MEET THE PRODUCER Small Things Wine co-founders Cleve Robinson (left) and Ian Batt (right)
The spirit of Cornwall To create his range of alcohol-free spirits, Pentire founder Alistair Frost foraged for botanicals along the Cornish coast. The result emulates the complexity and depth of flavour of alcohol, without the physical effects. Interview by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox
What were you doing before founding Pentire, and how did it come about? I used to work at a surf school in North Cornwall, which I loved because I’m super into the outdoors, health and sports. Then I moved to London to work in bars and restaurants, eventually I became general manager at Amuse Bouche [Champagne & Cocktail Bar] in Parsons Green. Then I set up a small marketing company, representing exciting drinks brands - and I thought it would be great to create one of my own. I stopped drinking a year-and-a-half ago, after drinking gradually less and less over the years. Working in bars, people had this idea of what “good” looked like – buying loads of cocktails and then probably regretting it, being hungover and feeling rubbish. I saw that as a disconnect in the sector. I asked myself, “how can you make cocktails for people to have a great experience and feel awesome?” What was your development process? Pentire is the name of our local coastline, which it turns out has a massive botanical range and has particularly amazing sea herbs, like rock samphire, ice lettuce and sea purslane. Distilling those down delivered an amazing profile, and I knew that it would be the perfect base to the spirit, totally unlike anything I’d tried before – and also super healthy. The result is a collaboration between all the creators, growers and makers down here, where a lot of people are into seasonality and resourceful at using local ingredients. Chefs,
like Nathan Outlaw and Paul Ainsworth, were also really helpful in the process. How did you get it off the ground? When we started, I just wanted 10-20 hero accounts to list it and then some really good
Independent retailers are hugely important, because they have the best ingredients, the best suppliers, and they pioneer the selection of British brands that succeed in the UK. indie retailers, so year one was all about getting into fine dining venues, some of the iconic harbour and beachside drinking places, Daylesford and the likes, and then to flagship accounts like Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges. We’ve had to be an omni-channel business. Direct to consumer is important as well, as is export. Our ads on social media will hopefully feed into people recognising Pentire when they see it elsewhere. We export to 14-15 countries now, but we’re laser-focused on the UK and the US. We do a bunch of other stuff in Europe and New Zealand, but it’s really targeted, because our brand needs to be nurtured. Can you talk us through your products? Our core range is made up of Pentire Drift, Pentire Seawood and Coastal Spritz, which are great with a light tonic but really come to life in cocktails. Pentire Drift has the key botanicals – some
citrus, then the plant blend of rock samphire, ice lettuce and sage – all over green tones. It’s great in a Martini or a Margarita. Pentire Seawood is grapefruit, sea rosemary, wild seaweed and sea buckthorn. It has really light, invigorating flavours. It’s incredible in a Paloma. Pentire Coastal Spritz is a bitter aperitif with blood orange, sea rosemary, amazing in a Spritz, and also works in an Americano. We also make a pre-mixed Spicy Margarita to make it easier for people at home, and we have our core range of canned outdoorsinspired canned drinks. You have a Pentire Adrift & Tonic, Pentire Seawood & Tonic and Pentire Coastal Spritz, in 330ml cans. Why did you want to be B-Corp accredited, and what have the benefits been? We were doing all the requisite anyway, so it was a really obvious decision. Lots of businesses we admire are B-Corps, and the advantage of being a small business and getting it done early is that it locks it in and means that whatever happens you’ll keep looking at it and keep going. What’s your plan for the next couple of years? We want to continue to grow our healthy drinking message and our active outdoor community, and where that ends up taking us gives us clarity on our channels and locations. We have some good NPD in the works at the moment, and we want to continue growing in healthy retail, healthy on-trade, and work with the right partners. How significant are independent retailers for you in your growth plans? They’re hugely important, because they have the best ingredients, the best suppliers, and they pioneer the selection of British brands that succeed in the UK. They tell you what’s working, what’s not, who’s buying it, which really helps you to reach customers and grow your business. pentiredrinks.com Vol.24 Issue 10 | December 2023
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