INDUSTRY NEWS
Fever-Tree hire for NZ team
FEVER-TREE HAS added to its New Zealand team with the appointment of Cam Timmins as Commercial and Brand Development Manager. Fever-Tree’s ANZ General Manager, Andy Gaunt, says Timmins is a significant hire for the team as they look to increase their presence and accelerate Fever-Tree’s growth in the New Zealand market. “Seven years ago, we started working with Thirsty Camel as our exclusive distributor partner in New Zealand. As the mixer category has continued to develop, and we began to scale, it became clear that we needed to build more of a team on the ground.” Timmins comes to Fever-Tree with strong FMCG brand experience having spent seven years working with Pernod Ricard in New Zealand, Australia and more recently at the Absolut Vodka global brand HQ in Stockholm, Sweden where he led the strategy and expansion of Absolut Vodka & Kahlua RTDs around the world, as well as working on luxury brand Absolut Elyx. Timmins will work alongside the Thirsty Camel team to represent the FeverTree business in New Zealand with full responsibility for the brand and category growth across all channels. Timmins says that Fever-Tree’s growth reflects a shift in Kiwi consumer behaviour to replace the commoditised with the carefully curated. “When it comes to trying new and different flavour combinations, Kiwis are quite adventurous and when you combine this with the explosion of boutique, premium spirits, Fever-Tree has a huge opportunity here,” he says. 16 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2021
Reefton Distilling Co. bolsters leadership amid growth REEFTON DISTILLING Co. has announced the appointment of industry experts Gareth McGrail and York Spencer to two newly created senior leadership roles at the West Coast craft distillery. The company is currently in a growth phase and building capacity at a senior level as it invests in the expansion of the domestic market and positions the brand in key international markets. The business employs 22 staff, headed by founder and Chief Executive Patsy Bass, in turn supported by Chair Jo Bransgrove and Independent Directors Carl Carrington, Ngaio Merrick and Martin Smith. Gareth McGrail joins the company as General Manager Sales, and York Spencer as General Manager Brand. McGrail’s experience spans the premium alcoholic
beverage, coffee, and health and beauty sectors. This includes senior roles at Lion, Pernod Ricard and Sacred Hill. York Spencer recently returned to New Zealand, having held global Marketing Director and Country Management roles within multi-national corporations including Heineken and Carlsberg. Most recently, he held the role of Global Marketing Director for large international alcoholic beverage company Singha Corporation. “These two appointments come at a key point in our development,” says Patsy Bass, “as we near the completion of the fit-out of our new, larger, modern production facility and begin export into overseas markets.” Reefton Distilling Co.’s products include Little Biddy Gin, Wild Rain Vodka and Reefton Distilling Co. Liqueurs.
NZ Cider Festival shifts to Hawke’s Bay for 2021 THE NEW Zealand Cider Festival will this year be held in the North Island for the first time as part of Hawke’s Bay’s signature culinary festival F.A.W.C!. The Festival will be held at the Tomoana Showgrounds on Saturday, November 13. Summer F.A.W.C! Food and Wine Classic will run from November 5 to 14, 2021. The New Zealand Cider Festival has been held in Nelson for the past
five years, but will now alternate years between Nelson and Hawke’s Bay. “Rotating between these two locations will bring cider to as wide an audience as possible, showcase New Zealand’s two main cider growing regions, and will help ensure the longevity and impact of the event in support of our thriving cider industry,” says Shelley Haring, Managing Director of Nelson Venues
& Events, the company that delivers the New Zealand Cider Festival on behalf of the New Zealand Fruit Wine & Cider Makers Association. “We are delighted to see the NZ Fruit Wine & Cider Association’s plans coming to fruition and we are excited to deliver the event for them in the Hawke’s Bay region in 2021.” nzciderfestival.com