How Four Pillars is transitioning into a zero-waste business

Last year, the construction of Four Pillars Gin’s $6 million gin hub in its Healesville distillery in Victoria came to a halt due to the Covid-19 outbreak. This year, the Australian liquor business has resumed construction on the project, which is set for completion in December.Inside FMCG talked to Four Pillar Gin founders Cameron Mackenzie and Stuart Gregor about the Healesville distillery, running a sustainable business and the company’s plans for travel retail this year.Inside FMCG: How is the construction of the Healesville distillery going and what can we expect from the gin hub?Cameron Mackenzie: So far so good! We have a giant hole in the ground and the builders haven’t hit any rock, so we are on track. The town is buzzing with excitement so there is a real energy about the place after a pretty difficult year.There are a number of key areas. Our hospitality area will have increased capacity for another 250 people which might alleviate some of the queues we currently experience. The existing hospitality space will focus on tastings, botanicals and distilling, while the new areas have a beautiful cocktail focus and a casual deck area for G&Ts. We will also have the ability to hold small events and functions.The production area will also expand as we move our bottling and fulfilment into the new building. This will free up some space in the existing area for potentially another still and more botanical storage. Oh and I can’t forget the giant underground car park. That’s big news in our small country town!Four Pillars Gin is to expand its sustainable distillery in Healesville, Victoria.Inside FMCG: Tell us about the installation of solar power and waste-minimising features at the distillery.CM: We installed solar on the existing building about two years ago. This has had a significant impact on our power consumption and our pressure on the grid. Two of our stills are electrically heated so we consume quite a bit of power during our heat up phases. Solar provides around 30-40 per cent of our requirements. Solar panels on the new development will take even more pressure off the grid.If we see an opportunity to recycle or reuse, we always will. Our oranges are turned into – seriously – the world’s best marmalade, our spent botanicals are used for salt in chocolate. We still have a few ideas but we are not far off being a zero-waste business. Inside FMCG: Congratulations on winning the International Gin Producer of the Year at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London for the second time in a row. How does it feel to bag an award during a hard year in 2020?Stuart Gregor: We were blown away to win it once, so to be named world’s best two years in a row was frankly surreal. It really validates what we’re trying to do here at Four Pillars… focusing on making gin and only gin, and constantly experimenting with new and different styles of gins and gin drinks.The gin business’ sales grew last year as more consumer spent time at home due to the Covid-19 lockdown.Inside FMCG: Did sales of your gin products increase during the lockdown period?SG: We definitely saw retail sales grow, as people chose to drink better – and probably more – at home. But of course in other areas, like the on-premise and travel retail, our sales fell off a cliff. We were very lucky to be able to keep the lights on and stay focused on our business, and we really felt for so many businesses that weren’t able to make it, particularly our friends in events and hospitality. Inside FMCG: Since the Covid-19 lockdown has halted travelling in most countries, what are your plans for travel retail this year?SG: We’ve got our fingers crossed that travel bubbles will start to open up and that passengers will return to the international skies. We’re super passionate about travel retail, so we’ll be there with bells on and gin in hand as soon as those routes start up again!Inside FMCG: What’s in store for Four Pillars Gin this year?SG: Our years tend to follow a pretty consistent rhythm based on our gin releases. So June will see the arrival of a new vintage of Bloody Shiraz Gin, September will see us celebrate another harvest of olives through our sensational Olive Leaf Gin, November means it’s time for another year of Australian Christmas Gin and the December will see our original Rare Dry Gin turn eight years old, just in time for a summer full of G&Ts garnished with orange. Oh and amongst making all that gin, there’s the small matter of building our growing Healesville Distillery, having lots of drinks fun at our Sydney Laboratory and building our brand around the world from the UK and the US to Singapore and New Zealand. Good times!