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@specialityfood T he British spirit boom has undoubtedly been one of the biggest success stories for UK food and drink in the last five years. Record-breaking statistics speak for themselves: distilleries in the UK have more than doubled from 184 to at least 441 in 2019, massively aided by the so-called ‘ginaissance’. 80 new distilleries opened last year, up by 22%. And according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA)’s latest insights, over 83 million bottles of gin were sold in the UK during 2019, a market worth around £2.6 billion, with gin sales almost doubling in value in just two years. Despite the impact of Covid-19 on the hospitality sector and sales of spirits, the British public have unsurprisingly embraced the trend for drinking at home with gusto. Latest reports from the WSTA show gin as the best-selling spirit for online shopping since March, and Fever-Tree reported strong off-trade sales of its premiummixers during lockdown, rising 24% in April. The interest in British gin has also helped to fund new forays into spirit-making, with high-quality English and Welsh whisky and rums launched in recent times. “The gin market has become quite fragmented as it continually reinvents itself to stay interesting,” says Paul Sullivan, head of sales and marketing at LBW Drinks Ltd, a producer that makes drinks under the Lyme Bay Winery and Jack Ratt brands. “But while demand is probably levelling out for gin, it 16 has introduced a lot more people to spirits, providing opportunities for other categories to grow, such as rum,” he adds. Has the gin bubble burst? While demand for British gin is unlikely to continue to skyrocket at its current rate, the market is still enormous. Craft Gin Club, the UK’s biggest gin subscription service with over 90,000 members, report a 70% increase in membership over the past year. “Elevating the at-home drinking experience has been our mission from day one and it’s never resonated more with consumers,” says John Burke, commercial director and co-founder. “With pubs and bars closed over lockdown we saw a big increase in demand from existing and newmembers. As a result, we’ve been selling the equivalent of one G&T every 1.5 seconds! As a trend, I think at-home drinking is here to stay. A lot of people discovered it as a necessity during lockdown, but I expect many will continue to enjoy drinks from the comfort of their own homes.” With new products being launched practically every month, where should retailers start when I think the current climate is unstable so many customers are looking to help out the smaller businesses which may struggle.” When it comes to boosting sales of any spirit, Gary believes having a varied selection of attractive varieties and passionate, knowledgeable staff is key. “Source a completely unique selection and position it next to your local products. Looks are incredibly important too and can be a real conversation starter, so I’d always suggest bringing in a few interesting-looking bottles alongside your core range. I truly believe if the shop assistant really loves the product and knows their stuff it helps sales, so educate staff about the products, particularly the local ones.” He continues: “Ensure you have a variety of fruity, juniper-led, herbal, spiced, floral and citrusy gins. It’s always nice to get in some seasonal ones too, even if you’re only ordering a few of each to gauge how they will sell. Most small producers are very happy to send small quantities of say 6-12 units, which is very handy for cash flow,” he adds. When it comes to sourcing local, some retailers are taking the next step by creating their own bespoke gins. Inspired by their shop’s popular gin club, Mark and Sue Billington at Scottish deli Billington’s of Lenzie developed Lenzie Gin – a London Dry made with botanicals inspired by the local landscape. “After exploring and researching the area we found that cranberry and bilberry both grow wild on local moss, so these become the leading botanicals in our gin,” explains co-owner Mark Billington. The gin has gone on to win several prestigious awards, including Scottish Gin of the Year 2019 at the Scottish Gin Awards. Mixers matter too Another growth sector is canned and pre-made cocktails. Neil Boyd, UK managing director at Edinburgh Gin says: “The ready to drink category has seen huge growth in recent times, driven mainly by gin- based offerings. These ready-to-go and convenient options will only continue to grow while many people opt for socially distanced picnics in the park. In May we launched our Raspberry Gin Fizz, based on the ever-popular Raspberry Liqueur Gin Fizz cocktail. It’s a beautifully sweet and easy to drink cocktail in a can, perfect for celebrations.” And with the new flux of quality gins to the market, demand for artisan mixers has inevitably followed. “We have also noticed a huge increase in flavours from the big players as well as new artisan companies popping up,” says Mark at Billington’s of Lenzie. “I would recommend gaining a good understanding and don’t be tempted to list all the mixer flavours from all the manufacturers – unlike spirits they do have an expiry date.” Northern supermarket chain Booths recently introduced a whole new range of mixers across their stores. Soft drinks buyer Andrew McDermott says: “We have just carried out a full range review across 500 soft drinks, including 100 mixers, of which 40% will be brand new in-store.” Exciting new lines include Jeffrey’s, a small Cheshire supplier. “Rather than traditional mixers they have a range of hand crafted 200ml syrups which can be mixed with sparkling water or sodas to create your own tonic mixer.” He continues: “Whilst mixers for gin remains the biggest category, we are seeing growth on ginger mixers that work well with dark spirits. Health remains a key driver as we see more customers choose to move into ‘lighter’ options with reduced calories, zero calories and natural ingredients.” Rising rum Although it has yet to reach the dizzy heights of gin, British-made rum is ‘one to watch’, according to Paul Sullivan at LBW. “Rum is growing in popularity and has huge potential as it is so versatile – it can be mixed with plenty of other drinks and is a great base in cocktails. It’s also much more varied than gin and has more of a connoisseur market, much like whisky, as it can be aged.” Molasses is at the heart of rum- making. The sticky dark syrup can be made from sugar beet, but this European answer to the cane molasses of the Caribbean and southern states of the USA is reviled by all but the cattle it’s fed to. Besides, rum isn’t rum unless it uses the real deal: black treacle, as we Brits are more likely to call it, made The world of British spirits and mixers has never been more diverse. Natasha Lovell-Smith of Great British Food reports on a sector that continues to innovate despite challenges LIQUID ASSETS WHYBRITISHSPIRITSARELOOKINGROBUST 80 NEW DISTILLERIES OPENED IN 2019 , AN INCREASE OF 20% If the shop assistant really loves the product and knows their stuff it helps sales, so educate staff about your products, particularly the local ones putting their selections together? “Never sell anything you wouldn’t drink yourself and always talk to your customers about their experience and how it can be improved. Our approach has always been to offer a curated experience. There are so many gin brands out there that it’s become difficult for consumers to find quality spirits that they truly love, so it’s up to you to guide them,” adds John. Storytelling in a bottle Across the board, producers report local lines, especially those with a unique story, sell well in the regions they are made; luckily for retailers there are barely any corners of the UK without a craft distillery. Multi award-winning spirit makers The Orkney Gin Company use high quality hand-picked, home- grown and carefully-sourced seasonal ingredients “inspired by local traditions, folklore and the unique botanicals which would have been used in local family recipes for many generations,” explains co- owner Gary Watt. The Orkney Gin Company is particularly renowned for its two seasonal gins: Johnsmas (meaning ‘mid summer’ in old Orcadian) and Mikkelmas (a spiced, silky smooth autumnal gin inspired by harvest time). Gary hopes the trend for shoppers to be more proactive in hunting down small local producers during lockdown will continue: “Due to the Covid crisis I have noticed consumers really looking for something made on a small scale.