Dearest Discerning Drinkers,
We hope you had the Merriest of Christmases and the Happiest of New Years. It’s that time again where we take stock and look forward to everything that 2020 has in store. Here you will find our very own Mr Hobbs Gin New Year’s Resolutions:
Develop and produce more delicious, cherished family tipples for our customers to enjoy.
We are working on a delectable new addition to the Mr Hobbs Gin portfolio of products which will be ready to launch in the Spring. This has been timed ever so perfectly with the 3-year anniversary of our Original Mr Hobbs Gin launch (3 YEARS! Where has the time gone?) as well as the 150-year anniversary of our parent company Hobbs of Henley which was established way back in 1870 by the founding father Harry Hobbs. Harry has been significant in the longevity of Hobbs of Henley and we celebrate him still today with his face proudly emblazoned on our Original Mr Hobbs Gin.
Continue to look at our sustainability and how we can improve.
Sustainability in the drinks business is something that is very close to our hearts and an issue we continue to reassess and do our bit to improve. We have moved away from all single use plastic in the events we attend and tastings we carry out, opting rather for a recyclable material and being conscious of the various elements that go into our bottling and labelling process. Our bottle is made from glass and is 100% recyclable. There are also many other novel ways to reuse your bottle that we have seen in the past; everything from candle holder to lamp. We love seeing how our fabulous customers choose to reuse.
Our parent company Hobbs of Henley is also putting more and more focus every year on how we can give back to the river on which our family business is built. Here is a quote from Managing Director, Jonathan Hobbs, on the attitudes and principles we continue to demonstrate:
‘’Our long-term strategy is to continue to be the best providers of boat rental on the Thames, develop new experiences for our customers and to explore reducing the environmental impact of leisure boating. We have a strong ethos of collaborating with local partners to maximise the benefits to the local economy and fellow river businesses to ensure the Thames, our natural resource, continues to flourish.’’
Furthermore, if you want to be a little kinder on the environment as well as your bank balance Mr Hobbs Gin is proud to offer a nifty little refill service. If you bring your empty bottles of our cherished family tipple down to Hobbs of Henley Ltd Boatyard (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) we will refill it for £31 (RRP £36).
Grow our brilliant local partnerships.
The local partnerships we have forged within the community are stronger than ever and in 2020 we welcome more of the same. We are always keen to collaborate and utilise the talent we have here in our home of Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire. We have such wonderful businesses and brands right on our doorstep and we love to keep it local. Paying back the support that we have received ourselves from the very beginning is extremely important and we love to see new names cropping up and growing alongside us. The successes that our fabulous town are built on are what inspires us.
Always look to only use the finest British ingredients in everything we create.
All our products are produced using recipes consisting of English botanicals, berries and booze! Sourcing the elements that are involved is part of the process we enjoy most, and we will continue to strive to use only the best. The traditional methods used in all aspects of the business are what keeps our cherished family tipples so quintessentially British. Now more than ever, consumers are interested in knowing where their food and drink comes from and it’s something we have been keen to share with our customers throughout. So whether you’re enjoying a Mr Hobbs Gin & Orange Milk Chocolate Ganache from Henley’s own chocolatiers Gorvett & Stone or imbibing some delicious Mr Hobbs Fruit Flavoured Gin Liqueur which has been distilled at Foxdenton Estate, you’ll know the journey of your chosen treat.
Dry January or Gin-uary?
‘’To be or not to be, that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer’’.
January can be a minefield when it comes to socialising, some are abstaining entirely, others are on a strict diet/ military training regime to undo the damage created by vol-au-vent overdose at the Christmas buffet(s)- guilty! But then there’s the lucky few who are ‘business as usual’ and didn’t succumb to the temptations over the festive period quite as raucously as perhaps the majority did and can continue on their, potentially less so, but still merry way! So, whether you’re looking to cut back, or let loose, there’s options.
Option 1) Dry January is a campaign set up by the British charity Alcohol Change and is ‘The UK’s one-month booze free challenge’. They even have a practical app to keep you on track which you can download here. Hats off to you chaps!
Option 2) If you just want to indulge but not overindulge, our fruit flavoured gin liqueurs are less than half the alcohol content of our original gin, making it the perfect middle ground for a delightful sipping experience but without any of the fuzzy heads in the morning. Pair a small measure with some soda water and you can still go crazy on the garnishes to make it feel fancy and frivolous.
Option 3) As you were! Mine’s a double! Let’s brighten up this rather dank and dreary month with a few large Mr Hobbs G&T’s.
Cheers to the ‘Roaring Twenties’: Part Two: The Sequel.
