FEATURE:MADE IN DEVON


Brand new gin celebrates the history of hemp


Stilldoctors & Co Ltd was founded by Dave Gwynne and Paul Giles in 2018 and launched its flagship product “1533 British Hemp Gin” at Plymouth’s Flavour Fest 2019. Dave and Paul have worked


together for many years and the idea for the business came from a chance conversation after a late meeting. Dave said: “We were chatting


about our children and it came up that they were discussing climate change and the damage of single use plastics in school. The conversation went off on a bit of a tangent as it often does, and we ended up agreeing to see if we could find a way of combining this effort to improve our children’s environmental future, with our interest in enjoying Gin! Random I agree, but it certainly lit our fires.” From here, the doctors started to


develop an awareness of the spectacular green credentials of the Hemp plant. Hemp has the potential to become the flagship sustainable crop for the 21st Century. It grows very fast, three months from sowing to harvesting; it requires little water; requires no pesticides; and is good for the soil. The more they learnt about this plant, the more remarkable it became. Dave said: “Without this plant, it


is unlikely that Britain would ever have had an Empire. It really was a crucial and valuable crop.” When the Mayflower sailed to


the New World, Hemp was crucial in the lines, sails and calking of that historic ship and hemp seed was carried aboard for sowing at the earliest opportunity after landfall. Even the declaration of Independence was penned on Hemp paper. David continued: “This research


made us question whether there was a way in which we could use hemp in a new way? Bringing attention to its versatility, its fascinating link with human history, its green credentials and its future potential. It was at this stage that it dawned upon us that the hemp seed might make a unique and interesting botanical in a premium gin? With continued growth predicted in the gin sector until at least 2022, we felt this was a really exciting concept for us to explore. “We researched the market and were surprised to see that no one


had used Hemp seed as a botanical in their recipes. This then became our aim, to make a gin recipe using hemp seed and produce a brand to celebrate the history of the plant. “We made contact with Gerard


Evans of Gedrick Distilling, who is a multiple, multinational award-winner for gin recipes, to develop our concept. It took several months of careful research and several distillations before we were happy with the finished product. It was essential that it really expressed the hemp seeds toasted nutty and earthy character to its full potential”. Following a successful launch at Flavour Fest, the Stilldoctors were very pleased with how the gin was received. They are confident in their growth and potential over the coming months and have clear ambition to grow the business. Dave added: “As we are now launched and active in the market, we are hoping to increase our traction locally through engagement with restaurants and bars and have already established distribution channels in Dorset and London. “Our ambition for this


product is unlimited and we have a clear strategy for development. We believe it has the potential to be attractive to the multiples due to its USP and timing with regards to the green movement. We also feel this has potential to succeed as an export product, with strong British identity and the regal history associated with the hemp plant and the growth in the Gin market seen across the world”.


Visit: www.stilldoctors.com Summer 2019 Chamber Profile 29 ‘No one had


used Hemp seed as a botanical in their recipes’


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