THE PLACE CREATIVITY BEGAN INTERVIEW BY: JEANRI-TINE VAN ZYL-PUNT DIRECTOR AND OWNER OF FEED THAT BIRD //

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ou are credited with creating Africa’s first luxury craft gin, why this drive to create something luxurious? I wanted to conceptualise a way to communicate the fact that everyone can trace their origins back to the very tip of Africa. I knew that with the power of story I could convey the magic of this place [Still Bay, the heart of South Africa’s floral kingdom], and that in a modern context this would work best if there was a way to establish direct contact. I knew this contact had to be through a luxury product. Someone invests in a luxury product because it has captured their imagination, and it says something about themselves. They are not purchasing a product, they are purchasing a

story. That creates the potential to converse about why they invested in that brand. It allows us to focus on a narrative of what we share rather than the things that divide us.

INVERROCHE GIN

LORNA SCOTT

PHOTOGRAPHS BY: INVERROCHE GIN

When did you realise this power of luxury? When I was sixteen years old I received a bottle of Chanel perfume from my mother for my birthday. You know, I’m really old (laughs) this was in the mid to late 60s, and it was such an unusual gesture. I remember this beautiful box, with velvet casing and this golden ribbon. It was REAL perfume, not eau de toilette, and the whole experience was so sensory and tactile. It was really excotic, I still have that little bottle amongst my collection of memorabilia.

"Everyone belongs to the same family.“

100 YEARS VOLLHERBST

LORNA SCOTT

100 YEARS VOLLHERBST

LORNA SCOTT

That’s interesting, as this really speaks to your drive for sustainablity? I suppose it does, but I need to add that it is important to differentiate between sustainability versus sustainable luxury. There seems to be this idea that sustainability is hippy, home-made jams, but it is far more than that. I think it is important to note that luxury can be sustainable, and it comes down to the handcrafted element, which is an important facet of Inverroche Gins, this and the fact that it is an authentic expression of its surrounds, which in packaging, stature and quality represented a luxury product, and which is made in harmony with nature and community.

"It is important to differentiate between sustainability versus sustainable luxury.“

Why was it so important to you to create a sustainable product? It conveys the significance and provenance of where I happened to live. Here are archeological sites that show us that this, here, was the cradle of creativity. Humans could evolve here because there was an abundance of food – protein from shellfish and carbohydrates from fynbos – that allowed our brains to develop faster. This discovery points to our interconnectedness as humans, everyone belongs to the same family here at the tip of Africa. On the one hand, there’s this interconnectedness through our shared heritage, and on the other hand, there is a community with low skill sets and income levels. I wanted 100 YEARS VOLLHERBST

Why gin, and not another luxury item, like perfume? The area is South Africa’s ‘floral kingdom’, where there is an abundance of fynbos (literally meaning fine leaf flowers). A key characteristic in these botanicals, which played a role in our survival 150 000 years, is that they are aromatic. Not only does that mean they have application in perfume, but many can be used for medicinal purposes and are edible – ideal for using in infusion into gin. Since gin is essentially a neutral spirit infused with natural botanicals, I knew that I could create something that could showcase the aromatic and edible qualities of fynbos.

LORNA SCOTT

How do you incorporate sustainability in your personal life? Firstly, my kids and I are all vegan – for all the ethical and environmental reasons around that (I can’t justify eating anything with eyelashes!) My children became part of my journey when I went back to university to study sustainability. I would share with them my learnings and they became attuned to how we live. We are off the grid, and self-sustained and my kids are involved in other plant-based projects in the business. My daughter has just created plant-based ice-creams that are served with gin at the tasting room. We are very mindful

of how we live, and what we wear. Personally, I don’t throw things away either. I would rather fix things and wear it again. You started out as a rather small, craft gin from South Africa. Today, Inverroche is an international brand, with drinks giant Pernod Ricard as investor. Will the brand remain true to its values? Irrespective of what happens, Inverroche Gin’s essence will never be compromised. There will never be artificial flavourants, it will always be hancrafted, it will follow the original model of 15 000 bottles made in our potstill (called ‘Meg’), with 16 pair of hands used per bottle minimum. Our family and community values will never be compromised. Inverroche was born out of the dream to create something to uplift the local community, showcase our beautiful fynbos, and do that through a luxury product that would be in demand globally. This will not change. Are you ever worried that you won’t be able to balance luxury and sustainability as the brand grows? The brand’s sustainability message will remain non-negotiable. We need always to be mindful of our sustainability commitment, and we have started moving towards a zero carbon footprint. We are not able to compromise on some areas, as they will affect the quality of our product. For instance, the print and labelling quality we get from Vollherbst can’t be duplicated locally, and cork cannot be replicated. We admit that we will have residual carbon emissions, but we plan to mitigate this by working with like-minded partners and suppliers who support our sustainability mandate and be involved in environmental solutions.

we call the 100% African project, sourcing all ingredients from Africa. We are also working towards a zero carbon footprint goal, in 2025. We are hoping to lead the whole group in sustainability. How will you take this message of sustainability to the world? We are working on a couple of global brand homes, called ‘cultural embassies’ where we can share our story and sustainable actions, and where consumers can experience the brand. I want to get people talking and illustrate our interconnectedness. We are all connected to this one space, this single species and we are all African, and we want to share that story. You are all about preservation of the future. If you could tell future generations one thing, what would that be? I’m going to be a bit esoteric with this answer. I would tell them to remember what it means to be human. If you study the entymology of the word ‚human‘ you see that it essentially means ‚earthlings‘ – we are all the same, all connected to each other and the earth. We have to find a way to make this place we call home, this ,blue marble‘, agreeable.

INVERROCHE GIN

to create a vehicle to tell the story of this place, while setting up an enterprise that would create employment and create skills. Finally, I wanted to create awareness that fynbos is under threat, mostly from dangers such as wildfires.

You mention that luxury conveys something about a person. Is there any luxury item that you covet? A Tesla (laughs)! Yes a little Tesla sportscar would be so cool.

Lorna Scott OWNER AND FOUNDER OF INVERROCHE GIN Lorna Scott, owner and founder of Inverroche Gin, built a luxury brand based on the desire to uplift her community and showcase and protect the natural beauty of her home on the Southernmost tip of Africa. A formidable businesswoman and impressive visionary,

What has the response been to your firm stance on sustainability? In (Pernod Ricard) group we are regarded as the poster child for sustainability from Africa. Together, we are working on a very exciting project, what

Lorna is credited with revolutionising the gin industry in South Africa – and is now becoming one of its most inspiring teachers for sustainable luxury.

100 YEARS VOLLHERBST