Fabulous flavour: Fentimans family values

For more than 100 Christmases, Fentiman’s has worked together to make some of the UK’s finest botanically brewed drinks and mixers. Like Phil and his Batch Premium Gin, Fentimans puts family and flavour first – and when it all comes together, it’s a bit of Christmas magic. 

In the world of commerce, 100 years can see any number of fads and flavours cycle in and out of fashion, taking traditional methods and unlucky producers with them when they go. But for more than a century, through good times and bad, Fentimans has stood resolutely behind the botanical brewing methods that originate from their founder, Thomas Fentiman. It’s a heritage passed down through the generations, straight through to the current owner, Eldon Robson, Thomas Fentiman’s great, great grandson. 

As Andrew Jackson, Marketing Director at Fentimans, explains: “Along with selling his drinks, Thomas Fentiman gave the reigns of his Northern English factories to his children. That gave his children responsibility and retained a family link in important areas of his botanically brewed business.” 

While every other botanical brewer in the UK has changed their methods, or gone out of business, Fentiman’s has steadfastly refused to transfer to newer and cheaper methods of producing their exquisitely crafted beverages. 
Andrew says, “Botanically brewed drinks is part of Fentimans’ culture and this will never change. It’s a core foundation of Fentimans providing the basis for the exquisite and multi-sensory taste our drinks provide. With this in mind, we’re able to plan new products in line with our philosophy: uncompromising with taste and the natural ingredients we source.” 
Like your Batch Premium Gin, the Fentimans Ginger Ale and Rose Lemonade in your December Gin of the Month box are made by a tight-knit group of family members and long-serving staff, whose pride in their work is only bolstered by family-centred approach. “Fentimans is a family business,” Andrew says, “and there are no outside pressures from shareholders to reach unrealistic targets or do things that don’t fit with the brand.”

He continues: “There’s a relaxed feel about working at Fentimans, and everybody is committed to doing their best. Fentimans has such a rich history, and it’s an iconic British brand – it’s easy to feel a part of the vision.”
You will, too, once you take a sip of these two festive Fentimans cocktails. For a beautiful and lightly spiced cocktail, combine your Batch Premium Gin with Fentimans’ fine Ginger Ale to make a Christmas Batch. Or, if you fancy a beautiful alternative to the traditional G&T, turn to the Botanical Rose Garden. Either way, you’re celebrating friends, family and fun – the very things that make this season bright!