Yorkshire Couple Create Award-Winning Alcohol-Free Spirit

A husband and wife team from Yorkshire have made it to the finals of the Global Good Awards 2020 just 18months after launching their non-alcoholic spirit.

Chris and Rose Bax launched Bax Botanics in 2019 from their woodlands in Yorkshire.

“We are delighted to win a Global Good Award for the best new enterprise 2020,” says Rose.

“The awards recognise organisations that are making strides towards a better world for people, the planet and the global economy and it is really important to Bax that we are an ethical business; our drinks are crafted with the planet and our responsibilities to the natural world in mind. We aim to be as transparent as possible about our company ethics and undertake sustainable and nature-friendly practices throughout every stage of production.”

The couple had been running a foraging and cookery course – Taste the Wild – for 15 years when they started experimenting with distilling foraged ingredients.

Motivated by a love of botanical flavours they set out to produce alcohol-free spirits that give the complex taste experience of an alcoholic drink without the after-effects.

“We couldn’t serve alcohol with food at the woodlands and we wanted the drink to be as important as the meal, so we started experimenting with the foraged products” says Chris.

“I made something quite undrinkable so Rose, with her knowledge of wild plants, took over.”

Using decades of knowledge and experience Rose worked on recipes with herbs, roots, berries, and flowers and Bax Botanics was born.

Within seven months they had won a Great Taste Award - they remain the only non-alcoholic spirit to do so – and are now stocked in over 100 retail outlets, bars, and online shops; their distillery is at their home in Wetherby.

“Because we can distil up to 3000 bottles a month, we now use farmed botanicals to ensure sustainability and high-quality supply,” Rose explains.

“The planet, and sustainability, is of great importance to us and is at the heart of the product; we consider it at every single step. We use natural products that are farmed sustainably and organically by Fairtrade farmers.”

Bax Botanics currently offer two products - Verbana and Sea Buckthorn. Not intended to drink neat, they are created to respond well to tonic water.

“The dilution and the fizz lift the flavours as they would with a gin,” explains Rose.

“The drinks are distilled in a traditional way using a copper still - a technique that was invented centuries ago and is little changed today.”

Rose and Chris have created a host of cocktail recipes in which their drinks can be used, and now aim to place the products in more bars, restaurants, and supermarkets throughout the country.

“There is a host of reasons that people may choose to not drink alcohol – pregnancy, designated driver, medication, religious beliefs, or just having some time off,” Chris concludes

“We firmly believe that you still deserve a luxury treat when you’re not drinking alcohol and botanicals are in our DNA; they’re what we do, and we do them well.”

Interesting Facts About Bax

No sugar or sweeteners
Half a calorie per 50ml serving
No allergens – free from gluten and all other notifiable allergens
Suitable for vegans and vegetarians
Eco friendly product – made from organic botanicals that are farmed sustainably and from Fairtrade farmers
Eco packaging – labels printed on environmentally friendly sugar cane waste
Distilled in craftsman made copper stills – the same way as gin but without the alcohol
Labels are printed on to Bagasse, a by-product from the sugar industry - not trees
The quality glass bottles are reusable or recyclable as are the stoppers
Use recycled cardboard for bespoke box and a new design for a single bottle box which uses minimum resources
Only buy from companies who ensure fair wages are paid to employees
Sustainable UK business

For more information on Bax Botanics and their products visit www.baxbotanics.com