Rural Report 2017: The family beef farm diversifying into the world of gin

When Tom Warner decided that the family beef farm needed to diversify, little did he realise that he would end up as one of the leading lights of the burgeoning British gin industry.

But gin wasn’t even near the top of the list of 30 or 40 potential ideas that he and his family discussed in 2009 over the kitchen table of Falls Farm, nestled in a picturesque corner of Northamptonshire.

“We were actually thinking about the distillation of floral oils, but gin sounded more exciting,” explains Mr Warner as he shows me around the Warner Edward’s distillery, which he runs with this wife Tina and is housed in a converted 200-year-old barn on the farm.

Much of the farm’s land is classified as a scheduled ancient monument because it sits on the remains of medieval monastic fishponds. That makes it impossible to do anything bar grazing livestock, but the springs that fed the ponds now provide the water for the gin distillation process. “The terroir of the land is going into every bottle,” says Mr Warner.

A botanical garden is the source of inspiration when developing new recipes – Warner Edwards now boasts five gins, all of them award winners – while elderflowers picked on the farm are the crucial ingredient for one of the business’s fastest growing flavours. Rhubarb originally grown for Queen Victoria on a Crown Estate farm, and used in another of their best sellers, is also pressed on the farm.

Authenticity is crucial when you’re trying to establish a brand, says Mr Warner. “It’s something that big companies cry out for and spend huge amounts of money trying to fabricate, but if there’s one thing that small farm businesses like us can really bring to the market it’s authenticity. There has never been a better time to start a business.”

But that doesn’t mean creating a brand is easy, quick or cheap, even when you have the right credentials, he points out. “You still have to invest a lot of time and money, the amount we have spent on branding and our website is scary. There is a big difference between a brand and a business that has a name. You can’t cut corners with a premium product, people see straight through it.”

Social media has also played a vital role in promoting the business. Although a lot of content is created in-house, Mr Warner uses a specialist agency for strategic advice. “What we’ve discovered is that Facebook is now used by an older demographic. Most of our followers are 30 to 40-year-old women, but the real growth in gin consumption is among 20 to 30-year olds. We’ve had to raise our game on things like Instagram and Snapchat.”

However, it’s not just about technology, he stresses. Engaging with potential customers in the real world by attending specialist gin festivals, trade shows and consumer events like the BBC Good Food Show is also crucial. “You have to be everywhere, because you never know who will be in the room – you make your own luck.”

All the passion and investment that Mr Warner and his team have put into the business is really starting to pay off. Annual production is forecast to triple this year to almost 400,000 bottles and Warner Edwards’ gin is now stocked in both Waitrose and Marks & Spencer.

“Our rhubarb gin is the fifth bestselling gin for M&S and it’s still only being stocked in a third of their stores,” says Mr Warner proudly. Exports are also growing with strong demand from Germany and Denmark, and potential interest from China and Canada.

The forecasts for the growth in gin consumption are very positive, but with over 200 new distilleries opening since Warner Edwards first launched four years ago, staying ahead of the competition is vital. A new “top-secret” gin developed using ingredients from the botanical garden is due to be launched this summer and Mr Warner tells me that something “very special” is being planned for this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

Mr Warner is a man on a mission. “I want to save the world from mediocre gin.”