Kathryn Bew, Partner at Thrings meets Simon Rollings, Founder & CEO of Canned Wine Co.
KB: Whilst it is quite clear that the product is pretty much what is says on the tin – or can – what is Canned Wine?
SR: We’re all about making delicious, high-quality wines accessible to everyone in the most sustainable way we can – all in a handy can. We like to work away from the ordinary and have worked to establish a varied and interesting range of international wines from our home in Bath.
KB: How did you get started?
SR: I met my business partner Ben Franks at a wine tasting whilst studying my MBA at the University of Bath and we realised we shared a genuine appreciation for wine. His background as a wine journalist and as the founder of the award-winning Bath-based wine merchant Novel Wines paired perfectly with my background in food start-ups such as Hello Fresh and Eat First, and the idea started to come together.
Frustratingly, our plan to launch in March 2020 was hindered by Covid, but this gave us 12 months of no expectations and more opportunity to learn more about wine and the processes to create it and we’re very pleased with the outcome.
KB: I suppose the real question is, why can wine?
SR: We wanted to take something that is inherently undesirable and make it desirable. The standard view of wine, especially the premium kind, is that it comes in a bottle, but this often makes it inaccessible, almost deliberately so. Our aim is to break down those walls and open it up to a wider audience, giving them a way to experience that level of quality without having to invest in a whole bottle which can be very expensive!
KB: Who would you say your wine is for?
SR: In our view, wine is for everyone, hence our vision to make it more accessible. We want to see our wine being enjoyed by those who want to learn more about it and try new things but don’t necessarily want to drink more.
KB: You mentioned sustainability. How does that influence using cans?
SR: Cans are the most effective in terms of both creativity and carbon reduction. They are lighter than bottles and much easier to pack and move around. Cans also emit 70% fewer CO2 emissions compared to glass bottles which drastically reduces our impact on the environment.
KB: What inspired you to set up Canned Wine Co. in Bath?
SR: It’s such an interesting place to start up a business and is a community that is really supportive of start-ups. Almost all our staff also hail from one of the two universities in Bath. From a wine perspective, there is no reason that it needs to have a London label to be noticed and we love talking about the fact we are from Bath!
KB: The cans themselves are beautiful. What is the inspiration behind each design?
SR: Rarely do you drink from the bottle when it comes to wine, but there is a higher likelihood that you’d drink from the can and we wanted to make sure the experience of having it in your hand was a good one. We were keen to portray the concept of flavour through the packaging as it is the simplest way to give people a sense of what they are buying when they pick it up off the shelf and have worked with another Bath company called Amphora on the designs.
We’ve recently partnered with the National Gallery in London to feature a range of their art on a series of our cans after they tried our wines and saw how the art reflected in the quality of the product itself. They also felt the partnership highlighted their sustainability goals, an important focus ahead of their 250th anniversary next year.
KB: What does the future hold for Canned Wine?
SR: We are very excited to be debuting at the Bath Christmas Market this year and hope to launch in supermarkets next year. We are looking forward to continuing to expand our team and improve our core range of wines to be the best they can be.
To find out more about Canned Wine, visit www.cannedwine.co.
