Cheers to our BUSINESS
‘We went from practising law to making gin!’
LUCY BEARD, 46, and her husband Leigh Lisk, 49, founded Hope Distillery in Salt River, which specialises in the production of small-batch gin and other spirits. Lucy says...
✔ THE IDEA Leigh and I worked as lawyers in the UK for over a decade, but took a year-long sabbatical in 2013 when we felt we needed a break from our corporate day jobs. While exploring the sights of Spain, we noticed how many of the locals made craft gins that were sold in the beachside bars. We were eager to return home to South Africa, and the idea of making craft gin in Cape Town was hugely appealing. Going back to London after our holiday, we resigned from our jobs and moved back to SA, where we began looking for a property where we could set up a small gin distillery.
✔ MAKING IT HAPPEN Craft-beverage distilling in SA was in its infancy at the time, so Leigh and I
