Based in a Grade II listed building in Leatherhead, Surrey, the young entrepreneurial company employs 11 staff and has carved out a niche in the UK precious metals market.

In an interview with GB News, Mr Thorne spoke at length about his business success, the secrets of his trade and the ever-changing tax regime that UK investors are forced to navigate.

When Mr. Thorne was a child, his grandfather gave him a gold coin for each birthday. By the time he was 21, the collection was worth enough to cash in the £16,000 down payment on his first flat in Epsom.

The coins weren’t flashy. They weren’t speculative. They just sat there quietly and admired the passage of time. “That was lesson number one: Gold is a store of wealth,” Thorne said.

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bullion club

Lesson 2 came in the form of a check for £1,000. He invested it in cryptocurrencies. He lost badly. “I felt devastated at the time, but it taught me something invaluable. Cryptocurrencies can go up and down like a yo-yo. Gold moves in a completely different way.”

In 2022, Thorne turned his attention to Hatton Garden, London’s historic jewelery district, and was conducting gold transactions through his director contacts. He then took sole ownership of the business and rebranded it as Bullion Club.

The business model focused on the independently graded and sealed Royal Mint Sovereign and Britannia, which are British legal tender coins that are exempt from capital gains tax (CGT) for UK investors.

Entry fees to this exclusive club start from around £2,500, which is comparable to an ISA contribution, making it more accessible to everyday investors with a bit of cash saved up.

“I have spent years seeing people being pushed with products they did not fully understand. Bullion Club was born from the simple idea of ​​making it easy to own real, verifiable, high-quality gold in a clear and transparent manner. We focus on assets that stand on their own merits, rather than a sales story.”

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bullion club

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bullion club

Following previous financial losses, Thorne remains cautious about the future of the crypto market and urges retail investors to exhibit similar vigilance.

“They can be very fragmented and sentiment-driven. Liquidations and illiquidity can cause large price swings. There’s also operational and counterparty risk that many people don’t fully understand.”

Despite this warning, he points out that while gold is not without risks, it has historically been built as a store of value. The contrast between his grandfather’s birthday coin and the missing £1,000 crypto check still shapes his philosophy.

“One person sat quietly and helped me buy my first home. The other person disappeared. It’s a powerful comparison.” The CGT exemption attached to UK fiat bullion coins is a meaningful attraction for investors, especially high-income earners seeking tax-efficient gold exposure. However, that is not the only factor.

“Clients like visibility, liquidity and independent ratings,” says Thorne. “They want to be clear about what they are buying. Alongside a traditional portfolio, more and more people are looking for assets that are tangible and easy to understand. And once customers understand that proposition, they refer others.”

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Gold and silver prices have soared over the past year due to rising geopolitical tensions and tariffs from the United States. Will gold become less attractive once the market stabilizes?

Thorne said that while some of the “fear premium” may recede, he believes broader structural changes are afoot. The record level of gold demand in 2025 suggests that gold demand is not purely headline-driven.

He added: “We see demand being influenced not just by a single news cycle, but by longer-term themes such as diversification, confidence in fiat currencies, institutional investors and central bank interest. In particular, 2025 saw record levels of gold demand, with gold prices reaching significant new highs.”

For those considering a deal, he says: “Let’s start by being clear: Are you investing for long-term storage, or are you trying to build a portfolio that can be used alongside an ISA that has reached its annual limit?

“Focus on finding reputable companies with strong track records, and if in doubt, seek independent advice. There is no personal financial advice here.”