Alistair Houghton meets CHRISTIAN ROSE, chief executive of gin distillery G&J Greenall
WALKING into G&J Greenall for the first time, Christian Rose found plenty of spirit amongst the spirits.
Rose had been called into the loss-making distillery by owner De Vere – and soon discovered that the 250-year old business had great potential and staff who wanted to make it great again.
He led the company back into the black and this month, after a year of negotiations, he completed a management buyout at the business.
Today, the Warrington plant produces up to 70% of the UK’s gin – and some 16% of the world’s total.
As well as Greenall’s gin, and sister brands Bloom and Berkeley Square, it produces most of the UK’s supermarket own-brand gin.
And the site, which employs 120 people, produces other well-known brands under contract. Bombay Sapphire gin, with its distinctive blue bottles, is made only in Warrington.
The company’s UK sales are booming, particularly since its core Greenall’s brand was given a new look. In the last quarter, sales of Greenall’s gin were up 60% on last year.
Greenall is now going for global growth. Its gin is growing in popularity in Spain – the world’s second-biggest gin market – while it launched in the USA last month.
Rose arrived at Greenall in 2008, charged with turning the business around after it posted its first-ever loss, of £2m.
“De Vere brought me in at the back end of 08 to see what they should do with the business,” he said. Should they sell it? Asset-strip it? Invest and build it?
“The first thing that struck me was the spirit, passion and commitment of the team at Warrington. It was extraordinary.
“This is one of Britain’s greatest brands. It’s the oldest continuous gin distillery in the world. It’s something that needed mentoring and loving.
“There were challenges but also massive opportunities.”
Greenall dates its history back to 1761, when Thomas Dakin started distilling in Bridge Street, Warrington. The distillery eventually passed to the Greenall family, taking the G&J Greenall name it still has today.
In 1923 the distillery was bought by brewery Greenall Whitley and in the 1960s it moved from Bridge Street to a larger distillery nearby.
Disaster struck in October 2005 when a major fire, fuelled by the gin and vodka stored in the warehouse, destroyed much of the distillery.
The gin-making stills, however, were saved and moved to their current home in Birchwood.
By the 2000s, the distillery’s parent had sold its breweries and pubs to focus on hotels, and changed its name to De Vere.
Hertfordshire-born Rose started his career as a management trainee at Marks & Spencer before moving to Safeway and then Somerfield, where he ran the Kwik Save business.
He then served as director of a number of private equity-backed businesses, including Alliance Boots and NAAFI, which provides retail, leisure and catering services to the British armed forces worldwide.
“I was based in Germany and went to Iraq and Kosovo during conflicts – places you wouldn’t normally expect to have to do business,” he said.
Rose was chief executive of Albannach Brands, the Scottish bar and restaurant chain, when in 2008 he was approached by De Vere to take charge of Greenall.
The 2008 loss came as a shock to De Vere and Rose had to act quickly to get Greenall back on track.
“In 2009 we had to pare back and prune,” he said. “We lost some people. We had to cut back on some investment. We got the business back to a modest profit in 2009.”
In late 2009, Rose was introduced to Enzo Visone, the former chief executive of spirits group Campari.
“We talked about the spirits industry,” said Rose. “I was quite passionate about Greenall and what we’re doing. Enzo said ‘There’s something I could do to help’.”
Greenall had, said Rose, become an “interesting distraction” to its hotel-focused parent – so De Vere was willing to listen to offers.
Rose and Visone, along with investment banker Warren Scott, won an £11m finance package from the Burdale Group to bid for Greenall. The deal was approved a year ago, but only completed this month.
Rose smiled: “It was almost 12 months of blood, sweat and tears, weeknight and weekend working, midnight working. But in those 12 months, we didn’t take our focus off the business.”
Its core brand, Greenall’s, has been given a new look.
“People thought the old livery was good but a bit like a supermarket own label, and a bit dated,” mused Rose. “We wanted to become contemporary but keep that British element.
“There’s still a subtle hint of the Union Jack,” he added, looking at the green stripes on the label. “The response has been phenomenal.
“We’re actively promoting it. We’re going to have billboards. We’ll be having extra displays in the supermarkets.
“Greenall’s is going great guns.”
Under Joanne Moore – only the seventh Master Distiller in the 250-year history of the distillery – Greenall has developed two premium brands in which Rose has high hopes.
Bloom, launched 18 months ago, boasts hints of honeysuckle and melon atop the traditional juniper taste of gin.
“A lot of people get put off by juniper,” said Rose. “We wanted something which was more subtle and delicate, and where people say ‘I don’t like gin, but this is lovely.”
Bloom is available at selected bars and restaurants, including the Malmaison in Liverpool, and in retailers including Harvey Nichols.
“We don’t want this to go to the mass market straight away,” said Rose. “It’s about brand-building.
“We are very selective about the retailers we want to work with. We have had requests from multiples, and we have said no. It’s not easy, but we feel we’ve got to be very protective to create an enduring brand.
“Something like 80% of new spirits brands fail. We won’t let this fail.”
The other new brand is Berkeley Square, which is flavoured with basil, kaffir lime and lavender and comes in a square bottle mimicking the shape of Victorian poison bottles.
Berkeley Square has only had limited distribution as Greenall has focused on its other brands, but Rose says the takeover will give the company the funds to push it further.
Three weeks ago, Greenall’s gin was relaunched in five US states, including Texas and Florida.
“It’s early days,” said Rose, “but early impressions suggest that our heritage has gone down really well.”
Bloom, meanwhile, was launched in San Francisco at the same time.
Rose smiled: “Already, after three weeks, Bloom is in 45 bars in central San Francisco – which is way ahead of what it was expected to be.”
Greenall sells in 17 countries, from Europe to Australasia.
Its ready-to-serve products, such as gin and tonic in a can, have proved particularly popular overseas.
Back home, Rose says gin sales are rising as it becomes more popular with young people.
“A lot of people don’t like to be seen drinking what their parents are drinking,” he said.
“Going back six or seven years their parents used to drink gin and tonic. Vodka was the alternative.
“What we’ve found is that a lot of young adults now coming through see their parents drinking vodka, so they want something different.
“Real gin-making is a craft, an art.
“You’re dealing with naturally variable products. It depends on the strength of the oils, the angelica, the root or the juniper berries.
“People are becoming more sophisticated and discerning, and they’re looking for that point of difference.”
But as well as organic growth, Rose is looking to win new contracts to make gin and other spirits – and may go on the acquisition trail.
“We are looking for other brands to acquire,” he said.
“We have a reputation as a major player in the UK. We’ve got distribution networks worldwide. We can bolt on other brands.”
Rose lives near Heathrow with his wife of 25 years and two teenage daughters, and splits his time between Warrington, the company’s small London office and overseas.
Outside work he enjoys cooking and running – he once broke the four-hour barrier in a marathon – but is proud that he never leaves work altogether behind.
“One great thing about my job is spending a lot of time in bars and restaurants,” he said.
“When I’m out shopping, I’m looking at shelves. When I’m in a bar I’m looking at shelves at what the competition is doing and how people are consuming.”
