Introduction: Since it was founded in 2014, Isle of Wight Distillery has never lost sight of its roots. It continues to pay homage to the vibrant natural landscape and the unique character of the island through its powerful sustainability mission.
Made with nature in mind, its hero brand Mermaid Gin reflects the distillery’s commitment to protecting the environment, from sourcing the ingredients to packaging.
From this, Isle of Wight Distillery has expanded its spirits portfolio of premium spirits, produced in “a sustainable, community-minded way”. Since 2019, the company has been using zero-plastic bottles for its Mermaid Gin and created its carbon calculator to monitor its month-by-month footprint.
The company’s innovative strategies to reduce emissions have earned them global recognitions, including the prestigious B Corp certificate. The certification is awarded to businesses which meet the highest standards for sustainability, public transparency, legal accountability and social and environmental performance.
Mermaid Gin has also been awarded first place in the IWSC Awards and Best Eco-Packaging from the American Distilling Institute.
Strong sustainability credentials further strengthen its position in global travel retail amid the rising trend of conscious consumerism.
Its travel retail partner, Duty Free Global, helps Isle of Wight Distillery bring the island-grown brand to a wider market and develop new partnerships in the channel.
In an exclusive interview with The Moodie Davitt Report, Isle of Wight Distillery Marketing Director Ginnie Taylor discusses the importance of travel retail and how essential sustainability is to every aspect of their business.
What sets Isle of Wight Distiller apart from your competitors in the travel retail space?
The home of Mermaid is the Isle of Wight’s first and only distillery. Situated on a small island off the south coast of England, our spirits are inspired by the ocean and our island home. Mermaid’s star botanical is rock samphire, which our distillers forage for in the summer months. Known in local folklore as ‘mermaid’s kiss’, its fragrant aroma once signalled to shipwrecked sailors that they were safe from the raging seas. Now, it gives our spirits their signature ‘hint of sea air’ evoking memories of good times spent by the sea.
In 2022 we became a B Corporation, joining a global movement of progressive organisations balancing profit with people and purpose. We strive to be sustainable and while we have global reach, all Mermaid spirits are distilled and bottled on the island by people who live in our community.
How important is travel retail to your brand?
Travel retail is very important to our business. Now the world has opened back up again, it’s great to be in these corridors. It functions as both a showcase and sales driver for Mermaid. Though we’re an island-grown brand, we have global appeal and we’re keen for Mermaid to wash ashore all over the world.
How has your partnership with Duty Free Global helped your growth strategy in travel retail?
We’re delighted to have partnered with Duty Free Global; they have extensive knowledge of the industry and also work well with their partners. We like to work with people who are passionate about what they do, and Barry [Geoghegan, Duty Free Global Founder and Commercial Director] and his team have passion in droves. We’re now focusing on maintaining our excellent existing relationships and developing new areas within the GRT market. We’re looking forward to attending TWFA Asia and Cannes with DFG and continuing growth in the sector.
How does the ecology and terrain of the Isle of Wight impact the flavours of your gin and other spirits?
All our spirits use local or ethically sourced botanicals and, where possible, we harvest botanicals from the island. Rock samphire is wild foraged from the coast, rock sea salt is harvested from the flood tides, and we use fresh locally grown fruit – island lemons and bergamots go into Mermaid Zest Gin and delicious fresh white cherries and apricots are infused into our Mermaid Spiced Rum. We also use Isle of Wight honey in our rum. Honey flavours vary according to the flowers in the area, so this gives a real island flavour to Mermaid Spiced Rum.
From ingredients to packaging, your products are crafted through ethical practices. Please tell us more about your sustainability strategy and how you develop your sustainability roadmap.
We started out with the goal of being a leading sustainable brand at a time when not many in the spirits industry were considering environmental impact. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do; being an island brand, we’re connected with our home and the water around it. At the core of our strategy is our mission; from there we identify areas that can be changed, set KPIs and implement changes. As a B Corp, we’re subject to rigorous scrutiny, which is brilliant as it keeps us on track, continuously driving to improve our practice.
Many distilleries continue to adopt eco-friendly initiatives and are taking bolder steps to reduce carbon emissions. What sets your company’s sustainability strategy apart from others in the industry?
Right from the start, sustainability was at the core of the brand and the business. It’s in our DNA. We’re a team of ocean lovers – surfers, rowers and swimmers. We also share information and products we’ve developed, to help the industry help the planet.
Our tamperproof seals, developed with Viscose Closures, are now used widely in spirits. These look like plastic, but they’re compostable in food waste, biodegrading in six to 12 weeks. Tens of thousands of plastic tamperproofs have been replaced by these and that’s a real win for the planet. Perhaps that’s what sets us apart – our desire to make real, sustainable change to help future generations. ✈
