We are constantly working hard to improve our customers experience to bring about better ways in which we can work together to benefit us both by working smarter and sustainably .
By this our aim is to decrease waste and unnecessary discarding of bottles which are heavy to transport and take up space better served by our refill pouches that are lighter, space saving and our specialist recycling centre can recycle using 25% as gas to run the machine and 75% that is turned into oil that makes pouches and other packaging. A far more sustainable solution compared to bottles.
As a family business we are tuned into protecting our beautiful South West region, creating jobs and paying into our local and UK economy to create a balance. As my Grandad would say when his allotment was our playground "you pick something, you plant something" "you take something you replace it"! Wise words from my Grandad Alf.
My drive is from my upbringing which very much centred around the natural world and what it had to offer, about respect and accountability. It's about doing trade and sharing. My Grandad and Great Grandad were recognised in WW2 by the Government for feeding people when there were food shortages which I am super proud of. My Grandad continued to give away lots of fresh produce till he was no longer able to do so which also instilled in us kindness and helping hands without expectation of payment just if we ever needed help it would be there in a heartbeat.
Our family ethos of sustainability is deeply rooted in our family value, passed down from generations, emphasising respect, accountability and the importance of giving back to the community. I myself have volunteered over the past few years and includes Young Enterprise going back to 2012 and more recently our local rugby club as community engagement person.
Everything we do at Exeter Gin has a purpose and a story behind it, respecting the planet and the eco challenges we now face so we also recycle every bit of packaging we can to reuse as lets face it, it ends up in the bin so lets reuse as much as we possibly can to improve our carbon footprint.
Another one of our pleasures are foraging with our Granddaughter and her dog Max who has taught us to pick high for obvious reasons. It's the part we love the most as we are usually reminiscing and telling stories from times gone by which our Granddaughter absolutely loves and of course we love telling. It's precious family time as well as being outdoors to improve our mental health which can be, wrongly, on a back burner when you run a business. All in all its all about family and friends for us.
This is just brief glimpse into our lives as a family business and have so many more stories to tell but hope you have enjoyed reading a little of our journey.
Big love Karen!