carbon neutral.

Q&A

How important has your business partner / team been in achieving your ambition?

Raissa: Building a business as twins has been hugely positive because there is 100pc trust. We never tiptoe around each other and, even if we disagree, we are committed to the same long-term vision. Luckily, we agree on most things but if we don’t Joyce has the last word with finance and operations, and I have last word with sales and marketing.

Is money your major motivator? If not, what is?

Raissa: Well, we are still only on a small salary, so money is not that important to us. Maybe it will be more important in future. Right now, we are just excited about building our baby. It is amazing to go into a random bar and see someone order a Double Dutch by name.

When you were growing up, what was your dream job?

Joyce: We have always been entrepreneurial. When we were young, we used to sell flowers locally, and at university we had a clothing business. Over the years we have had five different companies. Our dad has his own business so we grew up around entrepreneurs. I have an MBA in finance and Raissa has a Masters in economics but finance wasn’t for us, which is why we moved to London to do a Masters in tech entrepreneurship at UCL.