MB Talks with Neil Everitt, Founder of Brockmans Gin

Posted on 30 May 2025

“I’ve always suffered from imposter syndrome. Still do.”

At 64-years-old, having presided over one of the most successful British gin brand launches ever, held pivotal, global roles in the drinks industry and steered countless others to independent success in one of the toughest markets to reach the top in, that’s quite the admission from Neil Everitt.

The founder of Brockman’s, the globally successful premium B-Corp gin brand, admits that he still has moments when he’s just not sure. And guess what? He’s fine with it.

It’s a revelation that comes up frequently in our chats with some of the smartest and most successful business individuals. It’s refreshing for us mere mortals, those who haven’t successfully landed their product in 45 different countries across the globe, to hear. Neil expands when I admit it wasn’t something I expected to hear from him:

“Maybe this is just how I rationalise it, but if you never have doubts, then I think you’re probably verging on arrogant. None of us are perfect, and we all find ourselves in situations where we either don’t have the answers, or where the answers we offer aren’t necessarily the best ones.”

“Part of that comes from what I call the monkey on my back. I’ve had a great career, a great life in business – and I hope there’s more to come – but I’m not formally trained in business. I never did an MBA, so somewhere inside me, there’s still this young guy saying ‘they’re going to figure you out, Neil. You don’t really know business…you’re a vet!”

It’s worth breaking that down a little. Because Neil did indeed start life as a veterinary surgeon. But since taking himself away from that path in his mid-20s, it would surely only be the toughest of critics to suggest that his 40 years since hasn’t taught him a thing or two about good business practice.

There’s no doubt Neil has expertly trodden a path which he will be the first to admit has been liberally garnished with (mostly) highs and (some) lows in an industry which is now facing some of the toughest challenges ever.

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Building Brockmans: From Setbacks to Global Success

Back in 2005, Neil had risen to being head of European operations for Allied Domecq (second only in scale at the time to global drinks giants Diageo), but aged 44, he was at something of a crossroads. The organisation was going through a £7.4bn acquisition from Pernod Ricard and, having worked for someone else all his life, was now considering putting his deep drinks industry knowledge to alternative uses.

He takes up the story:

“I needed to decide whether I wanted to get another job in a multinational and stay on the payroll, with a big company career, or go and do something a bit more entrepreneurial. I took the second option.“

“It took me six months to figure out what that would look like. I decided I needed to find a company to buy. I looked at a few options and tried to raise money to get them backed and eventually found a vodka distillery in Poland, which had been privatised, and subsequently listed in Warsaw after the regime change in the late 80s.”

“One of the various funds that I’d met along the way when I was trying to get previous deals backed was a company called Oaktree Capital, a sizable US fund who were just starting in Europe at the time. And they backed me. We did Poland’s first public-to-private deal thanks to their technical skills. I’d backed myself to run a business in the industry, but I wouldn’t know where to start when it comes to delisting a company!”

So first steps to ownership were made and the new team were thirsty for more, acquiring the spirits business of Eckes Granini, creating Stock Spirits Group, Central Europe’s leading spirits company.

“I came up with the name – that’s still there – and it listed in 2013 on the London market. It’s since gone private again. It’s now back in private equity hands and owned by CVC, who is a great outfit.“

While a large chunk of the financing for the deal came from Oaktree, Neil admits it would have been financially ‘painful’ for himself had it gone wrong. It didn’t, and when Stock Spirits Group listed Neil admits it secured a financial footing, not only for him and his family personally, but to then be able to take a not inconsiderable war chest to market ‘to invest in projects that I liked the look of’.

“Then Hendricks really started to get some traction.”

Neil and his group launched Brockman’s in 2008 in the UK but had to rethink within two just years. They’d got things wrong.

“We pulled back and launched again, differently this time, in 2010. I suppose it was a very American view of ‘failure’, in that we didn’t view it as failure, but as a massive learning. We were far better equipped for the relaunch, decided to launch in Spain at the same time, and that’s when things took off.”

It felt like an overnight success to many, but Neil and his team knew this success had been years in the making, and not least down to the mistakes they’d made just two years previously.

“We had some helter-skelter growth days from 2012 through to 2020. It was just amazing. Being a salesman at heart and genetically, chasing that top line? I loved it! Fortunately, I had a great Finance Director who was picking up the pieces behind me and making sure we didn’t spend more money than we actually had.”

“There was also the sobering thought that I had just under half the company. So every time you shake a customer’s hand to do a deal, half the money you’re spending is your own. If you think about our margins, you say, well, the brand’s paying for half, and I’m paying for half. That keeps you very focused when it’s your own money!“

But when Covid hit and the world turned upside down, Neil knew the personal desire to constantly chase the next deal wasn’t what it used to be. He wasted no time in bringing in a fresh CEO, to maintain momentum, and just over 12 months ago, replaced the person in the hot seat again with Jean-Dominique Andreu.

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A New Era: Investing in the Future of Drinks

Neil’s quick identification and praise of the experts around him may either be to do with the imposter syndrome he mentioned or may also be a trait the smartest in the business know – you can’t do everything alone, so hire people better than you.

While Brockmans maintains a healthy position, Neil concedes the ‘helter-skelter growth days’ of the “Gin boom” years are likely a thing of the past and knows now that steady growth will be a strong statement in a sector where for many, the job has become one of slowing the pace of decline, rather than accelerating growth.

I want to know his position on what a lot of people predict to be ‘the beginning of the end’ for a drinks industry still reeling from covid and now waking up to the fact that a new breed of potential consumer just isn’t that into alcohol, not least in the premium category where Brockmans sits.

Unsurprisingly, this is where we find Neil at his best, because it’s forcing the industry to innovate, and where there’s innovation in the drinks industry, Neil Everitt is in the mix somewhere.

“There’s a lot of commentary these days suggesting that alcohol is entering some kind of terminal decline, being compared to the next tobacco, how Gen Z aren’t drinking, and the rise of no- and low-alcohol alternatives, beyond beer, and so on. But honestly, the industry has been under pressure for decades, probably since the post-war period. That pressure just takes different forms: fiscal pressure, restrictions on distribution in different countries, restriction on communication. It’s always been a challenging industry, certainly compared to others.”

“More recently, people are pointing to data suggesting that Gen Z are consuming far less alcohol than Millennials or Gen X did before them. But if you actually plot that against disposable income, the story changes. Gen Z are just taking longer to reach a level of disposable income that we might have had when we were socialising, and that’s down to bigger societal and economic issues. That’s not something the drinks industry can solve.”

“Of course, there are other factors, like the broader shift toward healthier lifestyles. That’s where low- and no-alcohol products come in. It’s just not cool or good to go out and down eight pints in a session. Moderation is in. And that’s a good thing.”

It’s this last point where we find Neil in animated form again. While he maintains a sizable shareholding, and day to day interest, in Brockmans, he knows it’s in safe hands with a strong team. That’s enabled him to pass on his expertise, knowledge and experience to new brands doing cool things in the marketplace.

He reels off no fewer than five other brands he has investor, mentorship or non-exec roles in, all of whom are doing bold and brave things to keep a newer audience interested in the drinks industry.

One of those is Jubel, who sit in a new space in the craft beer market, a fruit-infused 4% ABV session beer that was inspired by the owner’s trips to Alpine ski resorts and launched ten years ago. Another that hung on by a thread through Covid but is now booming with a young audience less interested in ‘getting smashed’ and more interested in new flavours. Jubel is closing in on 4,000 UK bars and shops, including Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco now stocking its range.

Jubel’s envious BCorp status is indicative of how Neil thinks new drinks brands need to respond to the modern market. Consumers are savvy, and know a brand goes way beyond a contemporary can design. They want to know what higher purpose that organisation has before becoming loyal fans.

Neil explains:

“It’s sessionable, doesn’t give you a thumping headache the next day, it’s very refreshing, and it talks the language of its target consumer. And that even extends to inside the company. The spirit of that team is just scarily positive and very high energy. You look at things like Glassdoor, and they score 5/5. But if you read some of the comments by current employees, they’re also saying ‘we’re working our butts off’ but they do it because they want to. They’re really happy.”

He hesitates before going further and admits there are a few exciting trade secrets about Jubel’s operations that he wouldn’t be thanked for giving away. A tantalising tease but he admits that he’s very light touch with owner and founder Jesse Wilson who has a firm grip on the running of the business, and calls on Neil’s corporate expertise and experience when needed, for deals and fundraising challenges. Neil’s been in their corner before they’d even put a bottle on a shelf anywhere in the UK.

He lists other exciting drinks brands that he currently works with, including Rye River Brewery in Ireland (a place that’s now home for him) and Compass Box Whisky. That’s been added to by adding the chairmanship of London-based events agency Marble Communications.

How does he find the time to dedicate to all of these?

“I’ve always been a big believer in making things happen. So, I suppose that’s a trait of most entrepreneurs. There are, of course, people far happier in letting things come to them, and that is totally fine, but I suppose that comes with certain consequences that an entrepreneur, who’s probably happier with a high-risk, high-reward approach to life.“

“When I think about the pivotal moments in my life, I think I’ve really made them happen myself. I knew an important role within a big company’s International operations was within me. So I took myself to Chile and lived and worked there, learning Spanish. That got me my big break. It was a great move – I met and fell in love with a lady who would become my wife while working later on in Spain!“

His story is all the more startling when you realise that the farmer’s son would find a family-friendly early career path, studying veterinary surgery at University, then going on to successfully start to forge a career in his early 20’s.

Despite this, he knew there was something different burning inside him and, even in the veterinary world, his instinct started sliding towards more sales-led roles. It wasn’t long, therefore, before he found his new calling in a consumer world and leaning towards strategic roles.

“That was a key moment.”

He reflects.

“It takes five years to qualify as a vet and it isn’t easy and within a few years I’m wondering if this is what I really want to do for the next 40 years of my life. I’m a farmer’s son, my grandfather was a doctor, and everyone was quite happy with having a vet in the family. So I supposed I swapped the stethoscope for strategy.”

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Lessons in Leadership, Legacy, and Letting Go

So has it all been a bed of roses for Neil and his life, one which he admits at 64 has plenty of energy to go and achieve new things and learn new experiences still? His mood most definitely darkens for the first time in our chat when he recounts the difficult tale of having to go through a painful legal separation process from a former business partner.

He takes up the story:

“This was someone I’d worked with for some time and considered a friend. You can read all about these situations in all the books, and they’ll teach it at LBS or INSEAD. It was finally resolved – but neither of us were satisfied. Frankly, the only ones who were in the end were the lawyers. It was the steps of the High Court stuff. Nobody had done anything violent or illegal – it was about interpretation of the partnership.”

“The big mistake was that we hadn’t spent nearly enough time on what you could call the prenup. So, if you’re going into partnership with a colleague or a friend – and I know I said I don’t give advice, but this is the exception – you must write down what the divorce looks like before you start trading.”

“Then, if things start to go wrong or there’s a difference of opinion, it’s absolutely clear how it will end. No debate, no arguments, who has the rights to what. End of story. Fail to have any of this in place and I can promise you, it all becomes very expensive.”

“I believe I’m a very trusting friend. The lesson there was that this is business, not friendship. And that’s really hard for me, because I value relationships. I’m an emotional person. I can make hard decisions, I’ve sat on the other side of some very uncomfortable conversations but I’m also quite a soft person at heart.”

Neil’s advice, gained through 40 years of being in some of the very toughest, yet highest performing positions, continues to flow.

“I’ve learned that, when you’re the boss, you’re probably the last person in the Company to realise that someone actually needs to go in a different direction. What they want and what the business wants may have diverged, and everyone else knows it. In hindsight, when you get to that position, I think I often could have acted quicker – for all parties’ benefits – in those situations.”

No small parts of his learnings are attributed to the one person he credits most with truly understanding the world of business. His former mentor and Allied Domecq colleague, David Scotland.

Neil credits him with understanding how to behave, and not just perform, as a manager.

“He told me a story of my time when I actually took my first country MD role in Spain, AD Europe’s biggest affiliate at age 36. ‘You’re on the fourth floor now and it’s the management floor,’ he told me. ‘Everyone will be watching you every second. If you come in on a Monday morning and step out of the lift with a face like thunder, they’ll assume the company is going under’. He taught me that communication isn’t just what you say, or what you put in an email, but also key elements of signals and non-verbals that are just as important.”

Neil says he tries hard to follow these rules now, even if his roles in his business interests aren’t necessarily on the proverbial fourth floor.

“I try to be fresh, positive, and optimistic…at least outside the meeting room. If there are hard truths to be addressed, I do that behind closed doors. I’ve always followed that philosophy: public praise, private discussions.”

“There’s no need, and frankly, it’s ugly and immature, to tear someone apart in front of others. It achieves nothing for the person on the receiving end, and it makes everyone else uncomfortable. It also reflects badly on you. And if that’s really the way you are, then you probably need to have a long conversation with yourself.”

Neil recounts stories of trying to promote those he backed to one position higher than even they thought they were capable of. The reason? Not just rewards, but the loyalty that then engenders through that individual knowing they have a boss that backs them and truly believes in them. It’s a nice way of looking at how promotions and praise is a two-way street.

Neil’s values are ones that are markedly principled and fair and are based on the values of friendship, trust and honesty. But cross the line on any of those fronts, and you’d have to be prepared to face the consequences.

I ask Neil what advice he’d give his 25-year-old self, just stepping off the veterinary path and into the unknown, he pauses, reflects, then answers with characteristic honesty.

“Listen to your heart sooner. I listened to my head for too long. I think I could have been successful if I’d left the multinational world earlier. But that’s not how things unfolded, and I can’t rewrite history.”

It’s a sentiment that captures much of Neil’s story, bold decisions, made later than perhaps he’d have liked, but with no sense of regret, just insight.

One final question on the chances of taking things a little steadier now he’s closing in on retirement age.

He said:

“I’d like people to remember me as a business builder. Someone who could create and build. I’m 64 now, and a lot of my peers have already retired, some by choice, some not. But I have no intention of stopping any time soon. I love what I do. It keeps me sharp, keeps me engaged and entertained in ways I feel involved and energised.”

It seems the drinks industry is going to be blessed for some time yet with Neil Everitt’s presence. For that, I think we can all be thankful.

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