From starting his first business at the age of 21, Giles Fuchs has since gone on to become a successful serial entrepreneur who is certainly not bound by any industry. In 2016, Giles founded Gunner Cocktails Ltd to reimagine the historic Gunner cocktail and bring it into the 21st century, and then in April 2018 he became the co-owner of the iconic Burgh Island Hotel, a luxury hotel located on a private island off the coast of South Devon.
Fast forward to 2022 and Burgh Island Hotel is one of the most popular boutique hotels in the region, seldom not fully booked. The authentic charm that Giles has preserved has gained increasing attention from the public, and the hotel has since been featured on programmes for Channel 4, BBC and Netflix.
As for Gunner Cocktails, Giles and the managing director, Dannie McDonald, have just launched the first in the new alcoholic range – the Rum Sinner – following the success of the initial ‘Saint’ premixed cocktail. With a 500 per cent growth forecasted for 2023, Gunner truly is on a mission to take over the world of premixed alcoholic and no-lo cocktails.
We sat down with Giles to find out a bit more about him and the launch of Gunner Cocktails.
As a serial entrepreneur, why did you decide to step into the luxury drinks business?
After years of my friends and I ordering a round of Gunner cocktails following an afternoon of tennis or a round of golf, which then had to be made by the poor bartender, I thought, why hasn’t anyone put this into a canned form?
Gunner has an iconic and refreshing taste, yet it has only ever been served over the bar. As someone with a business mindset and an entrepreneurial flair, I couldn’t just sit back and ignore the gap in the market.
We then developed the sleek branding and iconic Gunner image to fit with this target audience – it’s aimed at distinguished clubs, pubs and events. Since we launched, sales have doubled year on year and availability across the hospitality sector has tripled!
I wanted to bring Gunner into the modern age – positioning it as a new and contemporary ‘must have’ drink, while retaining its British heritage. Just because I am the owner of Burgh Island, certainly does not mean I can’t pursue other business ventures that have the potential to become something ground-breaking.
Gunner sounds great, what versions are there and where can we buy them?
We launched the non-alcoholic ‘Saint’ in the summer of 2021. Following the success of this, we have now just launched the first of the ‘Sinner’ range – with a shot of aged dark rum!
There are many more to come but I’m keeping quiet about some of those at the moment. It can’t be bought in shops just yet, but you can find it on Amazon and at stylish bars and clubs across the country. We have growing relationships with premium venues such as The Hurlingham Club, Masterpiece, and Royal Ocean Racing Club, to name a few.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned as a serial entrepreneur?
Since starting my businesses, one of the biggest lessons I have learned as an entrepreneur is to listen to your target audience and put them are the forefront of any business decision that is made.
As a luxury and premium drink, it is important to me that Gunner is stocked in the right places. In fact, we were recently selected as the ‘drink of choice’ at the Rod Laver Cup pre-event gala dinner which was very exciting.
Similarly, in response to our audience becoming more health-conscious, we have a Skinny Saint in the pipeline to ensure we always have an option for everyone.
What are the biggest industry challenges at the moment?
Like most industries, the impact of the cost-of-living crisis means that people have less disposable income. Over 80 per cent of consumers have said that their purchasing habits have changed because of financial strain. A further 42 per cent have reported that they will stop dining out.
It’s a tough time for people and we are not oblivious to the current economic climate and its impacts. However, Gunner is bucking economic uncertainty with Q4 seeing record trading. Our head of sales, Edward Hoskins has been instrumental in ensuring sales continue to climb as has our managing director Dannie McDonald, whose leadership and sharp awareness of consumer trends and demands has proved invaluable.
You must be so busy with all these businesses, what’s the secret to finding that balance between work and switching off?
I won’t pretend that I find it easy to completely switch off from work, but I am working hard now so that I can slow down and take more time to relax in the future.
Many of my colleagues are now my close friends which is great, I am certainly not missing out on the social side of life to be a successful entrepreneur.
Finally, what three words would you use to describe Gunner?
It’s almost impossible to constrain Gunner into just three words. But if my hands were tied, I would plump for natural, British, and refreshing.
