Warner Edwards gin drops ‘Edwards’ from brand name

Craft distillery Warner Edwards is dropping “Edwards” from its brand name as part of a refresh, three years after co-founder Sion Edwards left the business.

Founding partners Tom Warner and Sion Edwards (Photo: Warner’s)

Founded in 2012, Warner Edwards was originally named for its co-founders, Tom Warner and Sion Edwards, but Edwards left the business in 2016. The co-founder went on to work for Birmingham-based gin distillery Langley, before being appointed general manager at Union Distillers in May 2018, according to LinkedIn.

Union website states that it produces spirits for companies including pub group Amber Taverns and retailer Fortnum and Mason.

The brand is now led by is Tom Warner and wife Tina Warner-Keogh, who left her role as director at London law firm Amala Partners to sign on as an investor and director at Warner Edwards in 2015.

The companies’ sales have risen 142.58% annual sales rise over the past three years, and the brand was also featured in the top 10 of The Sunday Times ‘Fast Track 100’ last year.

In an emailed statement, Tom Warner said: “We’ve had quite the journey since we started back in 2012!”

“Our team has worked incredibly hard to get the brand to where it is and it’s this hard graft – coupled with great care for the environment and sustainability – that has enabled us to create epic gins and a brand we’re immensely proud of.

“We’ve enjoyed continued growth year-on-year, which has allowed us to keep innovating and driving the category.”

Sion is supportive of Tom and Tina and all that the team has achieved since launch, according to a Warner’s spokesperson who added that Sion is “incredibly proud to have played a part in the brand’s early days.”

“The change of name to Warner’s feels like a natural evolution for us – our customers have been shortening our brand name to Warner’s for years, so now is the right time to make the change,” Warner said.

“Warner’s also better represents our current team and, combined with our new look and feel, should give us better stand-out on shelf and increased brand recall, so it’s a no-brainer.

As a nod to the original brand roots, Warner’s has retained the English lion and the Welsh dragon in the logo. The company said the name change has allowed it to increase the logo size, while the phrase “Farm Born British Gins” has also been added.

“We’re a proudly farm born, inventive and big-hearted brand, and we wanted to challenge ourselves to better deliver our epic brand story through our product look and feel,” Tina Warner-Keogh said.

“The work that has been done to the logo and new brand visual identity means our narrative is now clearer and more impactful. It’s a really exciting time for us, and we can’t wait to share this with our fans.