How do you launch a premium vodka brand when you’ve never made vodka before?
That was the challenge facing the founders of Nine Tines who have built the brand from scratch — a Yorkshire-based premium potato vodka that has quickly gained attention for its beautifully smooth drink, elegant branding and uncompromising focus on provenance.
In the latest episode of the Relish Food Marketing podcast, founders Gwen Bromley and Richard Smith share how a doctor, an engineer, a financial controller and a farmer came together to build a vodka business rooted in Yorkshire craftsmanship and sustainability.
What emerges is a fascinating story about curiosity, persistence and the power of building a genuinely distinctive premium brand from scratch in a crowded category.
Creating a Vodka Brand from Scratch
Unlike many founders entering food and drink, the Nine Tines team didn’t come from a food or drink background. In fact, when they started the business, they didn’t know how to make vodka at all.
Rather than outsourcing production and simply creating a label, the founders immersed themselves in the craft of distillation. They learned the process from the ground up, experimenting, refining and engineering their own approach to create the exact vodka they wanted to bring to market.
The result is a creamy, smooth potato vodka made using locally grown Yorkshire potatoes and water sourced within a nine-mile radius — a product that reflects both the landscape and agricultural heritage of the region.
The Secret Most Vodkas Don’t Want You to Know
One of the most interesting parts of the conversation is the discussion around what actually differentiates vodka.
For many consumers, vodka is often positioned as a neutral spirit where branding dominates over substance. But Nine Tines challenges that perception completely.
Their potato-based vodka delivers a noticeably richer, smoother mouthfeel than grain-based alternatives, proving that ingredients, process and provenance can have a significant impact on flavour and quality.
It’s this commitment to craft that helped Nine Tines achieve something remarkable: winning prestigious awards before they had even sold a single bottle commercially.
Winning Gold Against Industry Giants
Before officially launching, Nine Tines entered industry competitions and quickly gained recognition, winning gold medals against products from major global drinks companies including Pernod Ricard and Diageo.
For a new independent spirits brand, this kind of validation mattered enormously to them. Not only does it build credibility with consumers and stockists, but it also reinforces the founders’ belief that there is still room for genuinely differentiated premium products in established categories.
Building a Brand From Scratch With Meaning
Alongside product quality, branding has been a major focus from the outset.
The founders discuss the thinking behind Nine Tines’ elegant identity and how they wanted every element of the brand to reflect Yorkshire’s landscape, craftsmanship and authenticity.
Taking a Premium Product to Market
Like many founders building premium food and drink brands, the Nine Tines team quickly discovered that creating a great product is only one part of the challenge.
The podcast episode explores the realities of:
Partnerships have also played a crucial role in helping the business grow, particularly relationships with local suppliers, hospitality venues and supporters who share the founders’ passion for premium Yorkshire produce.
A Masterclass in Provenance and Patience
What makes this episode particularly valuable for founders is that it demonstrates how competitive advantage is often built slowly and intentionally.
Nine Tines hasn’t relied on gimmicks or chasing trends to build their brand from scratch. Instead, the business has focused on:
In a market saturated with new launches, that combination is increasingly what allows premium brands to stand out and build long-term loyalty.
For anyone building a premium food or drink business, this episode offers an insightful look at how craft, authenticity and patient brand-building can create genuine differentiation — even in one of the world’s most competitive categories.
