First Steps

An early kitchen experiment

Following several months of dreaming, scheming, bookwork, and talking to food rescue folk, we finally summoned the courage to approach Distilled Spirits Aotearoa (DSA) for some early advice. Did our idea have legs?

We found the good folk at DSA to be generous and welcoming. We half expected to be brushed off as daft old bats but the reality couldn't have been more different. Without a shred of judgement, we felt encouraged to test out our ideas. At the same time, potential issues, roadblocks and caveats were carefully explained and enumerated and we were pointed to sources for detailed information and specific advice.

Encouraged, we attended a social enterprise event hosted by Startup Dunedin, just before the first COVID lockdown in 2020, Deborah Manning, CEO of KiwiHarvest and Steph Haworth, Acting MD of New Farm and Doyenne of the Natural Berm, cut to the chase: 'Have you produced a bottle of Gin yet?'

The answer was no and our next step came into sharp focus.