Meet an inspiring father and son duo
With Father’s Day fast approaching we take a look into the busy world of Hylton Harvey in collaboration with family run business The Beach Bat Company. Saltee lives for fun, family moments. The Beach Bat Company offers ethical, handmade, luxury beach bats, perfect for those days where you need to get outside and bat a couple balls with loved ones. Read on to find out more about Hylton’s thoughts on working closely with his father, his favourite staycation destination and some fantastic ideas for Father’s Day gifts this year.
Where did the idea for the Beach Bats come from originally?
Going on holiday, I always noticed the poor quality of beach bats people tended to use on their beach holidays. They were cheap, not nice to play with and were not worth taking home and inevitably thrown away at the end of the holiday. I thought this was unsustainable and wasteful and so I set out to make bespoke, luxury beach bats, which are sustainably sourced, a pleasure to play with and crafted to last a lifetime.
How has your dad helped you to build the business?
I am often away from home for weeks at a time, so during this time I do as much as possible to keep the business running, with the Instagram channel growing and always on the lookout for promotions, and marketing opportunities like the fabulous one we recently did with Saltee. However, as I am unable to be there in person, Dad takes care of preparing any new orders in my time away and is always on my case to stay on top of my admin.
What has been the hardest thing in getting the Beach Bat Co off the ground and started?
I think the hardest thing has been growing followers and a reputation. We, like all Instagram accounts, started with 0 followers. This quickly grew to around 50 after asking all my friends and family to follow, this felt like false progress because these followers weren’t potential customers but sympathetic friends. The biggest uplift we have had in our short, history has come in the last two months, after our promotion with Saltee, doubling our followers and leading to people ordering online.
What do you and your Dad like to do together? How does it create a bond between you?
In our free time, we both really enjoy cycling together – we live on the edge of the Chilterns which offers some great and challenging rides. As well as outdoors, we also cycle indoors thanks to our recent purchase of a Peloton stationary bike. We are both highly competitive and love challenging each other to get new PBs. Out on the road, (wearing our Saltee sun cream, of course) we get quality Father-Son time together which is so precious.
What’s your dad’s most annoying habit that you promise you won’t inherit?
My dad, although he would never admit it, is a little addicted to his phone and can’t multi-task. He can often sit on the sofa, absorbed in the latest sports news stories, and becomes entranced to the extent that he cannot hear the outside world, meaning any questions tend to go over his head and go unanswered. If lucky, you might get an answer ten minutes later, by which point you’ve forgotten the question. I promise I will NOT inherit this habit, for the sake of my children.
Where is your favourite UK travel spot and why?
That’s a tough call ! My favourite UK travel spot would probably be between Constantine Bay in Cornwall or Jersey, if that counts as part of the UK. Surfing is the key criteria for my brother and I, and both of these spots fill that criteria. In fact, our two favourite beaches are Constantine Bay and St Ouen’s Bay, hence the name of our 17-stripe and 1-wood bats.
What is the present you have bought Dad that he has most appreciated?
Dad is a peacock and loves to sport a bit of colour in his wardrobe so I usually try and buy him something bright like a nice silk print tie. He tries to be flamboyant and conservative at the same time which is beyond me but a cool tie usually works (or so he tells me)
Will your dad let you have a beer with him in the garden on a sunny evening yet?
Truthfully, I have never been a fan of fizzy drinks. While my brother would crave a coke or a Fanta, I was most content with water. However, I have grown to like beer and like nothing more than enjoying a beer with a barbeque on a Summer evening.
What does the perfect day at the beach look like for you?
For me, the perfect day at the beach has to consist of a good amount of surfing, with the occasional breaks for playing Frescobol, (the Brazilian name for beach paddle tennis), and having a barbeque as the sun goes down.
How does your mum cope with having 3 men dominating the house (dad, you and your brother)?
Luckily, she likes sport so has always been keen watch the football or rugby with the rest of us. She’s also a great golfer and keeps the men in the house on our toes as we all strive to match her on the golf course. When we decided to get a dog, she insisted it would be female so now all the men in the house have the initials HH – Hylton, Heath and Hector Harvey, and the women are SH – Sasha and Sybil.
Do you take care to wear suncream (Saltee obviously) when you head off for a sunny day? And do you friends understand the importance of SPF?
Since I was a child, I have always hated wearing sun cream, because of the greasy feeling left on my face and body for the remainder of the day. However, I came to understand the importance of it and grimaced through the pain. Now though, in my post-Saltee discovery world I actively seek to put sun cream on so that I can spend more time in the sun, without having to hide in the shade or refrain from regularly reapplying sun cream because of the greasy feeling. Saltee genuinely smells and feels fabulous – I just need to find a way to separate the association between smelling it and thinking of that sunset barbeque on the beach after a day’s surfing.
The Beach Bat Company’s bats are designed and handmade in the UK and can be individually personalised, making the perfect gift. Made to be cherished and enjoyed for a lifetime.
Visit The Beach Bat Company here.
Wherever you’re planning your staycation this year, ensure you have Saltee by your side to protect your skin and it’s great for the whole family. Here’s to memorable Saltee adventures, a little closer to home.
Shop Saltee, the perfect gift for Father’s Day (21st June). For a limited time only, we’re offering a complimentary SPF30 Body Active Sun Lotion when you buy any two Saltee products.
