A South West axe-throwing business is targeting further expansion by opening a venue in Exeter.
The Celtic Tossers opened its first venue in Truro in 2020, added Plymouth the following year and will hurl Exeter into the mix in April 2022.
Business founder Chris Self said he has signed a deal on premises in “the perfect location” in a railway arch underneath St Thomas Station, on Cowick Street.
The large unit will have four targets which can be booked, along with additional space for groups up to 36 people and for other activities. Mr Self said: “I always wanted to open a location in Exeter, in a very vibrant and exciting city.”
Mr Self started the company in 2019 and said: “I was at my parents’ farm throwing axes at tree stumps. It’s really fun. I then built targets. We started doing outdoor events in the summer of 2019 and moved into the first indoor venue in Truro city centre in January 2020.
The first Celtic Tossers venue received a Tripadvisor Travellers choice award in 2021, putting it in the top 10% of attractions worldwide, Mr Self said.
“After quick success, even whilst a pandemic was happening, we could see how popular the concept was to people,” he said. “So we quickly started planning expansion. The second location opened in Plymouth, with my close friend Joshua Hawke as a partner, in September 2021. Feedback from customers has been very positive and we are growing quickly in this location.”
The Plymouth branch, in Mayflower Street, has seen a 60% increase in custom during its first six months, prompting Mr Self to expand into Exeter, with another friend, Chris Willetts, on board.
“The main reason for the business success is the focus on the customer,” said Mr Self. “Other places offer axe throwing but we really focus on the customer and make sure they get as much enjoyment as possible out of the experience.
“We have even designed our own lightweight ninja axes to accommodate younger customers and those who struggle with the heavier axes, this allows us to be far more inclusive, our age range starts from eight and up.”
Once the preserve of plaid-clad men in forests, axe throwing has become a popular pastime since it first made its appearance in US bars in about 2011 and soon spread across the Atlantic. There are now businesses catering for chopper chuckers in cities around the UK as city centres pivot themselves towards lifestyle and experiential businesses in a bid to fill voids left by a declining retail business.
“We have lots of feedback that axe throwing can be very stress relieving,” said Mr Self. “Axe throwing is extremely fun and addictive, with some expert tuition we believe anyone can fully enjoy the experience. One of our favourite tag lines is ‘we can make a Tosser out of anyone’. Pricing is kept competitive as we have found this encourages people to come and see us regularly.”
