The Secret Garden Distillery is aiming to make an impact in the spirits market with an ambitious release of their new custom bottle this April. In a saturated market for gin where consumers often “buy with their eyes”, the Secret Garden is looking to establish their position as a super-premium product, and through their refreshed design align their product better with their story and their sustainability values.
Isobel Armstrong, one of the co-owners, explains that the new bottle is key to the Distillery’s strategy for growth and says, “we are committed to producing a world class spirit that echoes the craftmanship and dedication that goes into every step of our process but we need to align consumer perception of our gin with our value perception.” Isobel asserts that the super-premium price point reflects the artisanal nature of the gin and “the fact that each sip represents years of hard work from our dedicated team, from the team of gardeners who grow and harvest the botanicals in the gin. Those botanicals are then air-dried in purpose-built drying rooms, distilled and the gin is then bottled by hand. Creating the product in this way dictates its price.” She continues, “The Secret Garden Distillery has made the investment into bespoke packaging to better compete in the market and taken the opportunity to make our products even more sustainable. A key part of our strategy is to build on our unique identity. We have never had a problem selling our products to people – our story is unique and our liquid is really special - if I do say so myself - and our sustainable values are key for today’s consumers. Our issue has been in getting people to engage with us and dedicate shelf space to products whose packaging does not effectively communicate our values. I always use an analogy to describe why this transition is so key to our growth strategy: once people are through the door it’s nearly always a yes, however, getting them to the door is the hard part. This new bottle is giving our house the face lift it needs to encourage the gin consumer to want to come in and have a chat with us. Our redesigned bottle not only embodies our brand story but also represents our core values of sustainability and environmental stewardship. We are so proud of it.” 
Key elements of the new bottle
Designed by Jenkins-studio.com working collaboratively with Isobel, the new bespoke bottle is a distillation of everything the Secret Garden represents in glass. Isobel notes that, “at the Secret Garden our mission has always been to encourage people to explore the wonder of nature. The intricate embossing on the glass of a juniper window draws inspiration from a moon gate – a doorway that invites you to enter and explore.”
In addition to sculpted juniper emboss on the front of the bottle, each of the gins is represented by stunning botanical
artwork inspired by the key botanicals used to craft the gin. And it isn’t just the bottle that is new. When David was touring the garden, he found inspiration seeing one of the gardeners planting seeds in a newly cleared bed using a traditional dibber and this tool inspired the new iconic wooden cork. The bottle also includes symbolic elements in the design. Isobel tells us, “the bee on the cork and the robin in all the label artwork underscore our deep connection to our garden, highlighting the vital role these creatures play in sustaining our ecosystem. Our beehives are an essential part of the garden and the robin is our nod to the eponymous Frances Hodgson Burnett book from which we took our name.”
By creating their own bespoke bottle, The Secret Garden is not only creating a stand-out product in the over-crowded UK gin scene but it is also helping the company achieve a lower carbon footprint – a passion of the other co-owner Imogen. “We are committed as a business to minimizing our impact on the planet. From sustainable gardening to sourcing eco-friendly packaging, our goal is not only to create fantastic spirits, but also to make a positive difference. For us, being ‘sustainable’ isn’t just using less plastic and recycling where possible, although that is important, it really means working hand in hand with nature, a relationship that should be based on give and take. It is all about balance, and the collective outcome of that balance is sustainability. Ultimately, we produce a product in an energy and water-intensive industry so we have to mitigate the environmental impact of our energy-intensive operations. We have plans to continually measure and reduce our emissions and this new bottle is key to that this year.”
It was important for Isobel and Imogen to have a bottle that has proper green credentials and for sustainability to be key in their decision making. Although the embossed design requires a slightly thicker glass, the decision was made to use recycled material. Another key decision was to use a UK manufacturer. “We have moved away from using bottles manufactured from 100% white flint glass in Italy to a bottle manufactured in Leeds with 70% recycled glass. The glass only travels 216 miles from the factory to us here in Edinburgh. That’s compared to the1650 mile journey from Italy,” explains Imogen. Isobel adds, “and the recycled glass gives a uniqueness to every bottle which reflects the natural world.”
The design team also decided on sustainable wood and cork for the new stopper and the labels are FSC certified and use UPM Raflatac Forest Film, which uses 100% renewable wood-based raw materials. The tamper proof seal is made from recycled vegetable matter that is compostable and all the shipping materials only consist of paper which is completely recyclable. As Imogen says, “add this sustainable packaging to a truly delicious all-natural liquid made from quality ingredients without additives or preservatives and you have a product that underscores our commitment to reducing our environmental impact.”
Nolan Kane, Head of Emerging Brands at Verallia who are making the glass says,
“we’re excited to see the new Secret Garden bottle in the market. We’ve worked hard in collaboration with the team and David Jenkins to create a unique bottle that will not only stand out on shelf but will also give the brand huge improvements in their commitment to sustainability.”
With a strong commitment to sustainability and provenance, Secret Garden Distillery and its owners Isobel and Imogen are dedicated to delivering a high-quality product that is truly Rooted in Nature.
For more details contact:
Kate Armstrong
kate@secretgardendistillery.co.uk
0131 285 6833 (option 1)
