No.1 Fairham Gin was born out of lockdown, when two gin-lovers, Ellis and Liam, set out to make a craft gin that was truly handcrafted and unique from other craft gins on the market. It was great to hear about their first year as a business and their goals to becoming a more sustainable drinks brand.
What inspired you to make No.1 Fairham Gin and where does the name come from?
We have always been huge gin fans, and in the months leading up to starting our own gin brand, we tried a variety of different gins, none of which we found really stood out from one another. So, when lockdown in March 2020 came along, we decided to make the most of our new-found free time to create a gin that was truly unique and would add value to the market. Our plan wasn’t just to make any gin – we wanted to be confident in our product and that’s why it took 12 months for our Signature Edition to be released. After a lot of research, learning and of course, a numerous amount of G&Ts, we then worked with renowned Master Distiller, Gerard Macluskey, to finalise our recipe.
Our aim was to create a gin that would be instantly recognisable to us and our brand, No.1 Fairham Gin. We tested a number of ingredients which we knew we wanted to include, like different exotic fruits to really bring out the citrusy side of our gin. We then settled on a base recipe that we created in the outhouse at our home address on Fairham Avenue in Penwortham, Lancashire. As a result, we decided to name our gin after the place our Signature Edition was born, and where we initially came up with the idea.
What makes your gin different to other craft gins?
There are now lots of different craft gins on the market, with a lot of fantastic work going into making these unique recipes and creations. Being ‘handcrafted’ is frequently mentioned in the craft gin industry, but we pride ourselves on being truly handcrafted. From ordering, cutting, peeling and dehydrating to composting fruits, running our copper still and labelling our bottles by hand, everything is done by us, Liam and Ellis. We absolutely love being involved in every step, and we take such joy in seeing our customers enjoy the gin that we’ve made from scratch – it still amazes us to this day! We can’t describe the feeling we get when an order comes through. All we want is for people to try our Signature Edition and experience a craft gin that has been made through a method that not a lot of distilleries use.
Our craft gin is 100% vapour infused together, which means that none of our 13 botanicals or fruits touch the base alcohol during the distillation process. We even had to get a bespoke copper basket made, to sit in the column of our traditional copper still, which holds all our ingredients. The end result is an exceptionally smooth gin which is fresh and crisp on the nose, and has a long finish full of citrusy flavours. We wanted to keep every bit of flavour in our gin, so we also decided to cut out the chill filtration stage of our distilling process. This means that you may notice a pearlescent haze when the gin is chilled. Again, not a lot of distilleries do this, but we love how it gives character to your glass whilst also letting you enjoy every bit of flavour that our gin has to offer.
We were immediately impressed by the fact that Flexi-Hex packaging is both recyclable and made from recycled material.
Why was plastic-free packaging so important to your business and why did you choose Flexi-Hex?
We always knew we wanted to do as much as possible to reduce our negative impact on the environment. Being a new business does limit us slightly, but as we grow we will look to become increasingly sustainable in our operations.
From day one, we focused all our efforts on sourcing recyclable packaging as we wanted to stay well away from the plastic bubble air sacs used by many other distilleries and companies. We found Flexi-Hex via Instagram and were immediately impressed by the fact that their packaging is both recyclable and made from recycled material. Not to mention the professional element the packaging gives to our brand – an eco-friendly product that doesn’t compromise on quality and functionality. Our customers love it just as much as we do!
What other sustainable measures are you taking as a business?
Currently, the cork from our Signature Edition gin is made from wood and recycled cork legs, and our glass bottles are made from 10% cullet and produced via low carbon manufacturing. All elements of our operations are reviewed to remove any unnecessary waste. One area that was highlighted early on in our distilling process was the unused fruit flesh left behind after peeling. To combat this, we offer any leftovers to local businesses and residents. We even attempted to make our own marmalade to give to family and friends so it wouldn’t go to waste, but we quickly realised that making gin was more our forte!
We really do have big plans for the future that involve EV delivery vans and an environmentally friendly-built distillery, but these are just dreams at the minute that hopefully one day we can achieve. As we continue to grow, we are always looking for inspiration or helpful suggestions on how we can do better for the environment, and we welcome anyone to reach out to us via sales@no1fairhamgin.com.
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signature edition 70cl£36.00 -
the signature edition bundle£45.00
