Sheep’s milk vodka diversification goes national
© Richard Stanton The 2022 Diversification Farmer of the Year winners, Tim and Tanya Spittle, from Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, have taken their unique sheep’s milk vodka to a national level – though its distinct farming DNA still remains at its core.
Made from the waste whey by-product from the cheesemaking process, Blacklion Vodka is the first of its kind in Europe.
See also: Farmers Weekly Awards 2022: Diversification Farmer of the Year
The start of 2023 has been a busy time on the farm. “There are babies everywhere,” says Mr Spittle, who along with his wife, Tanya, welcomed their daughter, Anabel, into the world in late December.
They then began lambing their commercial flock of Dorsets on 1 January.
“We do two runs,” he explains. “We do a very quick, efficient lambing of our main flock early on, and then we do it again in April with our milking sheep, which is more outdoors and more relaxed.
“I would never say that lambing is plain sailing; each year we try to improve on the year before in terms of our efficiency and the way we do it.
“This year we probably did it the best, apart from obviously being one shepherdess down, as Tan had to spend more time inside with Anabel.”
Farm facts
- 121ha family farm. The Spittles manage 80ha of this, and Mr Spittle’s brother farms the remaining land
- 600 sheep, including unique Black Lion breed, which is a mix of Swiss Valais Blacknose and a local dairy breed
- On-farm diversification Freestyle 360 gym has more than 300 members, and the couple lead classes on weekends
Organic growth
The biggest change has come by way of a new distributor, which will take the business from a regional to a national and international customer base.
“We wanted to grow the business organically and to remain in control, and although we have this distributor and are getting bigger, it is at a speed and pace that we can cope with, which will allow us to gear up properly,” he says.
The new distributor will bridge new partnerships with bars, restaurants and hotels, which will mean an increase in production is required to meet demand. Despite this, for the Spittles, the business is about more than just numbers.
“We don’t want to dilute the product. It’s made from sheep’s milk so is rare and unique, and it challenges all of the practices in farming – it’s sustainable, green, and made from a waste product.
“We don’t want to cheapen it and just roll it out by thinking about numbers – it is a very considered decision – we are still finding the right places to position it.
“It is really about cherry-picking the right fit for us, but it’s fair to say we are moving from regional to national and international.”
Despite increasing volumes and production, the pair are adamant that the process of making their unique vodka will not change.
The local farmer that milks their Black Lion dairy sheep uses the curds for cheesemaking, while the sugar-rich whey, which is usually discarded as waste, is fermented to form the base of the vodka.
“This can’t change because otherwise it wouldn’t be Blacklion,” says Mr Spittle.
“We are still going to be a small-scale, artisan company. We want to be nationally recognised, but only available in special places.”
What’s next for Blacklion Vodka?
With the business expansion comes the need for more staff.
The pair plan to have open days on the farm and have a “vodka school”, where the public can see the production processes, learn about the sheep on the farm, and explore food pairings with their mixologist.
“This will take more boots on the floor,” says Mr Spittle. “So the next challenge is stepping outside of the family circle and finding the right kind of people.”
“Recruitment can be really hard when you live in a rural area,” adds Tanya Spittle.
Later in the year, Blacklion Vodka will be crossing the Atlantic, after the couple agreed to sponsor a team of women completing the world’s toughest rowing race, the Talisker Atlantic Challenge.
Some of their training will take place in the Spittle’s on-farm gym.
“They’re going to take a bottle of vodka with them and have a cocktail party in the middle of the ocean,” says Mrs Spittle.
The Farmers Weekly 2023 Diversification Farmer of the Year
Farmers Weekly 2023 Diversification Farmer of the Year Award is sponsored by CLA Insurance.
Enter yourself or nominate someone now on our Awards website.