You can taste the Bristol Syrup Company’s range of products during next week’s Imbibe show at London Olympia when it will be taking over the Hand & Flower pub opposite the show on July 3.
What are your backgrounds and how did you each get into the drinks industry?
Jem Rogers helped set up Beyond the Bean before linking up with the rest of Bristol Syrup Company founders to create a new service and supplier for top bars
Jem Rogers (JR): I have been involved in the speciality coffee industry since I started my career as a young barista. At the time, I saw a gap in the UK coffee market for syrups and barista gear. Twenty years later, I co-founded, Beyond the Bean, where we create syrups, smoothies, hot chocolates and frappés and sell to over 50 countries worldwide. I’ve always been a big cocktail fan, so I called on the expertise of Dee and Danny to help me develop a range of cocktail syrups to be made right here in Bristol. After lots of research on both sides of the bar, the Bristol Syrup Company was born.
Dee Davies (DD): I have been bartending for over 15 years, managing many of Bristol’s best bars as well as launching a gin with Diageo back in 2014. Now I’m the business development manager and cocktail expert at Bristol Syrup Company, ensuring the quality bartenders expect from our products.
Danny Walker (DW): I’m the co-founder of Psychopomp – a micro gin distillery in Bristol and Circumstance Distillery, an organic English whisky distillery also in the heart of Bristol. My background is in bartending, and I’ve been lucky enough to travel and work in some of the world’s most exclusive bars. I’m also a passionate foodie so when I’m not working, you’ll find him me either at home cooking or out at one of Bristol’s many awesome restaurants.
Ben Reynolds has recently joined Bristol Syrup Company to drive on-trade sales
Ben Reynolds (BR): I started off Whitbread graduate entry scheme, travelled around the country running Bella Pastas and café rouges. Then moved to PoNaNa night clubs and then became Southwest area manager. I decided I needed a calmer lifestyle and moved to Remy Cointreau as a key account manager, then national account manager and set up and run the brewers channel focusing on big national pub groups where I gained a wealth of experience and contacts.”
How do you all know each other?
DW: The drinks industry is a friendly sector to work in, so we all either worked together or met each other at training sessions or drinks tastings with various brands before Syrup Co came about.
Tell us about Bristol Syrup company – how and why did you start and why did you want to get into the syrup / puree side of the sector.
Dee Davies believes there is a clear gap in the market for Bristol Syrup Company
DD: When Beyond the Bean moved their syrup plant to Bristol, Jem had the idea to make cocktail syrups alongside their current café range. He approached us to bring our bar expertise. We were excited by the project because there was a gap in the market for a syrup which was flavour focused and competitively priced. Hence Bristol Syrup Company was born.
For those that don’t really know, or understand the role of syrups explain your key customers and why they come to you for your products?
DW: Many cocktails contain syrup, either to enhance the flavours of the drink or to balance out the other ingredients. Our customers use our products because we have created syrups which are specifically designed for cocktails. They taste authentic to the flavour on the label and boast a depth of flavour which will enhance mixed drinks.
What is your core range and what are the syrups and purees being used for?
BR: Our core range is difficult to define as it changes from customer to customer. Our sugar syrups and citrus juices are the biggest sellers as they are most commonly used, and our Bristol Syrup Company syrups and purées are mainly used in cocktails.
Who are some of your key customers and what you do for them?
BR: Bristol Syrup Company is chosen by both high-volume bars such as Fridays and luxury venues like The Savoy. Our customers pick our products for the quality of the liquid and quality of our customer service which comes with it.
You work closely with bars and their teams – what do you see as their biggest challenges that you are looking to help them with?
BR: With the ever-growing cost of inflation, consumers have less expendable income, one of the biggest challenges bars are currently facing, is how to attract customers. We help by producing quality products, which will help elevate their serves, whilst keeping costs low.
How do you develop relationships with your key customers?
Danny Walker knows what bars want through his other businesses – Circumstance Distillery and Psychopomp
BR: The Syrup Co team is small, but it’s friendly and knowledgeable. So, we develop the relationship with our key customers by engaging and keeping dialogue open and honest.
What are your USPs as a business and are they changing?
JR: Bristol Syrup Company is a collaboration between Bristol based syrup experts and bartenders. We’ve distilled down years of experience to create a range of quality cocktail syrups and purées authentic to the syrups and purées bartenders would make themselves. Our USP is our commitment to excellence, and we can’t see that changing.
What next? What are your key goals for the next five years?
JR: We would like to become as synonymous in the syrup field as Monin. Skies the limit! But a far more achievable goal for the moment is to help do our bit for the environment.
How do you see the wider bar sector – what is driving sales and how are you positioning yourself to help?
BR: Quality over quantity is one of the biggest sales factors, with consumers looking to treat themselves. The quality of our brand helps mixed drinks stand out from the crown and helps push sales.
What new products should we be aware of?
DD: Bristol Syrup Company Puree range. This year we launched a whole new range to our portfolio with the juice and purée range, they were designed to help bartenders add quality fruit to their cocktails without the hassle and expense of making them in-house.
Tell us about the Barista and bartender competition – what is it and why are you running it?
DW: Bristol Syrup Company was created to sit alongside to café side of the business, so Dusk til Dawn plays with this concept. Many existing competitions can be daunting to Bartenders and Baristas; however, our competition is open to all and aims to bring the two together. Putting the bar into BARista.
What’s next?
BR: We will be at the Hand and Flowers, Olympia all day on July 3 during the Imbibe Live event launching our new disco range and fruit purees. We are inviting the trade to pop over, meet the team and taste some cocktails made with our products.
