Celebrating a discovery worth sharing

Andrea Francis, Inverroche master distiller

Francis, who is one of the few female distillers of colour in South Africa, created this unique flavour experience by infusing fynbos botanicals with a classically styled gin and mellowing it in American oak casks that had previously been used to mature Inverroche’s ten-year-old rum. A new edition to the Pioneers Collection, it embodies the spirit of the brand’s female leaders. There were only 1,500 bottles available, each individually wrapped and accompanied by a handwritten letter from Andrea.

Francis is one of Inverroche’s success stories. She started off as a part-time employee and became so interested in the range and its brand positioning that she was soon promoted to brand consultant. Her journey did not end there, of course. Showing a keen interest in the gin-making process, she later became an assistant distiller and today holds the position of master distiller.

“When we launched Pioneers Collection, we made a commitment to donate a portion of the proceeds to an animal shelter in Stilbaai,” says Lorna Scott, the founder and CEO. “We did this in keeping with our brand ethos of sharing our successes with the community in which we live and operate. We also wanted to celebrate Andrea’s extraordinary achievement.”

The donation to Stillbaai Animal Protection was handed over at a special media event, held at Inverroche’s brand home on Tuesday, 7 March 2023. Guests were treated to a tasting of the Pioneers Collection, which was accompanied by a selection of delicious canapes. Both Scott and Francis were on hand to answer questions about the collection, the Inverroche range and the brand’s corporate social investment programme.

L-R: Elaine Hardy from Stilbaai Animal Protection, Andrea Francis, Inverroche master distiller, and Lorna Scott, founder of Inverroche Gin

Stillbaai Animal Protection is run by passionate and devoted animal lovers who stand together to assist and improve the lives of animals in need. Elaine Hardy – Stilbaai Animal Protection field worker, the organisation’s spokesperson, conveyed that: “It was both a privilege and an honour to have been invited to attend the ceremony at the Inverroche Distillery where Lorna shared the ongoing story of the company’s success and progress over the years. At the same time, we were completely overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity that accompanies a donation of this magnitude from the Inverroche team. The financial assistance given today affords us the opportunity to consider taking on a project that would be outside of our financial reach, so it is both exciting and challenging to have the opportunity to look outside of the box to see how we can invest this generous offer to the best advantage of the fur babies of Stilbaai, and its surrounds.”

Andrea Francis says this donation goes right to the heart of the Inverroche brand to support a cause like this. “We host 15,000 guests at our brand home every year,” she says. “We want to offer them exclusive products that are an expression of who we are and the environment we call home. We also want to contribute in a meaningful way to our community. It’s an essential aspect of our ethos.”

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