FoodCarl ThompsonNovember 25, 2022Savile Row, Savile Row Gin, Gin, Stewart LeeComment

IN CONVERSATION WITH STEWART LEE, FOUNDER OF SAVILE ROW GIN

FoodCarl ThompsonNovember 25, 2022Savile Row, Savile Row Gin, Gin, Stewart LeeComment

At a recent event I had the good fortune to bump in to Stewart Lee, founder of Savile Row Gin. The brand offers a true Savile Row Experience where customers can book tickets to learn about the art of bespoke gin-making and tailoring in the heart of London’s Mayfair, Savile Row-style! To learn more about the brand and in particular, how they acquired the prestigious name, I spoke to the founder Stewart Lee.

Stewart, first off, what is the recipe for your signature serve?

The perfect serve Savile Row, gin and tonic. Contains 50ml of Savile Row gin, topped up with Schweppes Tonic, they're fine signature tonic, and mint leaves. This is our perfect serve. Gin and Tonic with a slice of pink grapefruit, mint leaves, always goes down a treat,

How did it all start?

It's a funny journey. Well, everyone connected with Savile Row Gin is involved with Savile Row. So I've been the publisher, of Savile Row magazine for over a decade, and knew everybody on Savile Row. About three and a half years ago I had a mad idea that I wanted to do something a bit different that involved Savile Row. I've always loved gin and I had the idea of starting Savile Row Gin. I then spoke to some of my friends on Savile Row, because I felt was very important that if we were to integrate a gin into the Row because of the history of the row, and the protections that go with the Savile Row name, that I had the support from some of the key stakeholders and Savile Row. And we absolutely got that I went to all the key people to make sure we had their support before we registered it.

And they all agreed?

I knew them all. They knew me and I guess it was a case of better one of our own than somebody that has no connection to Savile Row. So with the approval of the likes of all of the tailors the association who supported us from the beginning Angus Cundy, who is the kind of Godfather chairman of Henry Poole, he supported us from the start. So we went ahead and registered it and they trusted me to produce a good gin and we did.

Talk to me about the botanicals in the gin

A couple of friends and myself, we put together the botanicals and ingredients that we liked. Not too peppery, not too sweet and sour. And between us we came up with 12 botanicals, our signature botanical being kumquat, which was never really used in a gin so a bit of a risk. It's quite citrusy-orangey type of food that gives it a really smooth taste. Thankfully, whether it was just beginner's luck, or we just knew what we were doing, we've ended up with a very popular and very good London dry gin.

You've been going for 4 years, what stage are we at now with the brand?

So the company is about to go full time, I'm hoping to go full time with the company. We're getting investment on board. Our aim is to push it into the mass markets, certainly into the retail market into one or two of the big name retailers. Also to get it into more and more bars and hotels. We're in quite a few places already. We've just been taken on by Selfridges. So we're absolutely delighted, it's going in there in about a week and a half so just in time for Christmas.

And David Gandy is also a shareholder?

Gandy, he's a shareholder in the brand. He's also our Global Ambassador he loves his gin. I've known David for probably a decade now. And early on, I said to him, I'm starting up a gin brand and I could see he was interested. He came up to me at an event before I actually told him I'd launched it, he said, 'So Stewart, this is your gorgeous gin.' Thankfully thereafter he invested and offered really good support to me, he's been amazing,