Devon-based business is first in the UK to gain recognition in its field

Great British Life: Hattiers started life in a shed at the foot of founder Philip Everett-Lyons garden three years ago. Photo: HattiersHattiers started life in a shed at the foot of founder Philip Everett-Lyons garden three years ago. Photo: Hattiers (Image: Archant)

An award-winning rum produced by a Devon-based entrepreneur has added another gong to its list of achievements – for having wider aims than just making a profit.

Hattiers, the award winning premium aged rum blender, started life in a shed at the foot of founder Philip Everett-Lyons’ garden three years ago. It has just announced its certification as a B Corporation, becoming the first British rum and only the second worldwide to be awarded.

The brand joins a growing group of global companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit. Having met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit, family-run Hattiers has now been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit organisation behind the B Corp movement.

Sourced from around the globe then blended and bottled in Devon, Hattiers has always had an uncompromising approach to quality and sustainability. Plastic-free from day one with ethically sourced and recyclable packaging, Hattiers’ B Corp certification means it meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance. The family continues to plant woodland on its Devon estate to mitigate its carbon impact for generations to come.

Great British Life: Hattiers Rum has added another gong to its list of achievements for having wider aims than just making a profit. Photo: HattiersHattiers Rum has added another gong to its list of achievements for having wider aims than just making a profit. Photo: Hattiers (Image: Archant)

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Philip Everett-Lyons, says: “The landscape of business is changing, and in this time of sustained environmental and social crisis, no business can afford to ignore the effects of its products and operations.

“From day one we’ve always stood for a wider purpose and the days are long gone when a business can simply ask its employees to leave their values and humanity at home. It is for that reason that we could not be prouder that Hattiers Rum joins the cohort of likeminded businesses, taking the ‘quadruple bottom line’ approach of, People, Planet, Profit and Purpose, using business for a force for good.”

After a decade in broadcasting in London, Philip and his wife moved back home to the beautiful South Hams in Devon, with a desire to create something of their own and to pass on to their daughters. He had fallen in love with the vibrancy of the rum scene whilst yacht racing and saw the scope for creating a British rum and started experiment with different blends.

Hattiers is named after one of his daughters and the brand is founded on his passion for racing classic yachts, the strong nautical heritage of the Devon coast, and the idea of creating a sustainable and ethical brand built on an ethos of integrity and longevity.

Recent attention on the drinks industry movement towards sustainability makes Hattiers’ B Corp certification a notable step, and signals a shift towards greater accountability and transparency in the sector.

Executive Director of B Lab UK, Chris Turner, says: “We are delighted to welcome Hattiers to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates, who believe business really can be a force for good. We know that Hattiers is going to be a significant addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward”. 

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