This Manx distillery will offer gin refills to reduce waste

From edible straws and eco-friendly six-packs to zero waste cocktails, sustainability is a hot topic in the drinks industry. Now, a craft gin startup in the British Isles has made eco-friendly distilling its USP.

Isle of Man based artisan start-up, The Fynoderee Distillery, has reported a gross sales turnover exceeding £544,000 in its first year of trading.

Tiffany Kerruish, co-founder of Fyonderee distillery, told the drinks business she had a number of sustainability-focused initiatives planned this year. Kerruish said the company is in the process of moving to a bigger site on the island in Ransay, and will allow customers who have already purchased gin from her distillery to simply refill their bottles, cutting down on wasted glass.

“It saves us the cost of the bottle, and customers will be getting their gin slightly cheaper too,” she told db.

There are currently just three distilleries on the Isle of Man; Kella, which has been operating in Ramsey for more than 30 years, Seven Kingdoms Distillery, which launched in September 2016, and Fynodree Distillery, which launched last year.

Discussion, Kerruish said, is underway towards supply in Hong Kong and Singapore, South Africa and the US.

“It’s been pretty epic for the last 12 months, we’ve been delighted,” she said. “Now we’re just beginning to infiltrate into the wider UK market and internationally.”

Kerruish said the distillery’s location on the island, a UNESCO biosphere, gives the brand a unique advantage.

“As we’re a partner of the biosphere we try to keep those goals in mind as we grow the business. We’ve been phasing out plastic packaging, even down to the seals on our bottles, and we’re excited to introduce a refill service when we move back to Ramsay.”