A family has set up a drinks business with a twist.

The Tiny Tipple Company in The Mall, Maidstone, specialises in selling miniature beverages and gift sets.

Glasgow-born Shirley Nedley founded the business with daughter Kimberley and partner Steve.

"It's quirky and we wanted to do something completely different," the 44-year-old explained. "You go anywhere and there’s no other shops like this really.

"We tell the customers when they ask ‘what’s this all about’ – you could come in and say ‘I’ve never tried that drink’ and get a little bottle of it.

"If you don’t like it, you are not going to waste your money on a bigger bottle. But if you like it you can get a bigger version!"

She added: "For example, all these mini whiskeys that we have are £40 or £50 a bottle.

"However you can come in here and spend £4 or £5 for a ‘taster’."

The family trio all had separate jobs just over year ago – with co-director Steve Gore having been in the drinks industry most of his life.

He ran two off-licence shops in Week Street and Lower Stone Street, called Premier Cellar.

Shirley worked at one of the off-licences and her 22-year-old daughter, Kimberly, was the manager of Pizza Hut delivery in Upper Stone Street.

After selling the stores off, the family decided to work together on a new project.

Steve commented: "We have bottles in here from 99p up to £299. Our most expensive miniature is the Remy Martin XO, a 5cl cognac priced at £12.99.

"I tried to count them the other day, got to 900 and lost my place. I reckon we have just under 1,000 different lines in the shop."

Shirley added: "We didn’t want to open just another off-licence, we wanted to make something a little bit niche that wasn’t out there yet.

"The best part is that we get to spend more time together, which is a big bonus.

"It’s more exciting when you are working for yourselves – you want to get up in the morning and go to work. You want it to thrive."

The team source their miniatures from three or four different wholesalers and importers, or deal directly with the brands themselves.

Sizes of the bottles range from 2cl (20ml) to 3cl (30ml), and up to 5cl (50ml).

One of their current best-sellers, AU Vodka, was founded in 2015 in Wales.

Its design incorporates the periodic table, with the symbol Au for gold and atomic number 79.

"They are the new kid on the block and are extremely popular," Shirley said.

"The colour on the bottle cap is the colour of the vodka itself, which is a good gimmick.

"A new release we have is bubblegum flavour – it changes from blue to pink when you add a fizzy drink in."

The store also stocks up on local spirits, including miniatures from Maidstone's gin distillery in Market Buildings and the Anno distillery in Marden.

Shirley's favourite bottle is the the Crystal Head Aurora, a Canadian vodka shaped in a skull head.

The design was created in celebration of the the Northern Lights, and has a iridescent finish which reflects in the light.

"It's just so pretty! A lot of people buy these just for the bottles," she adds.

But one of the most strangest miniatures they stock is the Mezcal Lajita, a unique drink similar to tequila but made from a different agave plant.

However, it contains an unexpected surprise.

Kimberley said: "It has a worm inside...you are supposed to eat it.

"Allegedly the creature was supposed to be an hallucinogenic. There are such weird things out there.

"Some traditional drinks still have scorpions and snakes in."

Now in the lead up to December, the family are busy preparing the store for Christmas.

They are stocking up on miniature Baileys gifts sets, classic gin bottles and glasses, as well as 'jar sets' which they sell for £25.99.

Shirley added: "The jars fly out – they are a mixture of five small bottles of spirits and malts ­– plus you get to keep the jar afterwards.

"Other shop owners have warned us that it will get much busier, but we are already busy as it is.

"We are really excited for Christmas, but at the same time thinking ‘oh my god’.

"I'm expecting to get some last-minute shoppers near the big day too!"