Full name: Bob Fowkes
Role: Director and Co-Founder of Brockmans Gin
DOB: 25/10/1957
Birthplace: Dorking, Surrey
Twitter Handle: @BrockmansGin
Website: www.brockmansgin.com
Fun Fact: “Apparently a distant relative invented the postage stamp & postage system. Sir Rowland Hill was a profound innovator. I hope my ideas will last as long as his!”
J: Hi Bob. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us!
The site says that the gin was brought about by the “different skills of a group of very experienced and devoted friends.” How long did it take you to move from ‘idea’ to seeing the first bottles for sale?
B: The company was founded in 2007 and it took 2 years to get to market. We launched in the UK in 2009. The four friends came together over the idea of creating a new and exciting taste in gin. Broadly speaking we had commercial nous, taste expertise, financial / fund-raising acumen and brand development experience. Whilst the lines were not tightly drawn, I was the ‘brand guy’. My background was in brand development and innovation with large food and drink businesses either as an employee or more latterly as a consultant.
I led the brand development process encompassing packaging, naming, brand proposition, production and all other aspects of the brand mix.
Where does the name ‘Brockmans’ come from? Where is it made?
The word Brock denotes stream or flow of fresh water, which is an important element in the distillation process. A Brockman is somebody who manages that flow of water. Brockmans is distilled in Birmingham and bottled in Chorley.
How did you come to this combination of botanicals? Blackberries and blueberries is a combination I can’t recall seeing anywhere else? How long did it take to arrive at this recipe?
We experimented with a lot of different botanicals. The drive was to create something that was a completely new taste in gin. Further, we wanted it to be so smooth you could quite simply drink it over ice. You might not want to do that all the time but it was seen as a sign of approval of the taste and smoothness of the final recipe.
As we developed the branding simultaneously with the product we wanted this smoothness to have a seductively sensual property. That’s where the concept of top notes involving citrus, coriander, blueberries and blackberries emerged as important botanicals. The fact that they deliver something quite different within gin fulfilled an important element of our ambition to be distinctly ‘like no other’.
As far as gins go, I remember it being pretty sweet. Is there a tonic that you think works best with this flavour profile? Or should we just be drinking it neat? Hah!
It is sweet on the nose but not particularly sweet on the palate. The top notes promise a sweet profile whilst the actual taste delivery is somewhat drier. That’s part of its enigma and allure. Brockmans works better with higher quality tonics that have a good sweetness, citrus and quinine balance – where not one side of this simple equation dominates. Fever Tree or Schweppes, for example, work very well with Brockmans Gin for that reason, particularly with lots of ice and our perfect serve garnish of pink grapefruit peel and 2 blueberries.
Over the last few years, it seems that the number of (craft) gins on the market has really increased dramatically. How have you managed to differentiate Brockman’s?
Firstly, there is a clear taste difference with Brockmans that lives on through tonic and other mixers. This is not a marginal difference that disappears once mixed. It is a profound and long lasting difference. Secondly, the style of our packaging and communication is literally as different as night is to day, when compared with most gins. The seductive & luxurious style of our bottle is reflected in all communication in a contemporary and urban manner.
Look at our website to see how we provide mood and taste and deliver it very distinctively. This how we photograph individual botanicals to how we present a video story depicting the personality of our brand.
Although you are global at this point, I read you say that you plan to “stay in those countries that understand gin” – how do you determine that and where will you be avoiding?
20 years ago many consumers would have said that all gins are the same. That’s why we saw a tremendous increase in own label gin sales in the UK. That has changed in the last 10 years with the new wave of gins in USA & Europe opening up consumers’ minds to the range of possible tastes within gin. These markets interest us most as they offer the most potential for Brockmans. The consumer is primed for something new within gin.
What do you reckon our readers should be looking out for in terms of spirits trends. The ‘Gin Revival’ has gone spectacularly well, do you see anything else on the horizon, either for gin or for other spirits?
I think its early days in this gin revival and it is likely that it will continue to expand over the next decade. In line with this we will continue to see an expansion in craft spirits. Beyond that I think Rum will develop at the premium end and we will see some premium cereal spirits from Asia emerging such as Schochu or Awamori.
Have you considered creating any more varieties of Brockmans?
No, we are very happy with the gin as it is and want to focus our efforts on distribution and communication expansion.
Where did the idea for “A Night Like No Other” originate? It’s quite ambitious.
I presume you mean our latest art film entitled ‘A Night Like No Other’? When we originally launched the brand in 2007, a former fashion photographer approached us. He wanted to create a video story about our brand and create a video-led website from this work. We decided to give this a go and he effectively and simply brought the brand alive for us. Two years ago we realised that this story had become a little dated and we gave a new creative team the opportunity to bring our brand personality alive through film.
That led to the latest ‘A Night Like No Other’ film which I believe simply and effectively delivers a genuine sense of the Brockmans brand.
What’s your greatest/most memorable professional moment been, so far?
Seeing a bottle of Brockmans on a shelf in a large liquor store in the USA. That to me as a brand owner was massive step. It was also the first place that I saw our new bottle live in a retail outlet.
Where do you get your ideas?
Through talking to consumers and trade and exploring different hypotheses. The ideas come from them. The interpretation skill needs to be with you.
Enjoy the journey by starting with a recipe thought but ending up somewhere quite different.”
What advice would you give to aspiring food and drink entrepreneurs who’d want the kind of results that you’ve had?
“Think brand”. Consumers love products but they buy brands. They are loyal to brands not products. Never leave branding as an afterthought; it will never work out that way.
Who’s the person who’s most inspired you in your work – this industry or otherwise. Is there anyone that you draw inspiration or strength from? Do you have any specific influences?
1. Charles Handy and his fabulous book The Empty Raincoat
Which conveyed the belief that you bring all of your personality into your work.
2. The late Sir John Harvey-Jones who I saw live on 2 occasions.
He taught me that in terms of relative effort if having an idea was one, then bringing the idea alive was ten and making it happen is 100. People forget the rigorous challenge that innovators face in implementation.
3. Steven Gerrard in the 2005 Champions League Final in Istanbul
never say die leadership at its finest.
What do you enjoy most and least about what you do?
I enjoy meeting consumers and letting them try Brockmans for the first time. I dislike filing expenses after a long trip.
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing instead?
Developing a new brand in some way or another.
What’s your ultimate aim and goal for your career and Brockman’s. If you could achieve anything with it, what would you pick? Money and reality are no obstacle, so shoot for the moon…
Ultimate goal would be to build Brockmans as a consumer brand in 5 key countries including UK, Spain & USA. A consumer brand would mean that you heard it getting called as a B&T in a bar on a regular basis.
Money no object – the next US President walks unexpectedly into my local pub and orders a Brockmans on the rocks.
And we always ask three customary ridiculous questions…
If you had to get into a no holds barred, 20 round fist fight with any fictional character, who would you square off against?
Homer Simpson – I guess I would stand a chance and there wouldn’t be any blood.
If you had to have any character from Greek mythology come and work with you at Brockman’s, who would you employ?
Athena – she would be smart and brave at the same time which is what it takes to develop a new brand in a market dominated by large global corporations.
If the army donated a functioning army tank to Brockman’s (and paid its fuel / ammo expenses) what would you do with it?
Take out all those luddites who appoint themselves as industry experts whilst being on a corporate retainer. They are generally over opinionated enemies of innovation and represent no one – least of all the consumer. We all know who they are.
