In episode five of @AuManufacturing Conversations, Brent speaks to Catie Fry, founder and Master Distiller at Clovendoe, a Gold Coast-based distillery with a difference.
Catie’s career in the drinks business began with a gin and rum enterprise that she, her husband and some friends opened in Rockhampton in 2016. It was before the current explosion in popularity for no-alcohol beverages, but the number of designated drivers visiting their establishment on the Bruce Highway, and the shortage of femininity at the workplace, prompted her to leave and start Clovendoe.
The female-owned and operated Clovendoe is run from the Gold Coast by Catie and her long-time friend Sarah Bendy. According to the company it is Australia's first low- and no-alcohol distillery.
Catie tells us why she believes the current boom in alcohol-free drinks won’t turn into a bust, considering halal customers as part of the company’s inclusivity ethos, not trying to go too big too soon when offering a premium, artisanal product, the gender imbalance in manufacturing, and more.
Relevant links
"Manufacturing leaders call for more women to join their ranks", Australian Financial Review
https://www.afr.com/companies/manufacturing/manufacturing-leaders-call-for-more-women-to-join-their-ranks-20220717-p5b26u
Clovendoe's page
https://clovendoe.com/pages/our-story
IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, released in February 2021, on the growth of the no- and low-alcohol products. Worth 3 per cent of the total beverage alcohol market in 2020; "total volume is forecasted to grow by +31% by 2024"
https://www.theiwsr.com/wp-content/uploads/IWSR_No-and-Low-Alcohol-Gains-Share-Within-Total-Beverage-Alcohol-2021.pdf
