James Gin – a gin brand created by English television presenter James May – is now available to consumers and trade customers in Australia, thanks to a new deal with Queensland based distillery, Wild Flower Gin.
“You’ve been buying some of my award-winning gin – thank you very much for your custom – but there have been a few problems, one of them is that you’re too bloody far away, so the transport costs are ridiculous and second is that your government obviously hates you as the excise duty is also ridiculous,” said May.
“Now we can’t do very much about the second thing but the first one we can, and we’re delighted to announce a partnership with the Wild Flower Distillery.”
The agreement is to manufacture and distribute the unique flavours under licence in the Australian market exclusively. It will see James May's gin being sold alongside Wild Flower Gin’s products in bottle shops, restaurants and bars across Australia. The full range - Asian Parsnip, American Mustard, London Drizzle, and Asian Parsnip Navy Strength is now available.
James Gin co-founder, Gus Colquhoun, said: “We knew there was a demand for James Gin in Australia but the delivery and excise duty costs were prohibitive. We can’t do much to reduce the excise duties (at least immediately) but we can address the delivery costs by working with James Greig and his team.”
“We are committed to creating ‘The Gin of the People and Wild Flower’s vision to create exceptional products at lower costs, aligns with ours. We’re excited to see what happens next.”
James Greig, the entrepreneur and founder of Wild Flower Distillery, keen to try May's gin, ordered some online, enjoyed the taste, but experienced firsthand how expensive it was to ship from the UK. He decided to reach out to James May who agreed that other Australian customers had given similar feedback.
James Gin agreed to have him make a trial batch of Asian Parsnip, according to the secret recipe, and once that was sent to the UK for tasting and approval, the packaging was replicated in Australia and the deal was given the green light.
Wild Flower Gin's founder points to significant challenges in the Australian craft spirits market, including high excise taxes and rising living costs.
“These pressures have forced many craft companies into voluntary administration, with Mighty Craft being the most recent example. Despite these hurdles, we remain optimistic after an initial batch of James Gin sold out,” said Greig.
“The current economic climate is tough for many craft producers. However, partnerships like the one we've formed with James May can help us navigate these challenges and continue to thrive.”
