BLACK-OWNED BRANDS

Spearhead — owners of Vusa Vodka and Bayab Gin — claim to be the only global black-owned African spirits brand. Launched by friends, Chris Frederick and Damola Timeyin (who have worked across London’s bars and restaurants), the duo wanted to address an absence of black-owned drinks brands, as well as highlighting the quality and craft of the African continent from a unique perspective: that of the African diaspora. The company launched two products into the UK in March 2021.

Bayab Gin takes inspiration from the Baobab tree and is described as a twist on the classic dry gin style. It uses baobab fruit from Zambia and Madagascar alongside other African botanicals, including juniper berries, coriander, rosemary, cinnamon, coarse salt, lemon and orange peel. Furthering its African terroir, it is blended with water, sourced from the Kwazulu-Natal Midlands. Vusa is described as a smooth, creamy, sweet vodka made with sugarcane from the subtropical climate of South Africa, but contains botanicals sourced from across Africa. It is filtered using the shells of the Baobab fruit and uses water from the Lions River for a crisp finish.