Why did we decide to commit to being a B Corporation?
At Sipsmith, we have always been positively fuelled by purpose. Initially, we were driven to bring back gin to the city where it earned its name, crafting our London Dry Gin with uncompromising quality and innovation. Now, we are driven by a burning sense of care that has grown in us all to do good in the world. We seek to not only reduce our impact environmentally, but to establish a positive societal impact that sees us becoming a force for good. It is for this reason that we committed to becoming a B Corp.
When did our B Corp journey start?
We started our journey at the end of 2019 when we formally committed to becoming a B Corp and went through the rigorous B Impact Assessment. What it showed is that we had a long way to go before we could apply to become a B Corp. To ensure we were progressing towards this achievement, we put together a cross-functional core working group known as ‘Kaizen’, a word inherited from our parent company Beam Suntory, meaning continuous improvement.
Our Kaizen team was led by one of our co-founders, Sam Galsworthy. Each member of the Kaizen team had an area of the assessment that they were responsible for. From dissecting and optimising our carbon footprint, to working with our charity committee ‘Sipping For Good’, to ensuring our governance and articles of association were up to date. Slowly but surely, we started to make improvements by changing processes and policies to reduce our negative impact on people, communities and the planet; consequently improving our score until we reached the 80-point threshold to submit our application in September 2020. The rigorous verification process took several months and we finally certified in May 2021 with 83.2 points. However, our B Corp journey is far from over. We’re dedicated to continuous improvement and helping to raise the profile of other B Corps around the world; we believe that together truly is better when it comes to using business as a force for good.
What’s next in our journey?
It has always been our mission to champion a better way of crafting gin and pioneer positive changes within our industry. With B Corp certification under our belt, we wanted to ensure we had even more ambitious plans for every single one of us to be part of our strategy, Crafting a Better Future. This is our strategy which focuses on five missions with which we strive to be better for people and planet. It has been an inspiring journey so far. With our no-half-measures approach to challenges and desire to leave a legacy, together we will be fuelled forward.
