Converting the family farm into a distillery might have seemed like a risky move, but six years on the business is flying.
There’s a new covered seating area outside Brindle Distillery’s bar and HQ, The Nest, ready for their festival in early August. Nestival will be a celebration of local musicians, retailers and food and drink suppliers.
Tom Fitzpatrick, the head of production and distillation, is particularly pleased to see the tipi in place as the venue will also play host to his wedding this summer.
The fact that Tom would want to get married where he works is testament to the Nest’s unique atmosphere. The venue has evolved over the last six years and is now a friendly, welcoming and stylish space - a far cry from the farm building it used to be.
The distillery is a family business, launched by Mark and his father-in-law Gerard Singleton, which welcomes local talent and provides jobs for people in the surrounding community.
Many people would consider working with their in-laws a tough gig, but Mark disagrees: ‘It’s bound to have its challenges, but we’ve been doing it for six years – so I’d say we’re obviously doing something right. We’re really good at discussing everything openly, both work and home stuff. And that goes for staff too, we all want to see the business succeed and we’re all pulling in the same direction.’
Mark says he has learned a lot from his father-in-law whose family has owned Holmes Farm since 1930. Gerard was forward thinking enough to diversify and ensure the farm’s continued resilience with pedigree cattle and other livestock, the distillery, and a successful landwork business.
The distillery also has a number of different income streams for its Cuckoo products (including gins, rum and now vodka). They are stocked by discerning retailers like Booths and Selfridges, sold through bars and restaurants across the North West, available online, which was a saving grace throughout the pandemic, and hospitality - such as the bar’s gin tasting events - now makes up around 50% of the brand’s income
Gerard also played a significant role in securing Cuckoo’s place on supermarket shelves. Mark adds: ‘My previous career involved supplying supermarkets so I knew how to get in front of Booths’ buyers. I marched confidently in to the meeting with my fancy corporate deck of slides, with all the research and commercials. I had taken a mock up of the bottle and a clear understanding of where we’d sit in the market. But somehow Gerard managed to take over and he did it brilliantly.
‘His genuine enthusiasm for the farm is infectious. They could see he was completely authentic in trying to do good for the community. He wanted to invest in the farm’s resources, use the natural spring water, create jobs, and build the economy with a local product in a sustainable way. Booths took a leap of faith and agreed to list Cuckoo gin before we’d actually finalised the recipe. We’re very appreciative that they put their trust in us so early.’
Sustainability is a major priority for the distillery. A number of fields have been given over to growing barley, spent grain and botanicals are fed to the livestock, and wildflowers have been planted specifically for the bees belonging to The Bee Centre (just across the yard) which produce the honey for Cuckoo’s Sunshine Gin. And the bar now offers gin bottle refills at a discounted rate compared to buying a new one.
Solace gin is another way the distillery creates positive impact. A percentage of profits from each bottle is donated to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and combined with a generous donation from the Craft Gin Club sales so far have raised around £60,000 for the charity.
Solace is just one of many award-winning products produced under the recognisable Cuckoo name and logo. ‘We went through all sorts of options when we first thought about marketing, In the end, the choice was obvious thanks to the legend of the Brindle Cuckoo and the fact that the brand was ‘born’ here.’
Traditionally, the call of the cuckoo is associated with the start of spring and brighter weather. There’s an old wives’ tale that Brindle farmers, upon hearing the call of the cuckoo, tried to ensure a good growing season by building a wall around it in a fruitless attempt to trap and keep it. Since then, anyone born and raised here is affectionately known as a Brindle cuckoo.
And there are bound to be a few Brindle cuckoos at the Nest in August. Nestival’s launch saw 1000 tickets sold out almost immediately. The three-session event will feature live music, trusted food vendors, beer suppliers, carefully-selected independent local retailers, and of course plenty of the distillery’s finest.
It should be a weekend to remember. Or not quite remember, depending how many gins you have.
* Nestival, August 4-6, Brindle Distillery, Holmes Farm, Brindle, PR7 8LZ. brindledistillery.co.uk
