The Trevethan Story
1929
Norman Trevethan creates a ‘bathtub’ gin, the original Trevethan Gin recipe, whilst working as a Chauffeur for the Port Eliot Estate in Cornwall.
1929
2013
John Hall and Rob Cuffe (Norman’s grandson) decide to resurrect the Trevethan gin recipe – development begins.
2013
2015
John elevates Norman’s bathtub recipe to a classic London Dry distilled gin, and it is released to the UK market featuring a bottle and label design echoing its 1920’s heritage.
2015
2016
Trevethan Distillery receives its first IWSC Silver Medal for their Original Dry Gin.
2016
2017
Trevethan Distillery receives IWSC Silver Medal for their Original Dry Gin.
Trevethan is the first independent craft distillery to be launched into Waitrose
2017
2018
Trevethan receives IWSC Silver medals for their Original 1929 London Dry Gin and their Chauffeurs Reserve Navy Strength.
2018
2019
Trevethan receives IWSC Silver Medal for their Original Dry Gin.
2019
2020
Trevethan receives IWSC Silver Medal for their Original Dry Gin.
2020
2021
Trevethan receives its first IWSC Gold Medal for their Original Dry Gin and are name the IWSC’s UK Gin Distillery of the Year for their combined performance across the gin categories.
2021
2022
Trevethan receives an IWSC Gold Outstanding Medal for their Original Dry Gin and are a finalist in the UK Gin Distillery of the Year award.
Trevethan’s new shape bottle is launched. Produced in the UK and using 30% less glass.
Trevethan expand their listing with Waitrose across the whole of the UK.
2022
2023
Trevethan welcome new investment for international growth and brand development.
Trevethan launch in the US and Europe
2023
2024
Johns pioneering journey continues, redefining how gin should be made leads to an exciting new product to be launched at the end of the year. Watch this space, the best is yet to come...
2024
It’s 1929, Trevethan’s pioneering journey starts here.
The story of Trevethan started in South East Cornwall, in 1929. Norman Trevethan epitomised an inventive and resourceful rural personality. Born in 1906 in Tideford, Cornwall, into a traditional Cornish family, at a time when the true essence of craft stemmed from the ingenuity and creativity of rural communities who would recreate products that were only readily available to those in large cities. In his early career Norman was chauffeur to Earl and Lady St Germans of the Port Elliot Estate who he regularly drove to high society events in what was then ‘Roaring Twenties London.’ It was during this heavily influential time, when gin cocktails were the at height of fashion that Norman decided a Trevethan family recipe for Gin needed to be created.
It was traditional in Cornwall to celebrate the changing of the seasons with home brewed alcohol, preserves and pickles from the bounty of home grown and hedgerow produce, using family recipes which had been passed down the generations. Parsnip wine, blackberry and elderberry wine, marrow rum, plum brandy and sloe gin were common. So, with an amalgam of skills and knowledge that had grown out of Norman’s experience of country brewing crafts the original Trevethan Gin recipe which was the essence of the Cornish hedgerows was born. The same pioneering spirit continues at Trevethan today. While modern technology and equipment helps, the skill, innovation, craftsmanship that goes into making Trevethan’s world class gin, is imperative.
Trevethan was founded on two principles: honour the past, then make it better.
While working together in 2013, Norman’s grandson Robert Cuffe, an engineer, would talk fondly of his late grandfathers love of craft brewing, in particular a family recipe for a bathtub gin with his friend John Hall, a chemist. Prior to this, John already had a keen interest in distilled spirits, in particular whisky, and had started a personal journey over the previous few years visiting distilleries and educating himself as a hobby with any free time he had. He was fascinated with the complexities of whisky’s origins, grain types, distillation techniques and ageing process and was determined to understand and aspired to truly appreciate the drink not just for its scientific aspects but for its complex sensory elements too. However, there was a period of learning before he finally developed the skills, palate and craftmanship he needed. John looked at those who enjoyed whiskey, enhancing the moment they were in, he wanted to know what they knew, he saw these connoisseurs and knew that was the culture he wanted to be part of, that was him. Over this time, what John was witnessing was the very early days of the craft drinks movement which would soon start to unfold, so when the discussion with Rob arose, John could not resist the opportunity to dust off his old lab coat and recreate the gin recipe that had been lost to the world for over 70 years. He would spend the next few months listening to Rob and his family’s memories of Norman’s bathtub gin creation and the botanicals the family would hand pick. Two ingredients that were always mentioned were the picking of prickly gorse and the sweet aromas of elderflower from Cornish hedgerows.
Over the next 18 months John would produce 30 iterations of Norman’s recipe until it was finally elevated to a not just a “bath tub” gin but what we now know is a World leading London Dry Gin. However, that didn’t go without its challenges. When the quantities were scaled up to produce a larger volume of gin, the mouth feel from the gorse flower oil had changed, back to the drawing board. With the addition of vanilla, the recipe was now perfected ready for the arrival Trevethan’s first Copper-Alembic still. The tradition goes that the Master Distiller has naming rights over any new still, but they name them after an important Woman in their life. So the first Trevethan still was name Doris after John’s Grandmother.
