Toby’s venture into making gin seems to be moving in the right direction with each batch tasting better than the previous one. He must be itching to take advantage of the flourishing market for British artisan gin.
“It’s certainly the spirit of the era” says Miles Beale, who is chief executive of the Wine and Spirits Trade Association.
Speaking to Farming Today he went on to say, “British gin is not just seeing a renaissance it’s seeing an absolute explosion of growth.”
According to Miles, gin is considered to be “a quintessentially British product” and its deep-rooted historical links in the UK give gin makers an advantage when it comes to establishing new brands.
'Simple in theory'
“I knew it was having a boom but I didn’t imagine it would reach the stage it’s at now” says craft gin maker, and co-founder of Brighton Gin, Kathy Caton. Two years on from having her first bottles on sale, Kathy now has over 600 stockists and is starting to export her product.
Similarly to Toby, Kathy started out learning the basics of gin-making in her kitchen. “It’s simple in theory but it’s like a soufflé”, she says, “it looks simple on paper but there are so many different variables that can make it go wrong.
"It’s easy to get something that looks and smells like gin but doesn’t taste nice at all.”
Kathy says the rise in craft spirits is an echo of the craft beer movement. She adds, “It’s consumer-led, people are genuinely interested in where their drink has come from and how it’s been made”.
Modern technology means it is possible to produce gin in smaller amounts with smaller stills so, if Toby’s gin operation comes off he’ll be facing sizeable competition. “In the last full year for which we have records, 56 new distilleries opened in the UK”, says Miles Beale.
What would Kathy’s advice be to Toby for becoming a distiller of gin?
1) If you think you’re going to get rich quick, try something else! There are a lot of long hours.
2) Be methodical, write everything down – if you make the perfect concoction you won’t want to forget the recipe!
3) Make friends with the HMRC and Trading Standards. You absolutely have to operate properly and above board.
4) You’ll be dealing with discerning customers – you won’t be able to fob them off.
5) Take advantage of the perfect brand ambassador who's on your doorstep - Lilian!
Hmm, while it's not easy to have complete confidence in Toby when it comes to points 1) to 4) at least 5) is a bonus!
